MISTEC 2018: Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission Seminar

Educational development, and the transformation it entails, is a multifaceted and, at times, difficult process. In this presentation I reflexively examine and reflect upon the process of a cross-national and inter-institutional educational development, in which I took part. As a Finnish music educator and scholar, my work took place in Nepal, working together with local educators to design and establish a new music Performance Diploma program. This program emphasizes traditional music, its contemporary forms of performing as well as research and pedagogy.
 
The cross-cultural nature of this work presented a number of challenges, but also opportunities, relating to artistic and pedagogical transformation. The focus of this presentation is not necessarily on the formation of the intercultural professional learning community in Nepal, but the impact on my own professional self. As part of the collaborative process, difficulties arose from the cultural and linguistic differences, value dimensions and communication styles. Discomfort was ever present in the work. An ability to stay open to and learn from the culture of the ‘Other’, while acknowledging, reflecting upon and responding to matters, questions, beliefs and values in one’s local surroundings was challenging for the individuals involved in the work. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that acknowledgment and acceptance of cultural complexities may enable emergence of the ‘third space’ where new pedagogical and artistic practices, tools, concepts, and understandings can be co-created and sustainable music education development can take place.

Vilma Timonen (Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, Finland)