Contributions of music education to musical identities of Malaysian secondary school students

• Published in: Decolonising and Indigenising Music Education: First Peoples Leading Research and Practice
• Main Author: Tahir R.M.; Hogenes M.
• Format: Book chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor and Francis 2024
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85196461625&doi=10.4324%2f9781003288923-6&partnerID=40&md5=84e7713299ff5d717b64ab5cb525212b

For over 200 years, Indigenous elements as well as foreign influences from the East and the West have shaped and reshaped the culture of Malaysia. Nowadays, Malaysia has a comprehensive education system that spans preschool to tertiary education. The subject of music was formally introduced into the curriculum of Malaysian national schools in 1982 and now exists in all primary and some secondary schools. Identity, including musical identity, is formed early and is considered an important step that children take towards becoming productive adults, because one’s identity defines who one is, what one values, and the directions one chooses to pursue in life. This chapter investigates the musical identities of Malaysian secondary school students within the context of Malaysia’s historical, political, and cultural diversity, and the influence music education has on students’ musical identities. © 2024 Taylor & Francis.