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.
Descriptors: Educational Theories, Epistemology, Music Education, Singing, Classification, Inclusion, Educational Philosophy, Homosexuality, Teaching Methods, Classical Music
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

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