Cultivating cosmopolitan musicians: A rationale towards a new framework for teaching the double bass

This paper proposes a new framework for teaching music and musical instruments that aims to cultivate cosmopolitan musicians, that is, musicians capable of navigating different styles and genres of music through the mastery of their instrument. I identify a gap in the double bass pedagogical materials by looking into the state of the double bass pedagogy in the United States. To fill this gap, I propose a framework of cosmopolitanism, illustrated in the form of a prototype for a new method for teaching double bass beginner students, that intersects the methodologies applied in public schools’ heterogeneous string classes, and the American String Teachers Association curriculum and expectations, with a more up-to-date pedagogy that teaches the Western classical music tradition alongside jazz and popular music. By adopting the philosophical concept of cosmopolitanism, I offer a wider understanding of musicianship and musicality that embraces various musical styles. The teaching framework I propose changes according to the traditions and culture of where it is applied. By presenting a step-by-step guide for the development of a cosmopolitan curriculum for American double bass students, I suggest ways to adapt this framework for other instruments, localities, and teaching settings.

Name thesis:degree_name

A.Mus.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Soares Caceres, Renata

Contributors dc:contributor

• Fairbanks, Stephen
• Gray, Lawence
• Bashford, Christina
• Gallo, Donna

• double bass
• cosmopolitanism
• music education
• jazz
• popular music
• method book
• pedagogy
• teaching

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Renata Soares Caceres

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115814

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F115814