Music Education and Cultural Sustainability in the Autonomous Region of Madeira
Chair(s): Esteireiro, Paulo (Center for Studies in Sociology and Musical Aesthetics at FCSH/UNL; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira), Gonçalves, Carlos (Institute of Ethnomusicology at FSCH/UNL in IPP/CIPEM; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira)
Discussant(s): Faria, Carolina (Institute of Ethnomusicology at FSCH/UNL; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira), Gonçalves, Pedro (Center for Studies in Sociology and Musical Aesthetics at FCSH/UNL; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira)
The symposium “Music Education and Cultural Sustainability in the Autonomous Region of Madeira” aims to share recent research on educational and cultural initiatives developed in this region. Since 1980, Madeira’s educational system has promoted projects that combine music education with cultural heritage appreciation, fostering a strong connection between schools, cultural institutions, and the local community. This session presents three studies focused on different aspects of this reality: the impact of teaching traditional Madeiran instruments in schools, promoting the continuity of local cultural practices and adapting to changing educational landscapes by making music education accessible and inclusive; a pedagogical supervision model that, through collaborative networks and community engagement, supports arts education in the primary school cycle, adapting to the changing educational landscape; and the role of musicology in structuring school curricula, aiming at the preservation and accessibility of Portuguese musical heritage through innovative educational approaches.
These projects reflect a commitment to music education as a means of strengthening cultural identity, fostering professional development, and ensuring that arts education remains relevant and responsive to modern educational demands
Presentations of the Symposium
Cultural sustainability through the opportunity to learn traditional instruments in schools: Understanding an educational initiative in Madeira through Grant’s music vitality framework
Gonçalves, Pedro
Center for Studies in Sociology and Musical Aesthetics at FCSH/UNL; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira
In Portugal, traditional instruments faced the threat of extinction since the 1960s, highlighted by Ernesto Veiga de Oliveira's seminal study. Nevertheless, on Madeira Island, traditional string instruments like braguinha, rajão, and viola de arame persistently thrive among children and youth. The education system in the Autonomous Region of Madeira champions the widespread learning of these instruments through free Music Education in regular schools, reaching numerous students across the island. Additionally, vocational music education is offered at the Conservatório - Escola Profissional das Artes da Madeira, with branches providing this education throughout the region.
Our exploratory study aimed to comprehend the organization, implementation, and societal and cultural contributions of this initiative. Adopting a qualitative research approach, we employed various data collection methods, including documentary analysis and interviews with key stakeholders. This enabled us to identify patterns and relationships within the education system, delineating a model that safeguards these traditional instruments.
Aligned with the theme of "Adapting to Changing Educational Landscapes”, the ongoing project's key outcomes include a profound understanding of the organization, allowing us to define a preservation model implemented by the Department of Artistic Education. This model, free in regular schools, prioritizes accessibility, decentralization, and the removal of socioeconomic barriers, ensuring every child has an equitable opportunity to learn traditional instruments and uphold local musical traditions.
Model of Post-Academic Pedagogical Monitoring and Supervision in a Professional Context: The Case of Artistic Education in the First Cycle of Basic Education in the Autonomous Region of Madeira
Faria, Carolina1, Cristóvão, Natalina2
1Institute of Ethnomusicology at FSCH/UNL; Conservatory - School of arts of Madeira, 2Center for Research in Education at the University of Madeira: CIE-UMa
This research project aims to analyze and systematize the model of pedagogical monitoring and supervision in the field of artistic education (performative) implemented in the educational institutions of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, specifically in the 1st Cycle of Basic Education. Over its 44-year duration, this model has experienced advancements, setbacks, and adaptations involving various educational agents over time. It is a unique case in the country, representing the only Portuguese region with a dedicated department for coordinating artistic education. Aligned with the theme of "Fostering Collaboration and Community," one of the key aspects of this model is its focus on encouraging teacher collaboration, promoting the creation of sharing and cooperation networks, or teacher networking. This incentive for networking aims to enhance the exchange of pedagogical practices, fostering innovation and the continuous improvement of artistic education in the region. In terms of methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the project coordinators; information was collected from the department of artistic education, and several legal documents were analyzed. Through this study, a model with six dimensions was identified, which served as the basis for the research. Thus, the main objective was to understand and attempt to define the current model, as well as to describe the mechanisms inherent to its various dimensions, thereby providing guidelines for its potential replication in similar contexts.
Musicology and Education: Impact of a Musicological Project in Portuguese Public Organizations (2004–2024)
Esteireiro, Paulo
Center for Studies in Sociology and Musical Aesthetics at FCSH/UNL
The integration of musicologists into the educational departments of Portuguese public organizations remains a largely unexplored reality. This study examines the impacts of a musicological project developed over twenty years in two public organizations dedicated to education: the Regional Directorate of Education and the Conservatory - School of Arts of Madeira. Aligned with the theme of "Innovative Educational Approaches," the presentation outlines strategies for incorporating musicology into school curricula, promoting access to and appreciation of local and regional artistic expressions. The outcomes include initiatives to recover and catalog manuscripts, editions in modern notation, musician biographies, book and CD publications, as well as the creation of educational proposals and training activities aimed at teachers and students. Additionally, an analysis of the competencies necessary for training musicologists is proposed, emphasizing applications in education and public management that can enhance more effective and lasting impact in governmental contexts. The goal is to contribute to defining a professional profile for musicologists capable of working in public organizations, promoting musicology as an integral part of educational programs.
