This is the sound of one voice

Singing to see beyond boundaries in a university community choir

Bibliographic Data

ID12645818
AuthorsSue Monk (0000-0003-2705-1193, Griffith University, corresponding author), Elizabeth Mackinlay (0000-0002-8756-4372, The University of Queensland)
EditorsMark Vicars and Dr Jon Austin
Year2015
Volume15
Issue2
Pages166-177
Publication date2015-04-15
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Research Journal (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1443-9883 • E-ISSN: 1448-0980
PublisherEmerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1108/qrj-01-2015-0004
OpenAlexW1997885669
LanguageEN
References cited12

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore their experiences as singers in a community choir called Arrkula (a Yanyuwa word meaning “one voice”) based in the School of Education at the University of Queensland as performance of song, self, social justice and seeing beyond boundaries. Performing at “gigs” inside and outside the university, Arrkula has been singing together since 2011, and despite an environment replete with neo-liberal ideals of individualism, competitiveness and capitalist driven research agendas, at the centre of their song remains a yearning for social connection, equality and renewed consciousness. Design/methodology/approach – The authors take an autoethnographic creative approach and bring performance of song together with their stories and interviews with choir members to link the “secret space” of the rehearsal with the “public space” of staged performances. Findings – The authors’ aim is to think and perform the potential the voice and voices of Arrkula hold in terms of heightening senses of agency, provoking and empowering a pursuit of freedom and transforming lived worlds through song. Originality/value – The value of this paper is the authors’ take up of Maxine Greene’s (2005, p. 38) question, “if we can link imagination to our sense of possibility and our ability to respond to other human beings, can we link it to the making of community as well?” to consider what singing for democracy and difference might mean individually and collectively in the current climate of higher education

Aesthetics · Agency (philosophy · Art · Articulation (sociology · Choir · Consciousness · Epistemology · Individualism · Management · Meaning (existential · Media studies · Originality · Pedagogy · Political science · Politics · Singing · Social science · Sociology · Value (mathematics · Artistic and Creative Research · Diverse Music Education Insights · Innovative Education and Learning Practices · Law

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