.:ral and personal identitl ,.. ' personal change and ri--' ir recognize that, before .:..-

-.:r that exists betweeD ollr"'-'l the need to cross that :-,:'r ir) the space between 6",.- _:.lace. That is where char,..:

the other side of the uh.:.- , rurplete, the frame of l.c: r -:^:alization dawns: that t lrt. :..- . i t r thorship is best descr i i . .. of discovery.

.trtnerships: Theory and n:,- ;ria: Stylus Publishing.

rt; An integrated apprati,. ., 'sey-Bass.

' ign,2"d ed. Alexandria. \ :- :' : Icnt.

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cHAPTER 25

Remixing the Social: Pursuing Social Inclusionthrough Music Education

Mark V. CampbellOntario Institute for Studies in EducationToronto, Canada

Abstract

As record labels and the cuiture industry struggle to make profitable the radicaitransformation in music consumption, an important opportunity is bom out of thiscrisis. Remix culture has firmly established itself in popular culture, allowing con-sumers to become producers and establishing a more participatory industry. For mu-sic educators this moment provides an opportunity to rethink and redesign the waysin which social justice is pursued in the classroom. This chapter offers a theoreticalanalysis of remixing as well as classroom strategies to facilitate inclusivity in musiceducation and social studies classrooms.

Introduction

In one example, Mr. Chairman,he blended Elton John, Notorious B.I.G.,

and Destinv's Chiid all in the soan of 30 seconds.(G^ood Copy Bad Copy, 2007)

In contextualizingthe exploits of Pittsburgh DJ, Girl Talk, the court official noted atthe opening of this chapter highlights the activities of a popular remix artist. If weare to attempt to understand our contemporary moment, one might follow the ideasof Lawrence Lessig (2005) or DJ Spooky (2004) and declare that we are indeed liv-ing in remix culture. What these authors suggest is that in our present world isoverwheimingly characterized by a bricolage, cut and paste aesthetic where peopledo not just consume culture but also actively participate in its creative possibilities.In following Nietzsche's claim of a new ethnic framework that began with the in-dustrial age, remix culture might be a suitable way to understand the Web 2.0 Inter-net age, the read-write participatory web rather than the unidirectional read onlyweb of the 1990s.

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Remix culture is a phenomenon that involves the combination, layering and re-interpretation of audio and visrial creations. Born out of rvhat rve might call the eraof "total media saturation" (Miller,2004, p.2), remix culture is a creative effort thatbrings together differing genres, cultures, ideologies and racesr through the manipri-lation of soundscapes and irnages via electronic technologies such as computer pro-grams and digital samplers. Simply put, son:re see it as both a rvay to "ta1k back topop cuiture" and as pafi of the "evolution of ali things digital" (Rojas, 2002, para. i -8). Rernixing is seen by major corporations and copyright advocates as a problent-atic arrd contraband practice (Koman, 2005; Lessig, 2005). For the culttn'e ircclusttt'as the Frankfurt school referred to it (Adorno, 2006), remixing violates the legaiconstraints capitalism has imposed on art and culture. Remixing reyerses the liege-rnonic grasp of the cuiture industry over rvho can produce and who must consume.The reversal of tliis power structure signals an imporlant dismption, that of bringinr:together seemingly opposite or contradictory elements to interrupt the profitableproducer-consurner relationship. For example, in 2001 DJ Danger Mouse, a mulattoAmerican, created a controversy by remixing the Beatles' White Album with Jay-Z'sBlack Albun The white British pop sensations met the black Brooklyn-bom rapperin this remix aptly entitled the Grey Album. Outside of the copyright litigation thatensued, DJ Danger Mouse provided a powerful critique of black/white cultriral rela-tions in the United States, contradictilg through his remix, the separateness of thesocial constructs of both whiteness and blackness. lmportantly, the Grett Album, asa remix aibum interupted nostaigic renditions of the past and required listeners tolisten to the narratives of an inner city black male alongside the upbeat instrumentalbackings of classic British pop. Tire significance of greyress is not lost either, forn'hile the shade grey is often noted as an indetenninate space. as in a gre.y crreu.grey is a space void of power as opposed to emporvering and positive associationsto whiteness and the disemporvering negative associations attached to blackness.

