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ERIC Number: EJ1485533
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 29
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-1545-4517
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Investigating Multivocality through Basil Bernstein's Ontology and Epistemology of Pedagogy
Andrew Schmidt
Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education, v24 n5 p6-30 2025
This article explores tensions in Western classical vocal pedagogy through the lenses of queer theory and Bernstein's work. Using Basil Bernstein's theories of "Pedagogic Codes" and the "Pedagogic Device", I examine how strong classification and framing shape power dynamics and limit vocal identity within traditional voice education. I position "multivocality"--the ability to sing across genres and styles--as a pedagogical and theoretical intervention that challenges rigid norms and expands expressive possibilities. Drawing on autoethnographic reflection, queer theory, and critical music education scholarship, I trace how voice classification, particularly my own experience as a "bass," functions as a site of both constraint and resistance. By incorporating multivocality into vocal training, educators can weaken exclusionary codes and foster more inclusive practices. This work invites a reimagining of vocal pedagogy as a space for agency, plurality, and pedagogical transformation.
MayDay Group. Brandon University School of Music, 270 18th Street, Brandon, Manitoba R7A 6A9, Canada. Tel: 204-571-8990; Fax: 204-727-7318; Web site: http://act.maydaygroup.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A