Fishers of song: Music education and community in Andavadoaka, Madagascar

Abstract

What might pre-service music teachers learn by stepping outside the formal curriculum? In between semesters student teaching in New York City, I investigated music education practices in the Vezo fishing village of Andavadoaka, Madagascar. By investigating how this community practices advanced musicianship learned primarily outside the classroom, I aimed to understand what formal music educators can do to improve musicianship in our communities. This research focuses on the teaching and learning of music as observed through one community institution (the Catholic school) and three knowledgeable, local music makers (Gustin, Felicia, and Sylvera). Through ethnography and oral history, I asked, what is the relationship between community and music education practices in Andavadoaka? And, how do my observations as a cultural outsider provide insight into the relationship between community and music education practices in the formal, school settings where I was learning to teach? Three themes emerged from these experiences. By imbuing our classrooms with a participatory ethos, practicing music in a richer cultural context, and tapping into the social networks inhabited by our students, we can musically develop our communities far beyond their current limits.