In the Absence of the Gift: New Forms of Value and Personhood in a Papua New Guinea Community by Anders Emil Rasmussen, and: If Everyone Returned, the Island Would Sink: Urbanisation and Migration in Vanuatu by Kirstie Petrou (review)

Abstract

exploring experiences of reconciliation, exchange, and the “creation of common ground” in Australia (133), with a focus on “The Big Sing in the Desert.” In chapter 11, Anne Power, Brydie-Leigh Bartleet, and Dawn Bennett explore service learning in the arts. This chapter reports on the successes of service programs linked with Indigenous Australian communities. Drawing on Indigenous perspectives of learning, the authors discuss reflections and collaborations that emerged from these arts projects. In chapter 12, David Lines investigates the importance and implications of arts projects in early education and specifically reports on an arts program initiative within three early childhood centers in Auckland. In a thorough and interesting study (chapter 17), Naomi Cooper describes the process of learning within community choirs across Australia, with a focus on visual, aural, and physical techniques used by choir directors. Space precludes a full overview of the contents of the book, but the additional chapters will spark interest for readers looking to understand the varied relationships between communities and music. This collection of essays demonstrates how music making draws people together, and thus it reflects on the importance of participation in the arts. Having these case studies assembled into one volume provides readers with a glimpse into the dynamic potential of music within societies.