Musical practice in compulsory secondary school. The case of five charter schools in Barcelona

Abstract

Music belongs to the human condition just as language does, and genetics and environmental conditions influence these capacities. In Catalan society, artistic education is regulated in schools according to the curriculum and the basic competences set out by the Education Department of the Government of Catalonia. The aim of our project is to focus on how instrumental practice is carried out in the subject of music in compulsory secondary school, contrasting this practice with the guidelines set out in the education law. Five schools were chosen as a representative sample for Barcelona, and interviews were carried out with the teaching staff in charge of the subject. This research shows that both classroom methods and routines follow what the law dictates. It should also be mentioned that several discrepancies were found in teacher training, in the necessary material resources (such as musical instruments and other supports), in the methodological treatment of objectives and contents, in the opportunities generated by this art, and in the cultural importance given to it in our country.

Keywords: Instrumental practice, music in compulsory secondary school, music competences, teacher training, musical instruments.