In September 2023, almost twenty years after my last bout with formal schooling, I entered the Community Music MA program at Wilfrid Laurier University. I am normally a full-time music teacher at the Montessori School at Hillfield Strathallan College in Hamilton, Ontario. 

 

Over the last five years, I deferred part of my salary to buy myself a year off (what teachers refer to as a four over five). When I began the process, I wasn’t completely sure what my year off would hold - possibly travel, possibly school of some kind - but definitely, an opportunity to step back from my deeply trod routine and allow space and time to dance with some other elements. 

 

One of the most surprising turns my year took was to return to teaching Music Together^® again, although if you consider the field of Community Music, it isn’t really such a surprise.

 

In their seminal book Engaging in Community Music: An Introduction, Lee Higgins and Lee Willingham attempt to describe the often difficult-to-pin-down definition of Community Music: 

“Community musicians intentionally set out to create spaces for inclusive and participatory musical doing. This impulse comes from a belief that music making is a fundamental aspect of the human experience and is, therefore an intrinsic and foundational part of human culture and society. As a perspective, those that work this way do so with a commitment to expression as a crucible for social transformation, emancipation, empowerment and cultural capital. As a broad approach to music education, community musicians place emphasis on conversation, negotiation, collaboration cultural democracy. Community music is, therefore, an interventionist approach between a music leader or facilitator and those participants who wish to be involved.”  (Higgins & Willingham, 2017, pg. 3) 

 

If you’ve ever participated in or seen a Music Together class, you’ll recognize many of these characteristics right off the bat! 

Participatory music making - that’s our whole thing! Music as a basic human birthright? You know it!  As I immersed myself in Community Music, it was wonderful to teach the TipToe Music Burlington classes because it gave me a concrete playground to witness community music-making in action.

 

 A key (and beloved!) element of every Music Together class is beginning with the Hello Song. Although we as adults recognize children's desire for routine, and we understand that the consistency of such a ritual is useful, I’m not sure we always sense the true importance and culture-setting potential this opening song holds. I know that in the classes I run, I make a point of singing the adult’s names as well as the children’s. This often surprises people if it’s their first time in my class. After all, as parents, we’re used to doctors and teachers and other adults of the world referring to us as “mom” or “dad” as soon as we’re accessing a service for our child. The act of consciously bringing the parent’s identity into the room is a choice with great power and intentionality. If we know each other’s names we have a first step into becoming a community. 

 

 Another element of Community Music that Music Together really gets right is the commitment to learning through play. As a Music Together teacher, you must learn to be flexible and adaptable - true mastery is evident when you can witness what the folks in the room are offering and include it in your lesson plan. When we ask for suggestions in Music Together class, we create an experience that is particular to that group at that moment. Music-making is the vehicle driving us toward connection. 

 

Recently, I presented my MA research to my class and invited guests. As I begin to wrap up my studies and return to my full-time teaching in the fall, I am aware of the constant and indelible imprint that my time as a Music Together teacher has had on my approach to building community and inspiring the next generation of children for whom music making is as natural as walking and talking. 

 

As you continue through life as a musical family, I hope you’ll reflect on the ways music can be woven into our communities, our routines, and our lives too!

 

Sing with you soon, Amber