For decades, global policies have advocated for child-centred approaches intended to support children’s well-being and motivation in educational settings and to provide them with flexible learning pathways for lifelong learning. Following these guidelines, national education policies in many countries – including Estonia – have been reformed, replacing teacher- and subject-centred approaches with advocacy for methods supporting students’ holistic development. Yet, responsibility for implementing those innovative approaches in Estonia’s decentralised music school system remains the task of music schools’ leaders and teachers at the local level. This study contributes to the growing body of research concerning post-Soviet music education with a focus on reforms on both the national and local levels, by investigating how violin students’ basic psychological needs, and thereby their well-being and lifelong learning, are supported in Estonian music schools. Grounded in self-determination theory, the findings of a reflexive thematic analysis of 126 violin curricula from 76 music schools point to a lack of guidelines concerning Basic Pyschological Needs support, while schools rely on students’ controlled motivation, which can contribute to the large number of dropouts and thwart students’ general life satisfaction. In order for the global and national policies to effect music schools’ curricula, music educators’ work tasks and schedules should be redesigned to facilitate the understanding and implementation of policy changes.
Music students are at high risk of sustaining music performance health issues (MPHIs) during their training and thereafter but are not necessarily prepared adequately for the physical and psychological demands of performance careers. MPHIs can be managed comparatively easily if early warning signs are recognised but students are often unaware of both risk factors and their indicators. In consultation with stakeholders, we aimed to develop and implement a simple triage or health advisory pathway (HAP) model in the form of a poster to help students and teachers identify appropriate courses of action for a range of common MPHIs. We used formative and process evaluation methods and modified the model, informed by practice and research, based on constructive feedback. Participants were 10 music (instrumental/vocal) teachers and eight non-music teachers (academic/support staff) at a tertiary-level music conservatoire. Most engaged with the evaluation process and strongly endorsed the final version of the model and its display and use. Those who were least likely to engage fully were workplace health and safety staff and administrative support personnel; it will be crucial to overcome this challenge in future, for the sake of the music profession and all those who benefit from it.
Western music conservatories emerged from European modernity and remain centred on the performance and analysis of European art music. In Australia, this legacy intersects with the colonial history of Indigenous cultural suppression and the marginalisation of non-western traditions. Despite calls for decolonisation and diversification, conservatory curricula continue to reproduce epistemological hierarchies, often engaging with other musical cultures in a tokenistic or exploitative manner. This article examines efforts to diversify aural skills training within an Australian conservatory through collaborative teaching interventions featuring Aboriginal Australian and Iranian classical music. Two workshops, led by cultural custodians and scholars, were integrated into the final semester of the undergraduate aural skills sequence. Students engaged in listening, analysis, and performance exercises that challenged them to apply their existing skills beyond the western canon. Survey responses from 48 students revealed a generally positive reception: Most valued exposure to new musical traditions, reported increased respect for cultural diversity, and reflected critically on their own musical assumptions. However, tensions also emerged, particularly around the application of a “western lens” to non-western music, expectations of curricular relevance, and the complexities of engaging responsibly with Indigenous traditions. These findings underscore both the opportunities and challenges of curriculum diversification in higher music education. We argue that small but carefully designed intercultural interventions can foster openness, critical awareness, and transferable listening skills, while also highlighting the need for ongoing dialogue about positionality, cultural sensitivity, and institutional responsibility. Ultimately, respectful collaboration with culture bearers has the potential to broaden the scope of conservatory training and strengthen intercultural musical understanding.
Creativity has become increasingly central to global music education, yet research has largely focused on creative teaching methods, technology integration, and collaborative supports. A critical gap remains in understanding how music teachers perceive creativity within contemporary educational contexts. Our study addresses that gap by investigating the factors within contemporary music education settings in China that influence teachers’ perceptions of creativity. Using an interpretivist qualitative approach, data were collected from three primary school music teachers and three private piano teachers through 12 classroom music lesson observations, 12 piano lesson observations, 17 semistructured interviews, critical incident charting, and the researcher’s diary. This article focuses on findings related to the study’s first research question: What are these Chinese music teachers’ perceptions of creativity? We present a model of these teachers’ perceptions of creativity in contemporary music education contexts. Two key themes emerged. First, creativity was understood in two main ways: as the reinterpretation of musical works and as the development of pupils’ creative thinking. Second, participants described using progressive pedagogical strategies to navigate the tension between fostering creativity and meeting examination-related demands within teacher-centred structures. Drawing on these insights, we propose a Spectrum of Music Education and a practice-informed model comprising seven developmental phases, capturing how creative practices are embedded across different teaching contexts. Primary school teachers emphasised musical knowledge and classroom engagement as foundational to creativity, whereas piano teachers prioritised technical proficiency and aesthetic sensitivity. By incorporating the perspectives of both classroom and piano teachers, the study provides a diverse range of insights, deepening understandings of how creativity is conceptualised and implemented both in and out of school music educational settings in contemporary China. We highlight implications for policy, research, and practice, including the importance of aligning technical with creative development.
This article presents the findings of an evaluation study investigating factors that influence early adolescents’ interest in general music lessons. The study was conducted in two ninth-grade classes at a public general education school in Slovenia. A total of 39 students aged 14–15 years participated in the research. The existing Slovenian curriculum for music education was enriched with a teaching model based on the Orff Schulwerk approach, which integrates vocal, instrumental, and movement-based improvisation and creation. Data were collected using group interviews, a 10-point interest scale, student diaries, online surveys, and video analysis with an observation protocol and were analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. The results highlight four key factors that significantly influenced student interest: authentic music education, peer collaboration, a supportive learning environment, and the role of the music teacher. Students responded positively to authentic musical activities that promoted emotional engagement, resilience, and interpersonal relationships. The study also highlights a contrast between student enthusiasm and the challenges teachers face in maintaining motivation in the classroom. The findings suggest that an authentic music approach—particularly one in which the creation, performance, and listening of music occur simultaneously and interdependently—can significantly increase student motivation and engagement. The study also indicates the important role of the teacher in such contexts and the difficulties associated with maintaining motivation and managing classroom dynamics in a supportive learning environment with peer collaboration. These findings have practical implications for curriculum design and teacher training, emphasising the need for an authentic approach in music education.
