Cuts to school music education in the United Kingdom have not been felt equally, leading to concerns that access to music will only become available for the privileged few. Music conservatoires are specialist higher education providers, access to which is through audition whereby a high level of musical proficiency is expected. In 2018, only 15 out of 430 (3.5%) conservatoire entrants were from a ‘highly deprived background’ (Daubney, Spruce and Annetts, 2019: 17) and Blamey, Kokot and Scharff (2014) found that only 3.9% of conservatoire students came from areas of low higher education participation neighbourhoods.

This study sought to understand the experiences of undergraduate music students from state-school backgrounds and who had faced barriers to accessing music education growing up. Data collection took a two-staged approach with two UK conservatoire institutions during 2022-23. Firstly, an online survey (x=54), then semi-structured interviews with 9 students totalling 305 minutes. Interview participants were selected through a purposive maximal sampling approach, and data were analysed through thematic analysis.

The findings from the data emphasise the importance of access to high-level music education prior to studying, with many students from state school backgrounds feeling ‘behind’ their peers from private and specialist music schools, or those who had access to high-level music education programmes such as junior conservatoires or national level music ensembles. The findings reveal how attending these programmes helped students to develop not just higher-ability performance skills but were a significant part in students’ decisions to study music at a conservatoire, shifting their view from music as a ‘hobby’, to a serious career path. These financial barriers at such a pivotal point in a young persons’ life, should be of major concern for music education and industry stakeholders, challenging the notion of the music industry as a meritocracy.

This presentation explores possibilities of innovative music pedagogies that can relate to the challenges of current higher music education institutions, recuperating a sense of community, rather than focusing on individual practices inherited from the conservatoire’s models. The context of our work is based on the actions of ‘Projeto Conectar’, which aims to contribute to the renewal of music teaching and learning processes, centred on the human being and their creativity, in a horizontal, diverse, dialogical, and sustainable manner. We are going to discuss the process and some results from a series of workshops promoted by ‘Projeto Conectar’, that took place at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with a group of 40 participants, among music educators, undergraduate music students and leaders of social projects, for 4 days. The main findings point out for the urgent need to change undergraduate curricula so that music students can expand their skillset – musical, artistic, social, human, being able to act in different contexts of today’s world. Participants mentioned the richness of the experiences lived in the workshops, which were based on a holistic perspective, clearly contrasting to the fragmented education they are used to receive in the university system. The consequent implications for music education will be demonstrated through ways in which quality music-making can be achieved through collaborative composition, performance, and active listening within a creative music education environment. The presenters will offer insights into exercises and approaches that enables people to feel a valued and capable participant in a shared musical experience. These processes, whether in a formal or non-formal education setting will be presented as a ‘way in’ rather than a prescribed set of activities, with effectiveness described and implemented in relation to their particular purpose and context.

Keywords: creative-collaborative practice, ensemble of possibilities, dialogical approach

This article, produced as part of the Curricular Policies and Innovation course for the PhD program in Curriculum and Pedagogical Innovation at the University of Madeira, offers a comprehensive analysis of various topics related to social inclusion. It addresses the definition of this concept, the European Union's strategies, and a range of existing projects that serve as pertinent examples. The aim is to explore how music can play a strategic role in the process of social inclusion. The Arts, particularly musical activities, emerge as a fundamental element in establishing and strengthening relationships among individuals, as evidenced by the diverse projects discussed in this study.

Throughout this work, practical examples will be presented to illustrate how artistic and social practices serve as a foundation for personal development and social integration of those involved in such initiatives. A recurring element in many of these examples is the vital role of the group, highlighting the importance of collective dynamics in promoting social inclusion as a central element in the activities undertaken.

The study thus emphasizes music as a powerful tool not only for artistic expression but also as a vehicle to promote social cohesion, personal development, and the integration of individuals in collective initiatives, thereby reinforcing the focus on social inclusion as a primary objective.