ABSTRACT
Music education is not obviously problematic until it surfaces in schools and colleges, until it becomes 'formal', institutionalised. If we want to strum a guitar, get into the plot of a Wagner opera, play a sitar or sing in a chorus, then finding a teacher, reading a book or joining a performing group may be all that is required. There is no need to form a curriculum committee, produce a rationale or declare a list of objectives. The informal music 'student' can copy jazz riffs from recordings, ask friends about fingering or chord patterns, learn by imitation - 'sitting next to Nelly' - or widen musical experience by watching television, listening to the radio or exploring record shops. Formal instruction may not be necessary. Yet for some this may be a crucial point of access. For others though, the contribution of educational institutions to their personal music education will be negligible and could even be negative. In Britain there is a history of research reporting negative
attitudes to music in the curriculum compared with other subjects (Francis, 1987; Ross, 1995; Schools Council, 1968).
