Joan Minnery Community Music
What IS Community Music?
Community Music -- The Hospitality of Music -- Inviting EVERYone to Participate!!!!
At the foundation of Community Music is the essence of musicians engaging with others to provide the means to actively enjoy and participate in music. It’s about working together in creating lasting and enjoyable experiences. This can take place at any time with anyone. Community isn’t about where you are on a map. It’s about a collection of people sharing commonalities. Every person can make and share music yet, people are often hesitant because they feel they aren’t skilled. Often, it’s due to the fact that they’ve never been given the opportunity. With Community Music, everyone’s view and input are respected.
Everyone Is included. Every Person Is Important. Every Person Is A Star!
Music has been part of communities for centuries yet, music instruction at the formal level of education such as College and University has concentrated on music theory, history, performance, and the talent of the musician. Learning is focused on the ability to read sheet music and show competitive talent in many areas of instrumentation, voice, musical theatre, and the performing arts. In comparison, even at the conservatory level, there has always existed an exclusionary and ego-centric atmosphere. Often, extremely talented musicians and practitioners have been lost academically simply because they didn’t know how to sight-read music or develop their skills learning orchestra music or had a lack of enthusiasm for the genre. E.g., Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, the Bee Gees, the Beatles, Eddie Van Halen, Taylor Swift and ELVIS.
“I would not have majored in music because when music becomes technical for me, I don’t like that part of it.” – Taylor Swift.
Community Music is open to all. It is cooperative, has a fluid flow, is non-judgmental, unselfish and is process and participant-centred. Community Music is multi-cultural and not genre-specific. It’s more about community engagement and music that creates a community experience. Any type of music that is creative. Community Music is not competitive or formal. It is not exclusionary or product-centred and it is not egocentric. It is not based on talent. It is participant-driven vs performance-driven. The philosophy is that Community Music is about The Process Not the Product.
When you hear the term: Community Music …
Think Pop music, Rock and Roll, Rap, Hip-Hop, Cultural Music, Country, Blues and of course Indie. Think more about the local busker on the street, or the band you’re seeing in the tavern or a community theatre performing in the park. Bring your thoughts to eclectic musical groups of diversified cultures, individuals with special needs, musicians of all ages, all genders, races, creeds, identifications. A Community.
Community Music signifies the interactive teamwork between the individuals who play, create, improvise, and perform music together. Community Music advocates for the individuals’ evolvement and community progression.
In a simple explanation, community music is the informal participatory music-making or ‘musicking’ of the performer, their audience and the relationship of hospitality and humanity between a teacher and their students.
Community Music strives to bring awareness that a group of students knocking sticks together or clapping is just as relevant and should be just as musically accepted as a full brass orchestra. A group leader plucking away on a banjo or singing A Cappella songs is just as viable as a concert pianist or 5-piece jazz quintet.
Community Music establishes to bridge the gap between the classical musician and the cover band, between the classically trained opera singer and the country singer at the local community event and assuredly between the orchestra conductor and the facilitator at the local residential centre or senior’s centre.