Adolescents on Music

Many can attest to the importance of the self-growth that occurs for young people through the arts and their accompanying communities of support, understanding, and caring. Yet even professionals who work daily with adolescents, as well as parents or guardians who raise adolescents, sometimes have difficulty collectively articulating why music-making experiences are important for young people.The author argues for deeper efforts to connect adolescent perspectives with established theories and philosophies in the social sciences and humanities. Organized into three sections - Who I Am; My Social Self; and Toward a Future Vision - Parker seeks new and diverse perspectives from the young people sharing their voices and experiences in each chapter. Chapters begin with a description from adolescents, in their own words, of the music they make, the meanings they ascribe to their music making, and its contributions to their development. These perspectives, along with a discussion of relevant theories within and outside of music education that support adolescent musical and personal growth, help guide teachers, conductors, parents, and students toward purposeful and meaningful collaboration and growth.