Edward Sarath – författare

Music Studies and Its Moment of Truth: Leading Change through America’s Black Music Roots presents a new framework for racial justice discourse in the context of music studies and education. Centering on Black American Music, the book issues challenges to both the conventional music studies paradigm and decades-old reform efforts.

While Black American Music ranks high among America’s contributions to world culture, and offers musicians powerful tools for musical practice and understanding, this musical legacy remains remarkably marginalized even in activist conversations. The author argues that this reflects lingering and unexamined racist patterns that persist even among the most fervent voices for anti-racist interventions, and addresses the need for a higher-order activist framework within music studies.

Delving further into the transformative changes needed to pursue racial justice, the short pieces collected in this book discuss topics including a shift from multicultural ideology to a transcultural model of musical pluralism, analysis of the multi-tiered nature of musical racism, the whitewashing of music studies activism, K-12 music teacher education as the locus for paradigmatic change and the potential for a transformed model of music studies to catalyze an overarching revolution in creativity and consciousness in both education and society at large. Critiquing the failures of progressive reform efforts and conventional reaction, this book argues that major changes are needed to the discourse on racism in music studies, and envisions new paradigms for the future.

Music Studies and Its Moment of Truth: Leading Change through America’s Black Music Roots presents a new framework for racial justice discourse in the context of music studies and education. Centering on Black American Music, the book issues challenges to both the conventional music studies paradigm and decades-old reform efforts.

While Black American Music ranks high among America’s contributions to world culture, and offers musicians powerful tools for musical practice and understanding, this musical legacy remains remarkably marginalized even in activist conversations. The author argues that this reflects lingering and unexamined racist patterns that persist even among the most fervent voices for anti-racist interventions, and addresses the need for a higher-order activist framework within music studies.

Delving further into the transformative changes needed to pursue racial justice, the short pieces collected in this book discuss topics including a shift from multicultural ideology to a transcultural model of musical pluralism, analysis of the multi-tiered nature of musical racism, the whitewashing of music studies activism, K-12 music teacher education as the locus for paradigmatic change and the potential for a transformed model of music studies to catalyze an overarching revolution in creativity and consciousness in both education and society at large. Critiquing the failures of progressive reform efforts and conventional reaction, this book argues that major changes are needed to the discourse on racism in music studies, and envisions new paradigms for the future.

Redefining Music Studies in an Age of Change: Creativity, Diversity, Integration takes prevailing discourse about change in music studies to new vistas, as higher education institutions are at a critical moment of determining just what professional musicians and teachers need to survive and thrive in public life. The authors examine how music studies might be redefined through the lenses of creativity, diversity, and integration. which are the three pillars of the recent report of The College Music Society taskforce calling for reform.

Focus is on new conceptions for existent areas—such as studio lessons and ensembles, academic history and theory, theory and culture courses, and music education coursework—but also on an exploration of music and human learning, and an understanding of how organizational change happens. Examination of progressive programs will celebrate strides in the direction of the task force vision, as well as extend a critical eye distinguishing between premature proclamations of “mission accomplished” and genuine transformation. The overarching theme is that a foundational, systemic overhaul has the capacity to entirely revitalize the European classical tradition. Practical steps applicable to wide-ranging institutions are considered—from small liberal arts colleges, to conservatory programs, large research universities, and regional state universities.