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BoomTown Music Education and the need for authenticity – informal learning put into practice in Swedish post-compulsory music education

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 January 2010

Sidsel Karlsen*
Affiliation:
Hedmark University College, Faculty of Education and Natural Sciences, Lærerskolealleen 1, 2418 Elverum, Norwaysidsel.karlsen@hihm.no

Abstract

The article reports on a 2-year higher education music programme for young rock musicians in Sweden called BoomTown Music Education. The pedagogical philosophy behind this programme is developed from the findings of two Swedish music education researchers, and the programme exemplifies how knowledge about popular musicians' learning strategies in informal contexts can be utilised when designing post-compulsory music education. The aim of the article is to problematise the BoomTown environment in relation to its informality and authenticity. In addition to a description of the programme, the author's experiences from visiting this education programme are laid out in order to provide the ground for such a problematisation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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