‘Our Many Possible Selves in Music’, The Journal of Music, 22 November 2016

Back row, L-R: Dr Thomas Johnston (Postdoctoral Research Fellow); Dr Patricia Flynn (Principal Investigator); Rosaleen Molloy (National Director, Music Generation); Leah O'Donnell (Young Ambassador Music Generation Limerick City); SMC (Young Ambassador Music Generation Limerick City); MuRli (Musician, Music Generation Limerick City); Willzee (Young Ambassador Music Generation Limerick City); Dr Gwen Moore (Chairperson, SMEI); Boris Hunka (Coordinator, Music Generation Limerick City). Front row: Steve Savage (Musician, Music Generation Limerick City). Pictured at the launch of Possible Selves in Music at the 6th Annual SMEI Conference, Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (UL). Image: Maurice Gunning.

On 4 November 2016 Music Generation and St Patrick’s College (DCU) published the outcomes of a two-year research partnership at the 6th Annual Conference of the Society for Music in Education in Ireland. The document, titled ‘Possible Selves in Music’, looks at the transformative potential for children and young people of performance music education, based on the principles of diversity.

In response to the research, the Journal of Music have published an insightful article by Dr Gwen Moore which asks: What are the philosophy and aims that make Music Generation different?

Senior Lecturer in Music Education at Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick and Chair of the Society for Music Education in Ireland, Dr Moore investigates, “What does a ‘possible self in music’ mean? How many of us can relate to encountering a musical experience where a teacher unwittingly or deliberately dismissed our musical tastes, ignored our choice of repertoire, or left us questioning our musical ability?”.

She writes of how “In formal music education, policy and practice has tended to perpetuate myths and ideologies about what music and music education is and whom it is for. A new Music Generation research report aims to counteract these tendencies.”

‘Our Many Possible Selves in Music’ by Dr Gwen Moore was first published in the Journal of Music on 22 November 2016. You can read the full article online here.

An executive summary of the research document can be downloaded free of charge from our website.