Approach to other ways of living, learning and teaching music: spirituality in music education

Abstract

This study examines the role of spirituality in music education by synthesizing insights from literature and conducting interviews with accomplished musician-educators, aiming to gain a profound understanding of spirituality within the context of music education. Such concepts as flow theory by M. Csikszentmihalyi, duende, African-American spirituals, Carl Jung’s perspective on spirituality, visions on the spiritual that could be found in the Bible were applied in this research, as well as spiritual concepts of K.Werner, J. Cameron, S. Tiernan and M.Chaloff, all of whom are outstanding artists with multifaceted visions on the topic. The goal of this study is to see different perspectives on what spirituality is and how it could be lived and improved in the context of music education, especially higher music degree programs. A qualitative study contextualized as a narrative inquiry was considered the most appropriate to this work, since the case of each interview participant is studied in great detail and it provides an in-depth vision on the personal perception on the role of spirituality in music education. Interview participants are Sergi Sirvent, Catalan jazz pianist, Shai Maestro, jazz pianist from Israel, Horacio Fumero, jazz bass player from Argentina, and Brigitte Schweizer, Swiss opera singer. One of the main findings of this work is that community spirituality in music, as seen in spirituals and jazz, fosters unity and provides moral reference points, contributing to a fulfilled life. The concept of oneness, integrating conscious and subconscious elements, was found vital for fostering spirituality. Self-transcendence and Csikszentmihalyi's flow theory, are discussed as crucial for musical mastery. Spirituality is framed as a divine force aiding effortless creation, transcending cultural boundaries. While spirituality is key in learning and living music, it does not seem to be considered that important to be studied in higher music degree programs. This research advocates integrating technical proficiency, which is much more focused in music education, with spiritual awareness, emphasizing the invisible yet vital role of spirituality in music. keywords: spirituality, music education, flow, duende, spirituals, effortlessness