Robert Szymanek
Musician, Composer/Producer
Music Teacher, Coach & Mentor working in private, school and university settings
Music Education Reseacher
Declaration
Composing Music for Change:
Creating and sharing ecology-inspired music to enhance human connections with the Earth/natural world. Using music as a vehicle for communicating ideas for an ecologically sustainable future.
Researching and Developing Ecological Music Teaching:
Music and musicians are huge influencers in our culture, and play a massive role in disseminating ideas. I see that frameworks of music education and music culture prioritise profiteering over wellbeing, a reflection of the broad values and norms in society that have brought us to our current ecological crisis. Intrinsic - and central - to our very perception of what we 'do' when we learn to play an instrument is 'profit': ideas of making something, doing something, with the individual (talented, unique) growing towards and achieving goals, competing with others, and accumulating personal wealth in terms of success, accolades, achievements, awards, recognition, and so on. The consequence, however, of this profit-driven system is the detriment of our mental, physical and relational wellbeing: to each other and the Earth.
To avert the worst impacts of climate change and mass extinction, deep transformation is required in every part of society, As part of this, I believe we need to develop frameworks for music education - and perhaps education as a whole - that nurture our wellbeing over what we do or produce - over profit. In this alternative system, growth and gain can continue to be part of our sense of wellbeing, but they are relegated as possible components rather than constant necessities. What would also be stressed is the nature - and joy - of musicianship, musical practice and musicality as something we do not 'attain' or 'gain' or 'reach', but rather experience in the moment, and come to know more and more as we learn and practice - in ever deepening spirals into our selves - the heart of our humanity - rather than a straight line of growth upwards, towards something we are 'not-as-yet'.
If you would like to collaborate on either of these projects, please contact me through my website.
