Analysis of an intergenerational music education project in initial teacher training: a case study

Abstract

This article analyses the experience of an intergenerational music education project aimed at a group of dependent elderly people, with the participation of primary school pupils and led by a group of university students, future music teachers. Numerous studies reveal the positive impact of music on physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities in old age. This is a stage of life in which an increasing percentage of the population find themselves in a situation of vulnerability and social exclusion. Employing qualitative methodology, a triangulation of sources has been carried out through the use of various data collection techniques and instruments: logs, interviews, a research diary, and document analysis. The results reveal that the project, through the mediation of music, has favoured the elderly participants’ (re)cognition, an improvement in their well-being and their social inclusion as a group. It has also fostered the emergence of civic values in children and preservice teachers, elements necessary for a fairer and more egalitarian society. Finally, the encounter between generations made it possible to create a space for dialogue, encounter, and community participation.