Alternative Music Pedagogies viewed through the lens of social emotional climate. Katie Carlisle, University of Toronto, Canada.

Katie Carlisle has researched music education and questioned the different pedagogies in learning music. How students are being given more freedom in there own learnings in music. How background and freedom of individuality represent the students success not only in school, but also later in life in terms of career and social emotional climate.

Music education is strongly influenced by the social/political climate. In Canada there are around 300 ethnic groups. Student needs have in many cases been neglected which has led to demotivation and lack of equality of opportunity. Therefor more alternave and individualistic learning methods have been developed and applied in some schools. The main issue is that the teacher is the one who must take initiative in providing these new methods in music education. And it can be very difficult to carry out due to the administration/principle views and resources. If an institution is not open to new ways of learning, it will never be realized in practice.

Many of the students attending these alternative music school have experienced that cultural and social differences have led to inspiration and creativity. Freedom is a keyword.

Amir is one of the students Katie has interviewed through her research. Amir, amongst other students have found a reason to stay in school through being able to put feelings into music. And by being given individual freedom, it is preventing students from dropping out of school. Through Katie Carlisle's research and interviews, she has found that students attending alternative learning methods are more motivated than the full time music students attending art schools.

By Ivar Eriksen and Jon Inge Lomeland.