Musical Dialogical Education: An Experience Inspired by the Pedagogy of Paulo Freire

Abstract: This study aimed at identifying and comprehending the educational processes resulting from the construction of a musical dialogical praxis performed with the participating community in the social universitarian extension Writing the Future Project-(Re)cutting roles, creating pannels (PEF), in the city of Ituiutaba, in the inner area of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The PEF is developed from three partnerships: university, music school and basic education school. The intervention process had as reference the principles of the dialogical pedagogy proposed by the Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, mainly based upon his literacy method, provenient from the “generating word”, which, by analogy, in this study we have called “generating music”, constructed by everybody (collaborating participants, parents or guardians, teachers) in a dialogical way minding the involved people’s routines: musical tastes/preferences, knowledge and abilities. Being, therefore, the initial step towards this intervention: departing from the consolidated knowledge from experience, or else, from what people already know, have in their repertoire, from their experience, nevertheless, without detaining ourselves to it, but broadening it, regarding the dialogues among all the involved ones. From the above cited intervention, a qualitative data collection of the research was performed, inspired by the Phenomenology. As methodological procedures, at each intervention meeting, observation entries were systematically recorded into field journals (thirty-three in all), enriched with photographic registers, texts and interviews with the participants, which enabled the construction of three theme categories: identity strengthening; respect for others; wish for becoming more. It was considered, based upon the data analysis, that the practices in Musical Education demand commitment and responsibility, a permanent search of knowledge and abilities, creative interaction and cooperation in the coexistence of the different cultures (including, and specially, in the case of this study: musical experiments involving different styles), elements which were favoured towards the development from the dialoguing, marked by educational processes of co-laboration, co-existence, solidarity, respect for and recognition of the Other. It can also be stated that, in view of the analyzed data, there are many challenges to be faced in the area of Musical Education in Brazil, such as: the educational process of teachers, the motivational stimulus for quality musical and personal development, arranging not imposing, thus socializing knowledge; the creative and cooperative interaction in the coexistence of the different cultures; the guarantee to an education and musical teaching compromised with formation to citizenship and exertion of rights.