In this chapter, I outline a notion of rernixing beyond simply entertainment, drarv aconnection betr'r'een remixing and social justice; and, suggest rvays in r.vhich socialjustice and remixing can enter the curricnlum and the classroom. First, I begin rvitha look at the history of the remix and its current status in popular culture. In the sec-ond section of the chapter, I examine ways in which the idea of the creative crr-authorship of rnusic *'orking rnight help deconstruct and demystify the power struc-tures that produce suffering and inequality. In the fina1 section, i describe thlee de-tailed curricular innovations within both the riusic classroom and the social studiesclassroorn that might aid in our pursuit of social justice.

Remix Culture

Today the origins of remixing and remix cultrlre are diverse, ranging frour tlicsoundtracks of Bollyivood films, to 1950s Jamaican soundsystem culture, to Ameri-can house music to hip hop's DJs and Emcees (Bradley, 2000; Brewster &Broughton,2006; Miiler,2006; Vea1,2007). Before remixing rvas sayable, the tentiversioning existed in Janiaica's sound culture *'here copyright was non-existent inthe 1950s, ieading to rvhat Peter Manual and Wayne Marsliall have called the rid-clin ntethocl, a distinctive approach to rnusical composition, ownership and the crea-

360

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- , !.:. . lJier the t]ow of seasonal la-* .;r rr i.. l l f i iain slo\\ 'ed to a trickie, the

florv of popular foreign rcct,iri. - ,,,,: l : irs nri l ieu provided an opportunityfor aspiring local Jamaicail drir: i- : : ' .-: :., i :r \)\ cr the rnost popular instrumentals ofthe day and provide l te\ \ l l ) r t \ : . : : : ' . . r , ( ) . i r l ( la l tcehal l soundsystems. Recorded oncheap acetates these rr€\\ 'it.r'rirr;/, creared by local Jamaicans riffed popular songs,producing an interesting balancing act ofnewness and nostalgia. The absence oftherigid copyright lalvs in place today allowed for an artistic blossoming of Jamaica'sdomestic music industty, eventually leading to the creation of what we call reggaemusic today.

In reggae rrusic, the term versiort refers to an instrumental side of a 45-inch acetaterecord. Versioning is the act of taking an instrumental track and providing one'sunique take on the record (Hebdige, 1987). This occurs rvhen an emcee alters theoriginal elements of a song. In essence, it is an act of signif,tlng2 simiiar to a coverversion, but belonging to the unique vernacular traditions Afrodiasporic iife. Usu-a1ly there are specific elements of a song that are kept in tire nervly signified crea-tion, such as a melody or key, which exist in the new creation alongside alteredwords, keys or instrumentation. Versioning can be understood through Derrida'snotion of diffdrance, as a "weave of similarities and differences that refuse to sepa-rate into fixed binary oppositions" (Ha11,2000, p.216). So the meaning created ineach new version is inscribed within a system of references, playing upon priormeanings while building its cun'ent rneaning through excessive referencing to priorversl0ns.

Theoretically, my position stands on the shoulders of rernix arlists such as Paul D.Mil1er (aka DJ Spooky) and Afrofuturist theorists such as Kwodo Eshun, who un-derstand that rrusic theorizes itself (Eshun, 1998). These theorists suggest we looktowards music for more tilan aural pleasure but also for iessons about onr socialworld-for possibilities of how rve might live in the future. Following Miiler, mix-ing-the activity at the core of remixing-is about "creating searnless interpolationsbetrveen objects of thought to fabricate a zone of representation in which the inter-play of the one and the many. . . come under question" (Miller, 200a,p. $.

Oftentimes the tem remix is associated rvith music, referring to the creation of anew sound or song using the eiements of at least two previousiy existing songs. To-day the idea of the remix has primariiy circulated throughout art communities, initi-ated by artists iike DJ Spooky whose art projects actively engage lvith the notion ofthe remix,' In aft communities, the remix has already becorne central to cerlainkinds of diaiogue where the idea of the self as an embodied remix fosters anti-essentialist conceptions ofidentity as a useful tool against dominant narratives (Lai,2004). The flux and fusion ol any remix rnakes narrorv. static interpretations oridentifications implausible, resisting lessons of individuai autonomy taught byEnlightenrnent theory.

