EXPLORING APPROACHES TO CREATIVITY AND CO-CREATION IN SOCIALLY ENGAGED MUSIC MAKING by Tuuli Elisa Wallenius

In this research I have explored approaches to creative music-making in a social context through a practical case-study and by analyzing educational approaches to socially engaged music making. I carried out and developed a concept of pedagogical practice for the context of working in a socially engaged intercultural music project. The project took place in a rural area of north-eastern Brazil.  The research shows that the improvisation-based pedagogical method that I introduced is an applicable methodology for the context. Methods of learning by ear and working with improvisation were found to be easily engaging ways to collaborate with the group. Leading the groups by using hand-signals was an applicable way of communicating with the group, which I experienced lead to a more intuitive, focused, and flowing creative process. This research states that a learner-based approach and pedagogical improvisation are key elements in working in the context of socially engaging music making.  In addition, this research clarifies and brings to light theories and methods of practice from the field by introducing current research and scholars.  With this work I hope to inspire other music educators and facilitators of socially engaged music projects to seek for ways to implement artistic work and creativity into educational work, and to be reminded of the potential that education has in combatting the social problems of our society.

SOCIALLY ENGAGED MUSIC-MAKING: BACKGROUND AND FACILITATION

As mentioned in the introduction of this research, the field of socially engaging music projects is rapidly evolving, but the field is still highly fragmented. I found useful information from various sources, and most importantly the fields of SIMM (Socially Impactful Music Making) and community music, which I will introduce in this chapter.

SIMM is an international scholarly association, that is focused on the role music-making can play in social work. SIMM organizes international conferences, publications, and research seminars for scholars and practitioners in the field. According to SIMM, a considerable number of studies are currently focusing on the possible social impacts of music-making on people in vulnerable situations (SIMM 2017).

The field ofcommunity music is described in the Oxford Handbook of community music (2018) to be a growing global phenomenon that consists of multiple different approaches, ideologies, and priorities. Projects in the field can vary from musical activity that is connected to the traditions of a specific culture, to projects that are established through active interventions. Many of the community music endeavors focus on the aspect of change at a social level and the field is becoming a force for social change around the world (Bartleet and Higgins, 2018, pp. 5-6). 

Facilitating a socially engaging music project requires specific skills and attitudes from the facilitators of the projects. According to Higgins (2008, pp. 330), facilitation aims to encourage open dialogue with participants. In the Oxford handbook of community music, Bartleet and Higgins (2018) list skills that are required from the facilitators and emphasize that the ability to choose the needed skill for each task is also important. These listed skills include musical skills in improvisation, composing, arranging, picking up musical material by ear and also skills beyond musicianship, such as leadership skills, entrepreneurial skills, social skills, willingness to take risks, problem-solving skills, an ability to be creative and an ability to react to the participant’s needs (Bartleet and Higgins, 2018, pp. 9-11). 

In the Oxford handbook of music making and Leisure, Bartleet, Howell and Higgins (2017) point out that community music facilitators are challenged by the wide range of settings that go far beyond concert halls or spaces designed for education. This requires flexibility from the facilitator, and an ability to adapt to different kinds of environments (Bartleet, Howell and Higgins, 2017, pp. 603).

Bartleet, Howell and Higgins (2017) introduce the term community musician, referring to a skilled facilitator of community music projects and activities with a clear interventionist vision. A community musician has an ability to support the participants agency, and a will to create easily accessible and inviting environments for music making by considering these environments as workshops of experimentation, creativity, and group work (Bartleet, Howell and Higgins, 2017, pp. 606).

As I mentioned in the introduction, my aim in this project has been to find ways to be a musician and a facilitator with a grounded and ethical practice, the ability to be flexible, engaged and empowering, and an awareness of the relevant phenomena of the field and the surrounding world (Kuppers, 2018).

