“Is This Really Helping My Career?” Discontent Amongst Industry-Focussed Higher Popular Music Education Undergraduates in Scotland

A focus on music industry, and training students for employment, is often seen to be a defining attribute of many higher popular music education programs, certainly throughout much of the UK, and perhaps throughout the field more widely. However, student responses garnered by means of a recent qualitative study, which explored student expectations and motivations for HPME study in Scotland signal potential discontent amongst industry focussed HPME students, many of whom perceive a fundamental conflict existing between music industry and HPME. As a result of the very nature of higher education, they feel that HPME curricula in its current form may in fact be a “distraction” or “hinderance” to the development of a career in the industry.

“Is This Really Helping My Career?”

A key finding of this research project was that the students who reported expectations of vocational, industry-focussed course content at university were often the same students who reported the highest levels of dissatisfaction with their studies – irrespective of the aims and content of their chosen programme. Often at the root of this dissatisfaction appeared to be the students’ perception of a division between the music industries and HPME. This was a theme that I found of great interest and was something indicated by a variety of students. For example:

“I sometimes feel like ‘is this really helping my career?’ [I] feel like I’m developing a career in music, completely independently to the music degree I’m doing.” – “Jude”, third year undergraduate

This sentiment may be relatable to some; having felt this way yourself, or hearing this idea expressed by students! “Jude” viewed this perceived dichotomy between the approach and content of his education and prospective career in the music industry in negative terms. He believes that his university degree should be directly informing his career but is instead acting as a distraction at best, and perhaps even a hindrance to his career development at worst. With this dichotomy observed by many participants regardless of their choice of institution, and irrespective of the aims and content of their programme of study, I feel this suggests the noted dichotomy between music industry and music education is a fundamental characteristic of HPME in its current form. Several participants indicated that they felt that this dichotomy was almost purely as a result of course content that was out of step with current industry trends, and that crucially, assessments, coursework and essays were distracting them from working in the “real world”. Indeed, some interviewees went so far as to suggest academics should be replaced with “industry insiders” for the tuition of certain subject areas as a means to provide “relevant” course content (where “relevant” often meant up-to-date, industry focussed knowledge).

It is also important to stress that students’ expectations of, and motivations for, studying popular music courses are notably more complex than a singular focus on job prospects, and not all interviewees reported strong industry focussed attitudes and expectations. Therefore, application of pedagogies with the intention of simply training young people, or attempting to compromise to please the widest variety of students, risks the danger of courses falling short and failing students regardless of their expectations. Instead of simply attempting to compromise, and essentially ignore student perceptions of this dichotomy, might it perhaps be useful for educators to view this dichotomy as a liberating prospect? This conflict between industry and education, illustrated by students themselves could in fact be reframed as a positive, granting both educators and students the possibility to step away from solely training-focussed course content and pedagogies for employment, and work towards facilitating the holistic, exploratory & interdisciplinary learning experience that some young people wish for. With one of the key pitfalls in music industry training in a HE environment that institutions are too “slow” to integrate current trends and industry insights into their course materials, and that knowledge may be “out of date” by the time students graduate, a switch to a focus on the development of self-criticality, imagination and reflection would afford young people the skills to allow them to react to what the future may hold, and not just trained to operate within what present conditions suggest.

I feel that the findings of this study further legitimise calls for HPME to move away from pedagogies strictly aimed at employability, and that course design, assessment practices and pedagogy should instead be suited towards “enabling students to develop the skills and knowledge required to become practitioners (in the broadest sense), and empowering them to be reflective, self-critical, imaginative and confident graduates” (Moir 2017, p.41). While this research took place in Scotland, many of the themes and topics discussed may be of wider relevance beyond HPME in Scotland, largely as a result of how the issues discussed relate to larger discussions surrounding the role of HE more widely. Moving to pedagogies with a foundation in critique rather than obedience, educators can use this fundamental dichotomy to their advantage: allowing them the freedom to focus on facilitating the development of skills that would allow students to react to what the future may hold, not just training young people for what the current present suggests.

Aidan Harvey is a guitarist, producer and educator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is currently studying for a PhD in the field of higher popular music education at Edinburgh Napier University