The remix as a concept ailows for nuilerous interventions into mainstrealx, domi-nant discourses without succumbing to the consequences of material or physical so-

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l idity or stagnation. For exarnple, if rve can align the remix rvith Stuarl Hall 's (1995)notion of identity as temporary points of attachrnent and suture, then rve can lulma-terially explore identity without concrete or pemanent consequences. The imper-manence of these aural adventures are rich with the possibiiities of tomororv-ftrtLrre possible versions rvhere social justice is central, but also rtseful in circum-venting the constraints of today's thinking and critical erlgagement. Remix culture'sacceptance of multipiicity and its engagements with difference provide pathways forthinking beyond our curent systems of segregated thought. In shor1, "rvithout theability to rernix we simply cannot be human because cultnre becomes a passiverather tharl participatory interaction rvith the externai world" (Chance, 2005, para.zt ,

Thus, remixing holds impofiant pedagogical potential for those educators interestedin social justice, particularly arorind issnes of inclusion, social difference and thehierarchical ordering of race and culture. The act of remixing, as demonstrated inthe free culture wars, fosters critical engagellent skills that question the order anclstructural boundaries of genres, sound or society in general. Furlher, rernixing fbs-ters tough questions about the juxtaposition of creativity and private ownership, il-luminating the constraints piaced on creativity. Imporlantly, at another, more con-ceptual level of analysis, remix culture centres the idea of dilference, sonically andvisually interrupting the normalcy of genres, Creative Comtnons' leftist copyrightsuggestions, even the term creative co-authorship, push us to think ofthe connectionbetween participatory democracy, individual creative fi'eedom and hegetnony. If, aseducators, we are to take seriousiy the creation of tlie so-cailed Third World, theplight of the irnpoverished and the continuing legacy of sexism, racisrn and clas-sisrn, the causes and structures of our society rnust be tackled. Remixing as an artis-tic and politicized act allorvs students to engage, at a deep structnral level, the seem-ingly'naturai' order ofour present society and social existence.

Mixing and remixing bring together trvo different entities to create something nerv,encouraging us to question the originai entities of the mixture. Remixing as lnol'ethan a musical act (a position I fully support) has been described as something that"organizes collective memories" and invokes "notions of difference and socialboundary" (Maira, 2000, p. 334). By treating the remix as both a musical practiceand a tool for inclusive critical thinking, I push music education to take seriouslythose forms of music relegated to the politically empty category calied enterlain-ment. To use the boundary-bending and genre-disregard of remix culture as a theo-retical tool, music education needs to think beyond the notion of academic disci-plines so that issues of social inclusion are not relegated to social justice activit iesand work of activists Others. Rather, music education mnst expand the conceptualyield of their studies to think of social justice as relevant to music, rather than mutu-ally exclusive entities. Such a shift in our understanding of music education requiresan understandins of music as rnore than entedainment. If rve think about the sonowsongsr of enslarld individuals, such as Swing Lov, Sv,eet Chariol, or the songs ofPaul Robeson or Nina Simone then the connection betrveen social justice and musicdoes not appear far-fetched. Thinking through the remix becomes a way to foster acurricular agenda for music and social studies classroorns as rvell as cotntnunity

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centers wirere musicalstructures ofan unjust

Remixing the Social

engagement becomes the basis to rethink and redesign the

social rvorld.

Social justice activities, for the most part. have been about fufihering democracy,

increasing accessibility, mitigating violence, marginalization aud suffering wirile

fostering active citizens committed to bettering our rvorld. Remixing can operate as

an activity that suppofts the goal of social justice advocates, specifically if we focus

in o1 inciusivity. Grounded in the social justice niodel of social change, inclusiv-

ity-as it is used througirout this paper-ref-ers to the attempts to overcome the bar-

riers that prevent peoples in non-dorninant cultures from sharing power irr the deci-

sion-making processes of Canadian society. Such a definition of inclusivity allows

for discussions across race, ethnicity, sextial orientation and abiiity-a necessity for

any kind of progressive discussiou.

