Dairianathan, Eugene

Despite the processes of learning by popular musicians at a very personal level, there is very little common knowledge or recognition of how popular musicians in general learn or of the attitudes and values they share in relation to music learning. A serious examination of popular music learning practices could provide insights for teaching and learning of popular music as well as to provide lessons in music. Having begun initial studies of a local Extreme Metal group, Rudra, I study two of their songs, 'Malediction' (released in 1995) and 'Ageless Conciousness I Am' (released in 2005). While 'Malediction' revealed the presence of written exiguous notation Rudra members relied on for their recording, the final recording of 'Ageless Consciousness I Am' revealed two earlier sound recordings. Rudra's exiguous notational system was later supplanted by their reliance from 2000 onwards on recorded sound files as notational systems but accrued significant benefits for the band in the early stages of their learning. By making observations about their songs and lessons learnt when studying an approach to music learning in the practice of Extreme metal music, I revisit epistemological foundations of in/formal learning through music.

The objective of this project was to assess and evaluate the implications of redesigning this core module by viewing the module as a world of musical practices. This objective has, as its rationale the view from the music educator David3, that music is, at root level, a human activity, is context dependent and practice-specific. Being informed of any of these practices also involves the fundamental element of the teaching and learning of any of these practices. Since the module identified specific musical practices, the most effective way to run this module was to implement an experiential learning approach. (taken from the Introduction page).

Tullia Magrini explains that the term improvisation connotes unpredictability and suggests two reasons: the aleatory and unsystematic character of the event, and, a lack of knowledge and information for those who experience it (1998, 169). Essentially, Improvisation appears historically in western art musical theory and practice as system and rules and with it the notion of instrumental, musical and improvisational skill situated in a context-dependent and practice specific system. However, as language differs from culture to culture, so do expectations of musical improvisation. John Blacking (1973, 100) argues what is ultimately of most importance in music cannot be learned like other cultural skills: it is there in the body, waiting to be brought out and developed, like the basic principles of language formation. This suggests that the unpredictability of both event and human activity precipitate improvisatory tactics and strategies, irrespective of system and specific practice, which underscore an anthropological dimension of improvisation. Studies in improvisatory practice suggest a symbiotic relationship between the musical- instrumental-systematic and anthropological dimensions. Understanding improvisational ability from this dual perspective has significant ramifications for a multidimensional perspective and secondly, membership which is possible with those with certified or certifiable musical skills. Blacking’s assertion raises the question – are those without certifiable skills in improvisation capable of responding as the certified? What lessons could we learn in enabling these ‘excluded musicians’ in improvisation?