Music is one of the distinctive aspects of being human and can be a bridge to connect people with culture, arts and humanities (Elliot, Silverman & Bowman 2016). Music education can encourage a joint journey towards transformative musical experiences. Creating opportunities for active music participation means finding ways to increase the number of accessible pathways that lead towards meaningful musical engagement. Music education is a way to social inclusion: this research has investigated the importance of connecting people, across issues and over time. By encouraging expansive and
ongoing frameworks for interaction, this research seeks to create engaged communities of practice. Changes can only take place in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment (Abril & Gault 2016). In recent years we have been observing in Italy many positive environments where musical interventions take place, leading us to make some important reflections. Children of foreigners growing up in Italy require research and support, aimed at
IL SISTEMA IN ITALY / ANTONELLA COPPI
guaranteeing rights such as protection, education and housing in a safe and legal context, as well as social inclusion according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, ratified by the Italian government in 1991.
Art. 27 states the following:
States Parties recognize the right of every child to a standard of living adequate for the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. The parent(s) or others responsible for the child have the primary responsibility to secure, within their abilities and financial capacities, the conditions of living necessary for the child's development.
There is evidence that engagement in musical activities has an impact on social inclusion (self-awareness and social integration). Tackling social exclusion and promoting social inclusion are common concerns in many regions (Schippers 2010) such as the European Union. Many governments, ministries and agencies in the world see arts in general and music in particular as a key to solving social problems.
In May 2011, the European Music Council (EMC) invited active parties from the field of music education to discuss the implementation of the UNESCO Seoul Agenda, Goals for the Development of Arts Education. The main task of the seminar was to explore how the Seoul Agenda can be adapted to music education in Europe. The Bonn Declaration reflects on common focal points for the development of music education in Europe. It acknowledges the principle of subsidiarity and calls upon political decision makers at local, regional, national and European levels to define common policies that promote the development of music education in Europe at all levels and to put these policies into practice. On the other hand, the Declaration is directed at music education institutions and music education practitioners themselves, offering them a matrix for self-reflection, reviewing the goals and checking whether they are applicable. The participants of the seminar agreed that it was vital to recognize the value of music education in Europe for the cohesion of the European societies in the twenty-first century.
The Seoul Agenda: Goals for the Development of Arts Education reflects the conviction
[…] that arts education has an important role to play in the constructive transformation of educational systems that are struggling to meet the needs of learners in a rapidly changing world characterized by remarkable advances in technology on the one hand and intractable social and
cultural injustices on the other. Issues […] included […] were peace, cultural diversity and intercultural understanding as well as the need for a creative and adaptive workforce in the context of post industrial economies. […] Arts education can make a direct contribution to resolving the social and cultural challenges facing the world today
(Seoul Agenda, Introduction, UNESCO, 2010).
The three goals of the Seoul Agenda are closely interlinked and cover important aspects of arts education. The Bonn Declaration reflects on the arguments of the Seoul Agenda and gives interpretations of the three goals, placing its own emphasis on music education in Europe.
The outcome of these discussions, the Bonn Declaration, embraces the three closely related goals of the Seoul Agenda and offers tangible directions in the development of music education in Europe:
- Access to music education: Constitutes the first goal of the Bonn Declaration, which raises questions such as: Who should offer musical activities? Are these activities available to all those wishing to take part in them, and if not, why? The document emphasizes the right of all citizens to music education and, therefore, states that any obstacles encountered by those wanting to participate must be addressed.
- High-quality music education – prerequisites: Discusses whether those providing music education have received the necessary training for the jobs they are doing. Any shortfalls should be overcome through collaborations between formal, non-formal and informal music education providers. Both the educational institutions preparing the practitioners as well as their later employers are responsible for adequate training.
- Social and cultural challenges: The music education sector is addressed in the third goal of the Bonn Declaration. It is agreed that music comprises more than its artistic value, and music education has proved itself as an instrument for overcoming inequalities in society. This must be recognized by those active in the field of music education: however, using music education for these purposes requires adequate information and training.
The Bonn Declaration, which concludes with a set of recommendations for decision makers, is an important political document which helped the European music education sector to achieve the objectives laid down in the
IL SISTEMA IN ITALY / ANTONELLA COPPI
Seoul Agenda, paving the way for the recognition of music education as a value for Europe in the twenty-first century.
José Antonio Abreu’s brainchild, El Sistema, has shown the world a new way to offer music education to all children. El Sistema is a music education program for aspiring orchestra musicians launched in Venezuela more than forty years ago. Intended for students with limited means and now spreading to other parts of the world, it has become a subject of interest for music teachers and teacher educators in Europe and particularly Italy.