My curicuiar innovation and inten,ention is rneant to fbster questions such as lvhy

are Some tbreign sounds, musics or accents l.nore valued irr society than others?

Why do comrnercial radio stations not play extrernely popular mttsics like Bhangra

despite a large Indian and Sonth Asian population in Toronto'l On a structural let'el,

lelrixing as a crirricular innovation can also fbster questiot.ts such as why do huge

coryorations like EMI or Wamer Brothers inhibit creatir,e co-authorship by not let-

tilg arlists freely remix their products'i To begin rvorking through a retnix aesthetic,

both inside the rnusic c lassroorn and the social science classroom, students are in-

troduced to two rernixes by remix artist and disc jockey Paul D. Miller. As paft of

the introduction to remixing students rvill watch and listen to DJ Spoolq"s Rebitth

o.f a Natioyt Renix andthe ]fiarcel DuChctmp Renix wrth the teacher making explicit

the connection between the social rvorld and the specific retnixes (Mi1ler' 2008).

Curricular Innovations and Interventions

To aid music educators in developing nerv curricuium using remixing, I propose

three lesson possibilities detailed below. Before atternpting to do any of the lessons

I suggest the teacher deveiop an anti-oppressive fi'atnervork to foster a ciassrooln

space where social difference can be progressively engaged. Teachers can utilize a

lrandout from Ann Curry-Stevens' (2003) An Educcttot"s Guide /br Changing the

Worlcl entitled the l|rhite Privilege Checklist to create an anti-oppressive ciassroom

environment. Having the students work through tliis checklist will allow these youth

to reflect on sone of the subconscious activities that strltcture their day. In particu-

lar, for diverse classrooms, the activity is useful to help illuminate or demystify

some of tire barriers individuals face, especially as tliese barriers relate to the social

value ol immigrant populations or non-dominant groups. By highlighting white

privilege, a non hegemonic space is set out in the ciassroom rvhereby the barriers

ihut *ut "

inclusivity elusive become apparent, such as the denigration of social dif-

ference. The goal ofproducing an anti-oppressive ciassroom space is to foster inclu-

sivity, meaning the attempts to overcolne the baniers that prevent peoples from the

non-dominant culture from sharing power in the decision-making processes of Ca-

nadian society.

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Lesson Possibilitl, # l: O Canada, the Remir

Course: Grade 10 Media Arts (180 minutes)(Ministry of Education,lggg).

Overall Expectations (Ontario)

' demonstrate skills in rnanipulating ne\4' and ernergent digital technolo-gies used in creating rnedia art

' identify the impact of media artl'orks and productions on themselvesand their cornmunity

. transfom an existing afirvork by modifying an element or principlethrough a media art technique

Materials and PreparationLearners rl,ill need access to computers, headphones and the Internet, a database olsampies, and a rnusic production prograln such as sony's ACID Xpress rnusic stu-dio. The class rvill also need a digital copy of o cqnada, the national anthem.

Goal/RationaleThe goal of tiris assignment is to develop a remix that induces specific questionsabout the nature of social boundaries and Canadian society. Thus" such a remix in amusic class would foster questions that speak to the invisibility of the excluded auclmarginalized liistories of immigrant citizens in this country. By designing a sound-scape (Schafer, 1992) tirat both tnatches the mood of the vocai but yet bends thegenre boundary. stttdents can enter a predicament of reiationships, where tlie i-arnil-iar and the klros'n are exceeded in favour of a nerv sonic creation. This predicarnentforms the basis of the students' intenogation of rvhat appear to be natural in our so-ciety; the colrtent of these questions developed by each student/group can be de-signed around social issues visibly evident in canadian society. working in groupsas a cr-rltninating activity this assignment allows for student-centered exploration o1'social concems and an explicit connection betin'een the world of music and thera,ider social i.vorld. A good example, rnight be in the creation of a sonic piece thatbrings together the rnost unlikely entities, such as the vocals of a Chinese CanadianCantonese opera singer and an O Canode instrurnentai version.