According to Bartleet and Higgins (2018, pp. 10), there are common values, believes and ethical commitments that community music facilitators working in interventionist ways share. These include the thought that all people have an equal right to make, participate in and enjoy music of their own preference in a positive learning environment where everybody is equally included and valued. Ethical consciousness is presented in various projects and Brydie-LeighBartleet confirms that the SIM research platform is committed to pursuing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) -goals of the UN, that work towards ending extreme poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting the planet (Pairon, 1/2021, 13:15)

This figure illustrates a variety of positions and tasks of facilitating learning music in a group (Huhtinen-Hildén & Pitt, 2018, pp. 50)

Socio-cultural animation is a socio-pedagogical theoretical orientation centered on strengthening the agency and participation of learners. According to Kurki (2008, pp. 46-47) it is based on pedagogy that is inclusive and inspiring, and aiming towards transformation. Educational methods aim for personal development, changing attitudes, development of critical thinking, awareness of one's own responsibility, sensitization and awakening of motivation (Kurki, 2008, pp. 47).

Art is seen as one of the most important educational methods of socio-cultural animation, music as one aspect that can help the development of many human abilities (e.g. research, sharing, sensitizing, cooperation and respect) (Kurki, 2008, pp. 138-139). The main goal of socio-cultural animation is to awaken active life where it doesn't seem to exist, and to make people believe in their dreams and aspirations. It is a movement of growth, awareness, participation, and creativity that motivates, awakens, strengthens and coordinates an individual's abilities and strengthstheir participation in social, educational and cultural activities. Socio-cultural animationis a combination of methods that create participation processes in which people grow to be active participants in their community (Kinnunen, Penttilä, Rantala, Salonen & Tervo 2003, pp. 15-18. translated from Finnish to English by me).

The ideas and approaches of socio-cultural animation gave new perspectives and ideas for the context of socially engaging music making, and for that reason I also wanted to zoom into that aspect within learner-centered pedagogy.

Also, a reason for choosing socio-cultural animation as an approach was the confluences between the approach and perspectives from Educación popular, from Brazil. Educación popular is political educational work in Latin America that, like sociocultural animation, strives for people's participation, and aims to bring about profound social change. Although Educación popular is more consciously a political activity, the confluence is close, as the starting point in both is a dialectical interaction between education, culture, and society. (Kinnunen, Penttilä, Rantala, Salonen & Tervo 2003, pp. 47)

THEORETICAL FRAME AND KEY CONCEPTS

As working in connection to a social project, this work’s theoretical framework is in social pedagogy and on the social constructionist idea that we construct our reality in interaction with our social surroundings. Social pedagogy underlines the importance of community, interaction, helping the disadvantaged and working towards supporting solidarity in our society (Hämäläinen & Kurki, 1997, pp. 11-16). This framework defines the pedagogical orientation and values of this research, which I see as equally important pedagogical tools as the practical methods used in this research.

Social pedagogy consists of a wide variety of disciplines, and the perceptions vary depending on the contexts. In this chapter I am introducing chosen perspectives of social education based on research and literature around the topic of socio-pedagogical music education, which are learner-focus teaching and socio-cultural animation. I am focusing especially on current research from the fields of SIMM (Socially Impactful Music Making) and community music and overlapping them under the same theoretical umbrella of socially engaged music making.

LEARNER-CENTERED PEDAGOGY AND SOCIO-CULTURAL ANIMATION

According to Bartleet and Higgins (2018, pp. 3), it is common for interventionist forms of community music to seek for strategies for self-expression through musical means with a bottom-up, learner based, approach. Huhtinen-Hildén and Pitt (2018) describe learner-centered teaching as a holistic approach to music education, where teaching is seen as a sensitive improvisatory practice, that opens possibilities to learning and focuses on learning, interaction and pedagogical sensitivity in community music among other music educational surroundings (Huhtinen-Hildén & Pitt, 2018, pp. 1-6, 45). Pedagogical sensitivity requires tacit professional knowledge and tacit knowing from the pedagogue, meaning for example abilities to read the individuals needs in a group, to know when to observe and when to encourage, to be able to give the right amount of time and space to the individuals, and to see the dynamics of the group (Huhtinen-Hildén & Pitt, 2018, pp. 47). In order to be able to support the learners in a group, pedagogues are required to be flexible in their pedagogical positions and choices.

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