In Introductory Music, I was introduced, for the first time, to the concept of whitewashed Western Music Theory. In all of my years of listing Beethoven and Bach as the best musicians in the world. I never considered asking myself why they were considered the best. I knew nothing about the issues of musical colonization, canon-formation, exclusion, or even what music theory was. On my first days of class, my teacher asked questions such as: What makes good music? What is deemed as “authentic” music? How does music connect to race, gender, and history? and, What is music theory? I had never been asked questions like these in regards to music.
My teacher, Sandi Wilson, shared with me that she had spent thousands of dollars in college to learn music theory. In finishing her four-year education, she explained that she, ultimately, learned only about Western Music Theory. She described that through travel, global education, and interactions with musicians different from herself, she came to understand that alternative approaches to teaching music theory are vital in developing one’s musical knowledge. What she brought to my class was the teaching of global music theory; a polystylistic approach to education.
Through this class, I learned that Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s claim that “music is the universal language of mankind”, is misleading. This is because, Western Music Theory, consistently taught in both higher and lower levels of education in the U.S., excludes the majority of the world’s cultures, histories, and theories. Music could be a universal language if there is a systemic change in the approach to musical education. I failed to consider that my geography shaped my understanding of the world. The polystylistic approach to music theory that my teacher brought to class opened my eyes to this. The class gave me a global education and perspective on music, not an education of whitewashed textbooks. This class pushed me to ask myself why I was learning a certain topic, and to ask what perspectives were being left out. These types of questions are essential in being a global citizen, and through this class, I have gained the perspective that obligates me to consider exactly why and what I am being taught in any classroom or learning environment.