“Students can have a really powerful role…” Understanding Curriculum Transformation Within the Framework of Canon Critique and Critical Pedagogy

Educational practice needs to continuously update the curriculum in line with both current theoretical frameworks developed within academia and the lived reality of the coming generation. This article takes the student perspective on this issue, investigating a case from secondary music education in England. In 2015, Jessy McCabe initiated a successful campaign for the inclusion of women composers on the A-level syllabus, in order to create a more gender-balanced curriculum. Drawing on a qualitative interview with Jessy McCabe, the author elaborates on the significance of the campaign within the framework of canon critique and critical pedagogy. The case shows that balancing the curriculum no longer needs to be a “future position” as Lucy Green suggested in 1997. The qualitative data underscore the importance of the teacher as a role model and the effectiveness of the student as co-investigator within the process of curriculum transformation. In both cases, a gender perspective can be an appropriate and significant tool to achieving a more balanced curriculum. Keywords: Social justice; activism; woman composer; music education; gender