InstructionsUsing English, French, Tamil, Urdu, Hindi, Farsi, Souraii, Kreyol, Patois, Porru-guese or Uklainian digital recordings and a steel pan, a djembe drum, bag pipes. orthe Chinese flute remix select sections of the anthem. Each group in the class takes8 or 12 bars, remixes them according to the cultural influences in the class. It is irn-portant to stipulate that students do not have to select an instrument frorl their o* nculture; this will avoid cefiain kinds of centric clainrs. Prior to beginning the lessoir.an informal conversation around cultural and ethnic origins in the classroolt canserve as a clearing and ciarification process to begin disrupting any preconceiveclnotions.

After each group has remixed 12 bars, each rnember of the group is responsible liriu,riting one question that the Lernix encourages. Each group presents their question:

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to the class to ignite a critical reflective discussion about access, privilege, or social

exclusion. Provrding a rubric that clearly demonstrates the (equal) tveight ofprocessand tire prodr-rct will ensure learners strive to meet the expectation.

EvaluationLearners can be assessed based upon their digital editrng skill, includinlg accurate

cuts and looping. This assignment can equally rveigirt the merits of the sonic crea-

tion alongside a set of ten interrogative questions der,eioped by the student/groupthat speaks to the social context of the piece. In the evaluation of this activity cotn-

rlunication and thinking and inquiry criteria can be rnet through an oral explanation

of the piece. Assessment can be made separate from evaluation whereby the process

leceives as much weight as the finished product. Student pafiicipation in the pre-

sellter's questions rvill also shorv signs of the presentation's coltlpetency to incite

clitical conversation.

Lesson Po,ssibilin; #2: The Corporation Rentit

Course: Glade 1 1: Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology (360

rninutes) (Muristry of Educatiou^ 2000).

Overall Expectations (Ontario). demonstrate an understanding of the social forces that infltietrce and

shape behaviour as described by antliropologists, psychoiogists, andsociologists

. demonstrate an understanding of recent structural cirauges in work andeducation and of the impact these ciranges have on Canadian Society

Specific Erpectation. evaluate the role of cultural inf-luences in socialization

Goals/RationaleLearners actively engage in the meaning-making porver o1'the words and phrases

detailed tlrroughout the DVD The Corporation (Arcbbar, Abbott & Bakan, 2003).

Rather than passively consuming information about the international domination of

multinational corporations, learners are empo\vered to reconfigrre the unpleasantstories relayed throughout the DVD. At tirnes, the enonnity of the porver that trans-national corporations wield might make young people feel relatively powerless.

Through this activity, learners are empoweled through the act of remixing to changeboth the rneaning and the actrial rvords they irear. The job of the learner is to first

imagine a positive phrase in contrast to something negative they u'itnessed in the

video and then design a soundscape for this ns\a' positive phrase through the crea-

tive co-autlrorship of audio snippets from The Cot'pot'crtiort. A focus on NaomiI(lein's notion of ntinclshare can lead to ideas around rvho has power and who im-

Dedes an individual's porver to control rvhat ideas and images enter their conscious-

n.r.t 1Jhu1ly & Alper, 2003). Under these circunstances of predatory advertising,

the question of inciusion in tiris instance is approached as the po$'er to decide what

images one sees and rvhat messages are heard.

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MaterialsA copy of the DVD The Corporation, an audio editing pl"ogram snch as sany ACIDPro/Xpress or Sony's SounclForge, a computer lab lvith headphones fbr each u,ork-station and a DVD editing colupurel' progran'r. such as Iregas (to be used as a lessonextension if the class requires more challenging work).

Preparation/Prior LearningThe teacher might watcir the entire DVD before n'raking it available to the class.Definitions, clarifications and moments for debriefing are to be planned out, as tlieDVD is quite long. Also. viewing a DJ Spooky remix on rvrvu,.djspooky.com rvillprovide the learners and the teacher rvith models if the teacher is unable to moclel arenrix for the learner. The teacher might rvant to also consult Crecttit,e Comnton:rvebsite (tvrvu,.creativecolrltirons.org) for exarnples of horv to devise creative co-autirorship licensing (this could be an entire lesson unto itself). Ideally, learners rvillhave completed the unit on sociaiization in this course, this rnight provide a contextibr the leamers as media and advefiising rvill rnost likely have been a conponent ofthe course.

