Punk as my Teacher, the Venue as my Classroom

Abstract

“On the scene I learned to be subversive…to be a punk, to face things, make a move, do something about it“ (interview, 2014). For so many youth, the all-ages music scene is their most meaningful classroom with the music and the ethos of the movement serving as their teachers and other young punks their classmates. It is recognized that learning happens in multiple non-school settings, but this learning often goes unnamed, and when unnamed, often invalidated, or at least undervalued. This paper takes a close look at the ways in which informal learning takes place on the all-ages music scene, with a specific lens on students who struggle academically and students who identify as LGBTQ.