Introduction
Music for Active Citizenship: a Young Music Mentors Program - MAC - is an Erasmus+ project jointly implemented by Sistema Cyprus and El Sistema Greece.
The main purpose of the program is to use music education as a tool for the social integration of refugees and migrants, but also, more generally, for the acceptance of diversity and social change. MAC is a complete educational program containing both the basic theoretical principles of community music and the El Sistema program, as well as a multitude of educational activities with all the necessary supervisory materials and audio-visual media. The program also includes the training of young musicians who have the desire to work in music education in the future, of young music educators. Thus, 30 young music educators, 15 from Cyprus and 15 from Greece, will be trained on the educational program of the MAC and will have the opportunity to do their practice with children in the institutions of El Sistema in their country. After the completion of the program and its evaluation, the MAC training manual will be posted online in order to be available in every country and to every interested music educator.
Our ambition is for the young music educators who will participate in the program, as well as other students and music educators, to utilise the MAC training manual, to become the ambassadors of a society of active and responsible citizens, without racist and xenophobic reflexes, where the concept of equality prevails and solidarity and the vision of positive social change.
This manual is structured in four chapters with a large part consisting of musical activities which are accompanied by the necessary theoretical framework so that these activities can achieve their purpose. More specifically, these chapters are as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction to El Sistema Methodology
The principles of El Sistema are analyzed but also the main pillars of its operation, its methodology, the role of teachers in them, the diversity of the courses and the role of the orchestras that are a structural element of all the programs inspired by El Sistema. There is also a specific analysis of the work and individual goals of the organizations Sistema Cyprus and El Sistema Greece and how these organizations adjust their priorities according to the needs of the local community and their students.
Chapter 2: Activities
This chapter constitutes the main body of this manual. It is a collection of original musical activities that can be carried out in any music class, whether it is a lesson in musical instruments, or for choirs, or for musical ensembles and orchestras. At the beginning of the chapter, the additional social goals of the activities are highlighted, and then the educational activities and musical games are presented, which are grouped into three sections:
A) Structural elements of music (timbre, dynamics, rhythm and pitch)
B) Active music listening sessions
C) Musical improvisation and composition
The suggested activities are intended to function as games and recreational activities. By fostering such a climate, both the social and musical goals of the program can be better achieved, further contributing to children and young people's growth.
Music games and educational activities are presented in such a way that they can be used in all levels of knowledge. Thus, the same activity, with the appropriate adaptations, can be developed both in part of a music-kinetic education for young children and in an advanced orchestra with young musicians.
Chapter 3: Good Practices and Effective Teaching Methods
In this chapter, the basic conditions are presented so that the proposed activities and any others devised subsequently by the new music educators in order to achieve their goals. With a clear narrative and through the analysis of examples from an educational practice, a deepening is attempted in issues such as the strengthening of identity and the perception of otherness, the sincere and deep respect for any "other", the importance of educational activities in groups and finally the importance of reflection in the educational process.
Chapter 4: Ethics and Leadership
The final chapter presents the relationship of leadership to ethics and the reasons why everyone involved with children should have studied, accepted and signed a specific Code of Ethics. Moreover, an indicative Code of Ethics is provided so that new music educators can get acquainted with situations they may not have even imagined and further realize the magnitude of responsibility that rests on each person in a leadership position.
Analysis of Need
The social condition of recent years in Greece and Cyprus with the influx of thousands refugees and immigrants, imposes policies of equal integration of these populations and their smooth reception by the citizens of those countries. The inclusive policy in education is one of the most important fields of this policy. Especially the field of arts, where music is part of, can be a powerful educational tool that will offer children and young people the opportunity to develop as active citizens with democratic principles and values.
These democratic principles and values cannot be imposed (K. Tsatsos) and cannot be instilled in children and young people through indoctrination and admonition (D. Winnicott). It is not a matter of ideology but of spiritual and mental formation (M. Hadjidakis ). So we see, through the perspective of a philosopher, a psychoanalyst and a composer, the importance that education has for the quality of democracy. Substantive education, as Konstantinos Tsatsos points out, is the path that offers man inner and outer freedom. The first belongs to the realm of thought and personality, while the second to the social and political realm. This way, education shapes man and guides him in the search for knowledge, art, politics and love.
In this context, young music educators are asked to utilize art and music education for their students’ musical and social development and to become tomorrow's active citizens of a modern democratic society. Of course, such a society cannot exist with groups of citizens on the margins. There is no democracy without freedom, equality and fraternity for all members of society. It is precisely in this context that the El Sistema programs around the world operate, seeking positive social change and the strengthening of democracy.
Theoretical Background
In order to achieve the objectives of the program, several theoretical methods, practices and philosophies have been studied, such as Gordon Allport's theory, Erwin Gordon's principles of music education, Thornton School of Music methods, Paolo Freire's philosophy of education as well as several texts on intercultural education. Also, the positions of Jane Jacobs and Pablo Casals were studied, who pointed out the need for substantial inclusion of people with fewer opportunities in society, as well as several modern theoretical and social positions, such as the theories of critical pedagogy, global education, critical thinking, and ethical leadership.
In detail, the literature review for the MAC training manual is available here.
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