InstructionsLearners extract aLrdio snippets fi'om Tlze corporation DYD, capturing the mostdamaging and unpleasant phrases and isolating various words. They reverse the or-der of phrases or insefi different words from the nanator or iuten,ierl,ee ro sa)something positive. Questions to ask the students should fbcus on ivho has thepovt'er to control what we see via advertising or hcrv products are sold through acl-verlising. Tl.re teacher can help facilitate making a link betrveen mindshare, porverand detnocracy, expressing concern lbr the consumer's relatir,e inabiiity to self'-determine horv images and advertiselnents enter one's consciousness.

Evaluation/AssessmentBoth assessment and evaluatiou are necessary to best grasp the benefit ofthis actir,-ity. To effectively track the progress of the learner, rather than focr"rsing on solelythe aurai quaiity of the remix, a tbcus on the process might be beneficial. Tire focusof the activity's assessment is the iearner's journey, specificaily around the skiil de-velopment and critical interpretation. Evaluating the impact of the remix places anetnphasis on the final product and the kinds ofquestions it generates. In the evalua-tion of a student's work it is helpful to ask: does the rer.nix present a sound bite orscenario that reverses the effect ol the original statement? Also, does the t'ernix ex-press an active agency that has put the imagination to work? And finally, rvharmight this say about the nature of our prior socialization? The complexity of the re-phrasing should also be taken into consideration. Peer assessrnent and personal re-flection rnight aiso rvork u'ell in for this activity.

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Lessort Possibility #3: The Citizenship Handbook Rentixed

Course: Grade 10 Civics (180 minutes) (Ministry of Education,2005).

Overall Expectations (Ontario). demonstrate an ability to research questions and issues of civic impor-

tance, and to think critically and creatively about these issues andquestlons

. articulate clearly their personal sense of civic identity and purpose,and ulderstand the diversity of beliefs and values of other individr.ralsand groups in Canadian society

BackgroundThe Ontario grade l0 Civics course profile includes a cuhninating activity cailedThe Citizen's Handbook.6 In this activity students individually consider, assess, ap-p1y, and docuinent their lear-ning in a series ofjournai entries throughout the cout'se.This culminating activity can aiso be completed with the learners' designing a book-let tvhere active citizenship and global citizensh,ip are botli defined and Canadianli1'e is explained u'ith the use of text and iniages.'This third lesson possibil i ty I de-tail here cioes not necessarily involve tnusic. In fact, the Citizenship Handbook Re-

mixetl takes up remixing in a much more abstract fashion, applying the idea of re-mixing to an informational handbook.

Goal/RationaleIn this assignment learuers utilize various tbrms of technology to remix a handbookfbr young newcomers to Canada. The idea is to imagine the target audieirce of thishandbook to be a 13-year-o1d who is continually translating the nerv couutry to herparents. Instead of creating paper booklets and printing various images to rnake it

appealing, learuers make short video logs, podcasts or blogs that detail many of theideas around citizenship taught in the course. The goal is to use r.t.redia to combatsocial exclusion and ease social adjustment.

This assignment attempts rnclusivity for it acknowledges the rvorld of the studentand utilizes these other spaces as learning opportunities. Before t1.re onset of the

internet and the onslaught oftechnology, one could easily understand the schooi asan apt learning space, from the 1950s to the 1990s. But the pace of technologicaladvancernent has ieft the classroom ill-equipped for the kinds oftechnical literaciesstudent enter the classrootn rvith. Thus, the Citizenship Handbook both acknorvl-edges and attempts to build upon the skiils and ideas learners being to the class-roo1n.

MaterialsA computer lab with internet access and headphones with a microphone, a digitalcarrera rvith video recording capabilities and conrse notes from units 1, 2 and3.

