Urban space and industrial heritage

Postprint (published version)

La improvisació musical, sota el microscopi.

UNA DE LES FORMES MÉS COMPLEXES de comportament creatiu és la improvisació musical, tan típica d'alguns estils com el jazz i el freestyle rap, però que tanmateix es pot aplicar a qualsevol estil, des de la música clàssica fins al rock'n'roll, passant per la música tradicional. Roger E. Beaty, de la Universitat de Carolina del Nord, als EUA, ha publicat un treball a Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews on compara l'activitat neural durant la improvisació musical en músics de diferents estils. Els resultats indiquen que els processos mentals seguits per uns i altres no són exactament els mateixos, i que les principals diferències es troben en la predominança de control cognitiu durant la improvisació o alternativament de pensament divergent.

Educación musical intercultural a través de un proyecto europeo Comenius y su aportación a las competencias básicas

La experiencia se enmarca en un proyecto de intercambio Comenius desarrollado entre los años 2002-2005, con la participación de seis centros europeos. A partir de la asignatura de prácticas de los alumnos de la Universidad de Girona, se ha implicado la educación musical en el proyecto y se ha desarrollado, a lo largo de tres cursos, una rica experiencia intercultural a través de la canción, la danza y la composición. A su vez, se analizan las aportaciones del proyecto al trabajo de las competencias básicas de la etapa

Desenvolupar competències ètiques a l'educació musical i corporal. Un estudi empíric als estudis de mestre en educació infantil a la Universitat de Barcelona

This paper presents an ongoing investigation regarding ethical competence, protective factors, strengths of character and coping strategies analyzed in a sample of students in Early Childhood Education Degree from the University of Barcelona. Along with a theoretical study will be an observational study using standardized instruments and standardized, which include the VIA-IS questionnaire Seligman. With all that is expected to draw conclusions to improve the training of teachers in kindergarten, especially since the subjects of musical expression and body where they develop these skills ethics.

Entornos e-learning como soporte de aprendizaje a la asignatura educación musical en infancia

The music is a compulsory subject in the first stage of primary education. We detected several teachers from different educational areas, including the area of music, using e-learning platforms and web tools for teaching the curriculum that marks the “Department of Education of the Generalitat de Catalunya”. From the body of analysis has drawn the picture in e-learning platforms, analyzing the types and uses. Through the sample of e-learning platforms in music education, have identified four schools with e-learning platforms in advanced stage. We performed a case study on one of these platforms for content analysis and validate the interview format used; this has served to create a model that can be used in other centers with e-learning platform for music subject.

The Connectivity of Musical Aptitude and Foreign Language Learning Skills: Neural and Behavioural Evidence

Given the structural and acoustical similarities between speech and music, and possible overlapping cerebral structures in speech and music processing, a possible relationship between musical aptitude and linguistic abilities, especially in terms of second language pronunciation skills, was investigated. Moreover, the laterality effect of the mother tongue was examined with both adults and children by means of dichotic listening scores. Finally, two event-related potential studies sought to reveal whether children with advanced second language pronunciation skills and higher general musical aptitude differed from children with less-advanced pronunciation skills and less musical aptitude in accuracy when preattentively processing mistuned triads and music / speech sound durations. The results showed a significant relationship between musical aptitude, English language pronunciation skills, chord discrimination ability, and sound-change-evoked brain activation in response to musical stimuli (durational differences and triad contrasts). Regular music practice may also have a modulatory effect on the brain’s linguistic organization and cause altered hemispheric functioning in those who have regularly practised music for years. Based on the present results, it is proposed that language skills, both in production and discrimination, are interconnected with perceptual musical skills.

De la metodologia a la pràctica : anàlisi de les metodologies d'ensenyament musical i elaboració d'una proposta metodològica per a la pràctica docent en l'àmbit del llenguatge musical a les escoles de música

Aquest treball vol ser una revisió d'algunes de les principals metodologies desenvolupades al llarg del segle XX per l'ensenyament del llenguatge musical. Aquesta revisió serà completada amb una anàlisi comparada de les visions filosòfiques i els objectius didàctics de les diferents propostes, d'on extreure unes conclusions per a una possible nova proposta didàctica. Les metodologies que s'analitzen són les dels següents autors: Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Carl Orff, Zoltán Kodály, Edgar Willems i Maurice Martenot.

