Examining the Marches in the Music Textbooks Published by the Ministry of National Education

Abstract

When defining music and examining it in terms of the content of musical products, it is possible to evaluate it in two dimensions: individual and societal. One of the musical genres that reflects the societal aspects of these two dimensions is anthems. Anthems are important materials used not only in ceremonies and national holidays to emphasize common values and ensure social unity, but also in music education. While anthems reinforce the sense of unity and solidarity in society, they also contribute to the preservation of cultural identity. They enrich students' musical experiences while simultaneously strengthening their social and cultural bonds. This study is a descriptive research aimed at assessing the presence of anthems in the Ministry of National Education's current music textbooks for the 2nd Tier. For qualitative data, music textbooks were examined through document analysis. The sample group consists of teacher guidebooks for general music education used in primary and secondary education during the 2022-2023 academic year. The objective was to analyze the quantity and quality of anthems included in these textbooks. Document analysis was employed to examine anthems in terms of tonality, vocal range, and monophony/polyphony. The findings revealed that 21 anthems were included in secondary school level music books and 35 anthems in high school level books. The study concluded that the vocal ranges of the anthems at both levels were quite wide, and all anthems were monophonic except for one two-part anthem.