Dr. David Lines | Professor of Music Education, University of Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. (PST) | Hybrid | Scarfe, Room 1209
*Note: this seminar is Hybrid (attend via Zoom, or join us in Scarfe 1209)
For Zoom details, please email edcp.educ@ubc.ca
View the Seminar Poster
Host | Dr. Peter Gouzouasis
Abstract:
In this presentation I draw on research and creative practice to explore relationships between music, dialogue, and education. Contrary to neoliberal and reductive notions of education, I take dialogue to be multi-modal and intrinsic to experiences in and of music and the arts. Music, as an important facet of human communication, is inherently social and as such is linked to community and whanaungatanga (the Māori concept of togetherness). Musical experiences offer us “musical dialogues” or public spaces that hold transformational potential for social expression, connection, and learning. I initially develop the idea of dialogue through a consideration of philosophers/theorists: Arendt, Bakhtin, Buber and Freire. We live in a world that needs a deeper sense of dialogue. Although social media is a potential form of dialogue, it has increasingly become a space of division. Dialogue is often absent in discussions about educational policy, curriculum, race, colonialism, and other pressing issues. I argue that musical dialogue offers a sense of freedom, connectedness and community, a space for public sharing, and a shared sense of belonging missing in many of these disconnected scenarios. It also has important implications for education. The presentation will include examples from my past research, live music, and conversation.
Short Bio:
Dr. David Lines is Professor of Music Education in the Faculty of Arts and Education at Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland. David’s research examines the role of music and the arts in contemporary society as it shifts from the concert/recording space to one that is more integrated in people’s lives and well-being. His articles and books explore research, philosophies, and pedagogical practices in a broad range of topics including creativity, music technology, improvisation, community music and cultural diversity. As a creative artist he has played piano in contemporary music bands including covers, standards, original music and free jazz. In his early career he composed school musicals and conducted mass choirs and jazz bands. In recent years has been involved in university curriculum redevelopment, curriculum change, and transdisciplinary teaching and learning.
Additional information:
Dr. David Lines has performed and recorded amazing jazz collaborations with Maori musicians in Aukland. He is an expert musician and internationally renowned scholar is philosophy and music who has two published research books–Music Education for the New Millennium: Theory and practice futures for music teaching and learning (Wiley-Blackwell, 2006) and Intersecting Cultures in Music and Dance Education: An oceanic perspective (Springer, 2016)–and numerous research articles. For more background, see https://philpeople.org/profiles/david-lines and https://profiles.auckland.ac.nz/d-lines/publications
* The Faculty of Education and UBC seek to foster an environment in which respect, civility, diversity, opportunity and inclusion are valued.