Developing an understanding of intercultural music education in a Nordic setting

The purpose of this article is to achieve greater clarification of the meaning of the word ‘intercultural’ when used in Nordic music education research, by means of a literature review. The findings suggest that ‘intercultural’ is used in different ways, sometimes without definition. A central theme that emerges is developing student teachers’ intercultural competence through disturbance. There is little research into pupils’ intercultural competence, or intercultural music education at primary level. The findings are merged with international scholarship to envisage how different understandings of ‘intercultural’ might affect music in schools. We suggest placing intercultural music education along a continuum from intercultural approaches to music education to intercultural education through inclusive music pedagogy.

Master class as a leading pedagogical technology in professional improvement of individual performing qualities of singers

The purpose of this article is to identify and clarify the pedagogical perspectives of a master class as a leading teaching method that actively influences the process of forming and improving the professional level of singers. The practice of individuating of the educational process in music pedagogy is based on the cooperation of all participants and is aimed at developing musical abilities and individual skills of performers. Master classes play an important role in the improvement of vocalists’ professional skills and provide active spreading of performing and pedagogical experience in the world. This article describes the history of master classes as a special teaching technique in music education, examines and analyzes the peculiarities of conducting vocal master classes by prominent singers: Thomas Quasthoff, Тномas Hampson, Jerzy Artysz, Ursula Schongals, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Montserrat Caballé, Mirella Freni, Joyce DiDonato at.al. Master classes open new ways to raise the level of performer's skills, and thus are the key to further successful development of singer’s career. Therefore, the master class is an effective pedagogical technology in the professional growth of individual performing qualities of singers of different ages and different levels of vocal-technique and performing skills.

Affective and musical understanding in piano chamber music pedagogy at the fundamental level

<p>Individual piano lessons have limitations for peer interaction and cooperation, which leads to insufficient stimulation for children to achieve affective and musical understanding. This paper attempts to set up a piano chamber music program at the fundamental level in the first four years of learning piano, corresponding to children around five to nine years old) to close this gap. The program is a supplementary measure to solve problems deriving from a model of only individual lessons. It assists children in strengthening their existing knowledge as well as developing their abilities. The program is based on Piaget’s theory regarding cognitive development, and it combines theories of musical embodiment and music pedagogy. It promotes a rich musical environment and multiple opportunities for peer interaction so that children can make up for deficiencies arising from a single lesson model, using moderate stimulation from a suitable environment.</p>

Affective and musical understanding in piano chamber music pedagogy at the fundamental level

<p>Individual piano lessons have limitations for peer interaction and cooperation, which leads to insufficient stimulation for children to achieve affective and musical understanding. This paper attempts to set up a piano chamber music program at the fundamental level in the first four years of learning piano, corresponding to children around five to nine years old) to close this gap. The program is a supplementary measure to solve problems deriving from a model of only individual lessons. It assists children in strengthening their existing knowledge as well as developing their abilities. The program is based on Piaget’s theory regarding cognitive development, and it combines theories of musical embodiment and music pedagogy. It promotes a rich musical environment and multiple opportunities for peer interaction so that children can make up for deficiencies arising from a single lesson model, using moderate stimulation from a suitable environment.</p>

From Veracruz to Los Angeles: The Tradition of Son Jarocho

The African Mexican music tradition of son jarocho comes from the Veracruz region of Mexico. As a performance practice, son jarocho has strong ties to social justice and civil rights, and is a thriving genre both in Mexico and in the United States. This article includes teaching suggestions for guitar or ukulele lessons in general music settings for elementary or middle school level students. The phases of World Music Pedagogy are applied to several son jarocho resources.

Jenő Ádám’s Church Music Compositions

"In the present study I intend to present the church music compositions of Jenő Ádám. I will analyze the choral works of the composer that were based on the melodies of Protestant church hymns. The composer was also active as a conductor, but his name is primarily known in the field of music pedagogy. He played an important role in the elaboration and implementation of the Kodály method. In his works pertaining to church music, he adapted the melodies of the most representative church hymns of different ages. He uses both homophonic and polyphonic approaches with his works that have strophic structure or are through-composed. Keywords: Genevan Psalter, Protestant hymn, Kodály method, strophic form, through-composed works, homophonic and polyphonic approaches in composition."

Embracing Ambiguity: The intersection of biology, music, and art in secondary school teaching for student creativity

In these conversational field notes, two teachers reveal their experiences with creativity in contexts where students are encouraged to dwell in spaces of ambiguity and vulnerability in learning. Using anatomy to inform music pedagogy empowers students to work through metaphor-rich instruction in order to develop a grounded approach to artistic interpretation, while using fine art in the science classroom allows students of anatomy to explore the artistic possibilities of imagination in relation to the human body. In both cases, the crisscrossing of pedagogical lines from biology into music and music into art helped to transform students’ relationships with ambiguity from being negative and closed-off, to positive and constructive.

Transversal Skills for the Implementation of Competence Approach during a Music Pedagogy Process at Primary School

Expertise-based (competence) approach is one of the approaches in pedagogy which in the 21st century can be applied to develop important value-based knowledge, skills and habits. Transversal skills help learners to use knowledge in a real-life context, be ready to take on responsibility for their own learning, constituting a complex achievement, and strengthening the link between knowledge and personal experience. These skills can be acquired by purposefully integrating them with the core skills in all subjects, music including. Transversal skills include such components as: cooperation, creative and entrepreneurial ability, civic participation, critical thinking and problem solving, digital literacy, and self-guided learning skills. It is essential to bring the above-mentioned skills into focus in music pedagogy – to substantiate them theoretically and give a practical guidance how they can be seen in a pedagogical reality and develop them within the frame of music teaching in primary school. Research aim: to describe and substantiate how to enhance the development of transversal skills by applying competence approach during a music pedagogy process at primary school. Materials and methods: this paper will provide the analysis of theoretical literature and education documents on the competence approach, examine possibilities of developing transversal skills in music at Music Primary School. Theoretical findings will be brought into foreground in connection with the pedagogical experience obtained while teaching at Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music and giving music lessons in general education institutions.