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InstructionsIn the first section of the activity answer the follou'ing questions:

What does it mean to be a good Canadian citizen?How can we help our communities on a local level?What are the responsibilities of a good global citizen?How can we help with important global concerns?

The students' responses to these questions might be sharing in a variety of u,ar ssuch as in an interview format, written as a letter on a blog or dramatically in a skitrecorded for a v-log.

In the second part of the assignment learners investigate three topics of social. po-litical or historical significance that lvouid be beneficial to newcomers to Cauada.Possible topics include; national holidays, speciai events or the structure of Cana-dian govemment. Each citizen handbook can be presented to the class to git e othersin the class an opportunity to engage the work in a hands-on rvay

Evaluation/AssessmentBoth content and aesthetics will receive equal consideration in tire evaluation proc-ess. Content should be both taken from the text and researched independently aspart of the cuiminating activity. In the past I have graded this assignment using arubric with the categories thinking and inquiry, cornmunication, application andknowledge and understanding.

Conclusion

Much like tire many postmodernist media artists from the 1960s to the 1980s. re-mixing as a form of media sound and visual ar1 hold the possibility to reforrr thecurriculum. The shift away from modemist al1 towards engagements with ideutitlpoetics and consnmerism trickled into the classroom, expanding the rvays in rvhichafi interacted rvith the social rvorld and the ways in which art teachers irnaginedtheir topic. The same trickle effect is possible as DJs and visual adists remix songsand visual works, tlre possibility exists to expand horv rnusic education conceives ofthe relationship between rnusic and society. Instead of additive approaches or multi-cultural celebrations that make static cultural difference, the act of remixing, espc-cially in music classroorns, fosters a sense of agency, and a commitment to partici-pate in actively revisioning our social lvorid.

The goals of the curricular innovations and inten entions suggested in this chapter:are threefold. First. remixing as both a nusical and socio-political act is meant tofoster critical questions about the structure and order of our society, with social in-clusion as the focus. Through such a perspective, remixing is both an action and anidea that attempts to lbrm new relationships by weaving together cuitures and ideaspreviously imagined to be separate and unrelated. Second. the idea of remixing thesocial is rneant to encourage ways of thinking and social practices that take seli-

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ously the connection between music and social justice so that music educates learrl-ers about alternative ways to live in our r,vorld. The final goal of working through aremix aesthetic is to incuicate learners with an ethical agency interested in exploringand making connections beyond the socially constructed boundaries of genre, raceor culture. Hopefully, through actively remixing the social young leamers rviil en-gage our rvorld and pursue sociai inciusion through fun yet critical means.

References

Adomo, T. & Horkeimer, M. (2006). The cuiture industry: Enlightennrent as lnass deception.In M. G. Durham & D. Kellner (Eds.), Media antl cultm'al studies ke1,tt,or*.s. (Rev. ed.,pp. 41 -7 2). London: Blackrvell Publishing.

Archbar, M., Abbott, J., & Bakan, J. (Directors). (2003). The corporation [DVD]. Vancon-ver, BC: Big Picture Media Corporation.

Bradley, L. (2000). Bass culture: When reggae u'as king. Toronto: Penguin.Brewster, B. & Broughton, F. (2006). Last night a DJ ,saved nJ' lif'e: The histottt a/ the disc

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Endnotes

t I use race acknou,ledging both the material, lived consequences ofrace and the social con-struction of this term. I problematically ernploy this term for the sake ol clarity since race isrvidely understood as a reality of our present world.2 Signlfying is a double-voiced "strategy ofblack ligurative language use" (see Gates, 1988,p.85).3 See r.vww.djspooky.com for informatiotl on the Dnchamp remix,wlv\.v.newmusicbox.olg/page.nrnbx?id fbr the essay "Freeze Frame."

' I use sorrol song here to refer to rvhat rvas called the Negro Spiritual.' See Klein (2000) for furlher infornration.o See page 6 of the Grade 10 Civics Open Course Profile (April 2000) for the original sug-gested Citizen's Handbook culminating activity.7 This revised Citizen's Handbook culminating activity w'as designed by Katie Bremner, ateacher at Victoria Park Secondary School in Toronto.

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