Real-time Musical Pair Improvisation on Mobile Devices

This thesis discusses the design and implementation of a real-time musical pair improvisation scenario for mobile devices. In the scenario transferring musical information over a network connection was required. The suitability of available wireless communication technologies was evaluated and communication was analyzed and designed on multiple layers of TCP/IP protocol stack. Also an application layer protocol was designed and implemented for the scenario. The implementation was integrated into a mobile musical software for children using available software components and libraries although the used platform lead to hardware and software constraints. Software limitations were taken into account in design. The results show that real-time musical improvisation can be implemented with wireless communication and mobile technology. The results also show that link layer had the most significant effect on real-time communication in the scenario.

Analysis of private natural heritage reserves as a conservation strategy for the biodiversity of the cocoa region of the southern State of Bahia, Brazil

Brazil was the first country in Latin America to establish and regulate this type of reserve, and there are currently more than 700 Private Nature Heritage Reserves (RPPN in Portuguese) officially recognized by either federal or state environmental agencies. Together, these RPPN protect more than a half million hectares of land in the country. The coastal forests in the southern part of Bahia State extend 100 to 200 km inland, gradually changing in physiognomy as they occupy the dryer inland areas. The coastal forest has been subjected to intense deforestation, and currently occupies less than 10% of its original area. For this work the creation processes of the RPPN were consulted to obtain the data creation time, size of property, the condition of the remaining forest, succession chain and the last paid tax. After that, interviews with the owners were made to confirm this data. Sixteen RPPN have been established in this region until 2005. Their sizes vary from 4.7 to 800 ha. Ten of these RPPN are located within state or federal conservation areas or their buffer zones. In spite of the numerous national and international conservation strategies and environmental policies focused on the region, the present situation of the cocoa zone is threatening the conservation of the region's natural resources. The establishment of private reserves in the cocoa region could conceivably improve these conservation efforts. This type of reserve can be established under a uniform system supported by federal legislation, and could count on private organizations.

Musikalisk lärandemiljö : planerade musikaktiviteter med småbarn i daghem

A musically stimulating nvironment is of great significance when considering the opportunities for development and learning that are offered to children in day nurseries. Moreover, the quality of musical activities also has great significance for the musical development of growing children. Young children are always striving to create meaning and understanding; they influence and are influenced by the context in which they are situated. The purpose of this study is to investigate the planned music activities in the musical learning environment of seven toddler’s groups in day nurseries, based on four different aspects: the texts of children’s songs, the melodies of children’s songs, the basic elements of music and the use of instrumentation. The data has been gathered by video observation of the planned music activities. The age of the children studied ranged from 11 months to 3 years and 11 months, and on average there were 13 children in each group. The study involved a total of just over 90 children and nine educators. The methodological approaches are hermeneutic as well as videographic, and they are applied to the analysis as required. The approaches are well suited to an understanding of the planned music activities where the individual’s communications and actions are studied. The results of the study show that educators impart a cultural heritage to the children in the form of old traditional songs, but they also act as intermediaries for newer children's songs. They focus on actively on the text content of the children’s songs in their interaction with the children, but do not address the meaning of the text. Furthermore, while the educators use music sessions for the children to develop, among other things, an understanding of language and social skills, they do not use the sessions to develop the children’s musical skills. The educators could, to a much greater extent than they now do, direct the children's attention to the basic elements of music, and conduct meta-cognitive dialogues with the children. They use a large repertoire of children's songs, which are, however, often too demanding for the children’s voices to cope with. In addition, the educators do not plan, in any significant way, activities for the toddlers in order to help them develop the accuracy of their vocal tones. With regard to the use of instruments, the educators focus, in their interaction with the children, is placed on both the usage of the instruments and knowledge about the instruments. Regarding the use of instruments the study shows that the children’s musical expression takes place in an environment that includes both melody and rhythm instruments. It is clear that children are actively interested in the constructed instrument environment, because for long periods of time they independently play and experiment with instruments.

World Heritage of the Kvarken Archipelago : Echoes of the Ice Age

The Kvarken Archipelago is Finland’s first Unesco Natural Heritage Site. The story of the Kvarken Archipelago began about 10.000 years ago when the melting of the continental ice sheet as it retreated gave rise to this unique archipelago. The land once forced down by the mass of ice is now gradually rising and continuously creating new landscapes. People, animals and plants have learnt to adjust to their changing conditions in exceptional ways. The Ice Age may be over in Kvarken, but the drama still continues to unfold.

Digital Cultural Heritage at the National Library of Finland

Short presentation about how digital cultural heritage is created and collected by the National Library of Finland

Finna - Opening Access to Cultural Heritage and Scientific Information

Aki Lassilan esitys Europeana työpajassa 20.11.2012 Helsingissä.