Music as Agency: Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship

— —

Maria Westvall (Rhythmic Music Conservatory, Denmark) Emily Achieng’ Akuno (Co-operative University of Kenya, Kenya)

Music as Agency

Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship

Maria Westvall (Rhythmic Music Conservatory, Denmark), Emily Achieng’ Akuno (Co-operative University of Kenya, Kenya)

$106.95 $85.87

Paperback

Forthcoming
Pre-Order now

QTY:

English

Routledge
26 December 2025

Music: styles & genres; Humanities; Cultural studies; Sociology

Music as Agency: Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship focuses on the concept, application, interpretation and manifestation of Artistic Citizenship in diverse contexts. The key concepts that the book tackles are: Cultural experience, artistic practice, musical identities, equity, democracy, community, activism, resistance and empathy.

In giving an overview of aspects of the compound concept of artistic citizenship, Akuno and Westvall present the outcome of research and interrogation of practice by a global network of educator-researchers from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. The book articulates notions of artistic citizenship, coming up with the term artizenship as a derivative of the composite term. It further explains and analyses practical ways of perceiving and relating to art spaces, art practices and arts objects towards belonging, being and becoming in a global space that is disparate, polarised and often alienating, and thus responding to issues such as social justice, identity, participation and inclusion. With a focus on music, the book targets musicians, scholars, educators and enthusiasts keen on gaining a deeper understanding of how music and musicking can influence human interactions towards social integration, trust, cultural awareness and intercultural understanding.

Edited by: Maria Westvall (Rhythmic Music Conservatory Denmark), Emily Achieng’ Akuno (Co-operative University of Kenya, Kenya)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781032577579
ISBN 10: 1032577576
Pages: 146
Publication Date: 26 December 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Preface David Elliot Foreword Henrik Sveidahl Introduction - Artistic Citizenship in a Global Perspective Maria Westvall & Emily Achieng’ Akuno Chapter 1 - Art for All’s Sake: Co-Creation, “Artizenship,” and Negotiated Practices Charles Carson and Maria Westvall Chapter 2 - Social Engagement towards Artistic Citizenship in Music Teaching Flávia Motoyama Narita Chapter 3 – Civic responsibility through artistic citizenship and empathy: 21st Century feminist aims for music education Marissa Silverman Chapter 4 - Artistic Citizenship and Cosmopolitanism in Musical-Social Work Kim Boeskov and Kristine Ringsager Chapter 5 - Artistic Citizenship as Practices of Everyday Resistance Oscar Pripp Chapter 6 –Practicing citizenship artistically: An autoethnographic account of a Chinese-Canadian-Brazilian music educator Nan Qi Chapter 7 - Building citizenship in contexts of democratic recovery: A review of Chilean cultural policies on music education, 1990 – 2022 Carlos Poblete Lagos Chapter 8 - Articulating Sound Citizenship in the General Arts Classroom towards Sound Awareness and Sound Living: A Perspective from Singapore Contemporary Artists Chee Hoo Lum Chapter 9 – Music Making in the Construction of Culture: Artizenship through Emerging Music Styles in Kenya Emily Achieng’ Akuno Conclusion: Artizenship, Agency, Actions Emily Achieng’ Akuno & Maria Westvall

Emily Achieng’ Akuno studied at Kenyatta University, Kenya, Northwestern State University of Louisiana, USA and Kingston University, UK. A professor of music at the Technical University of Kenya, her research focuses on music and teacher education in cultural contexts. She is editor and author of books and articles including Music Education in Africa: Concept, process and practice (Routledge, 2019). She is Past President of the International Music Council (IMC) and the International Society for Music Education (ISME). She is founding chair of the Music Education Research Group – Kenya (MERG-Kenya). Maria Westvall is Professor at the Rhythmic Music Conservatory (RMC) in Copenhagen and the director of CReArC (Copenhagen Centre for Research in Artistic Citizenship). Her research focuses on the sociological and artistic dimensions of music education, intercultural approaches, musical and cultural diversity, musical community practices, and migration, and she has directed several research projects on these topics. Her research is published in several books and scientific journals including Music Education Research, British Journal of Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, International Journal of Community Music, Música em perspectiva, El oído pensante, Intercultural Education, Action, Criticism & Theory for Music Education, Nordic Research in Music Education, Danish Musicology Online and the Finnish Journal of Music Education.

Reviews for Music as Agency: Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship

‘This brilliant collection of essays is a matchless gift to anyone who takes a serious interest in the myriad powers of music to embody, inspire, advance, and protect civil responsibility, humane relationality, and an “ethic of care” for people and cultures everywhere. In beautiful, jargon-free prose, the distinguished scholars and practitioners in this volume—from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa—explain, analyze, clarify, deepen, and re-vision the meanings, practices, possibilities, and teaching of musics for Artistic Citizenship(s). Speaking personally, it is a joy to see how Music as Agency: Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship goes far beyond the nascent efforts of Marissa Silverman and I to explain Artistic Citizenship more than a decade ago. Moreover, I am in admiration of how the authors in this book conceive and unfold their discussions in exceptionally creative, elegant, and erudite ways. This comprehensive volume will surely advance and shape the field of Artistic Citizenship for decades to come and transport the discipline to every corner of the globe.’ - David J. Elliott, Professor Emeritus of Music and Music Education, New York University ‘This brilliant collection of essays is a matchless gift to anyone who takes a serious interest in the myriad powers of music to embody, inspire, advance, and protect civil responsibility, humane relationality, and an “ethic of care” for people and cultures everywhere. In beautiful, jargon-free prose, the distinguished scholars and practitioners in this volume—from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa—explain, analyze, clarify, deepen, and re-vision the meanings, practices, possibilities, and teaching of musics for Artistic Citizenship(s). Speaking personally, it is a joy to see how Music as Agency: Diversities of Perspectives on Artistic Citizenship goes far beyond the nascent efforts of Marissa Silverman and I to explain Artistic Citizenship more than a decade ago. Moreover, I am in admiration of how the authors in this book conceive and unfold their discussions in exceptionally creative, elegant, and erudite ways. This comprehensive volume will surely advance and shape the field of Artistic Citizenship for decades to come and transport the discipline to every corner of the globe.’ - David J. Elliott, Professor Emeritus of Music and Music Education, New York University