A aula de educação musical : pedagogias diferentes conduzem a diferentes resultados na aprendizagem?

Sendo professor de Educação Musical no ensino básico, decidi realizar o presente trabalho com o objetivo de averiguar se, para o universo de alunos indicado, é mais vantajoso trabalhar a partir das propostas pedagógicas de Edwin Gordon, que se baseiam no conceito de audiação como forma de levar o aluno a compreender a música (audiação é a capacidade de ouvirmos e compreendermos sons que podem estar, ou não, fisicamente presentes), ou nos ensinamentos de Jos Wuytack, que defende a utilização de técnicas de imitação nas fases iniciais de ensino da música a jovens. Tendo esta investigação sido realizada ao longo de um semestre letivo, não seria adequado nem possível aplicar extensivamente todas as propostas dos pedagogos referidos. Como tal, os trabalhos aqui apresentados foram limitados aos conceitos que considerei mais adequados para o tempo e para os objetivos definidos para o nível de ensino aqui em estudo. Foram trabalhadas as audiações números um, dois e quatro, por um lado, e, por outro, as técnicas de imitação melódica e rítmica. Foi feita uma avaliação contínua da evolução de cada aluno, como forma de estabelecer um padrão de desenvolvimento que permitisse concluir qual das duas metodologias de ensino da música a jovens se revelou mais adequada na globalidade e qual a que produziu melhores resultados no que diz respeito à melhoria da afinação vocal, do conhecimento das notas musicais, do rigor rítmico e da dedilhação na flauta de bisel. Os resultados obtidos não nos permitiram retirar nenhuma conclusão definitiva.

Estudio de la estructura y funcionamiento de la industria musical de rock en Quito y propuesta de mejoras

La producción de rock en Quito puede ser enmarcada como una actividad propia de las industrias creativas en el Ecuador. Este trabajo estudia la producción del género musical en cuestión desde una perspectiva de gestión empresarial, con el fin de determinar su situación actual y formular una propuesta para mejorar su competitividad. Es un primer acercamiento al tema desde el mencionado campo conceptual de las industrias creativas, y por tanto una investigación exploratoria. Quizá el mayor aporte de este esfuerzo académico sea el de ubicar a la actividad creativa dentro del debate de la producción económica, señalando las situaciones particulares propias del sector. Para la redacción del presente trabajo se han utilizado los postulados conceptuales sobre las industrias creativas enunciados por el Foro Económico Mundial (World Economic Forum, o WEF, por sus siglas en inglés), la conferencia de las Naciones Unidas para el Comercio y el Desarrollo (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, o UNCTAD por sus siglas en inglés), la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, o UNESCO, por sus siglas en inglés) y una profesora titular de una prestigiosa universidad a nivel mundial. En el presente trabajo se ha observado una débil posición de los músicos dentro del encadenamiento productivo de la industria; y al mismo tiempo se ha visto que su nivel de profesionalización, en términos generales, puede mejorar. Se encontró que hay poca continuidad en la operación de las bandas de rock, y también que existe un paradigma que entiende al éxito comercial como un condición que impide la originalidad de los trabajos musicales; al mismo tiempo que se conoció sobre una renuencia a profesionalizarse del sector, en términos generales. También se evidenció la importancia de la tecnología audiovisual para acompañar los temas musicales, y una relativa escasez de proveedores y actores complementarios y de apoyo para las bandas. Adicionalmente, se recogieron varios testimonios sobre una realidad económica compleja para las personas que deciden dedicarse profesionalmente a la carrera musical en el género de rock. Otros hallazgos de esta investigación giran en torno a una división cultural entre músicos del norte y del sur de la ciudad. También se analizaron los impactos positivos y negativos de varias Políticas Públicas y una falta de institucionalidad y seguridad jurídica para los promotores de conciertos y espectáculos en vivo. Finalmente, se notó una división entre públicos para espectáculos internacionales y locales, con su respectiva y considerable diferencia en los precios que están dispuestos a pagar los grupos en mención; y por tanto se nota la necesidad para que las bandas locales posicionen su oferta a través de asociaciones con nombres o artistas extranjeros. Esto, a su vez, facilitaría el acceso a los medios de comunicación masiva, mismos que –según testimonios recogidos- no tienen mayor interés en la producción local de música rock.

Regulation of the neural circuitry of emotion by compassion meditation: effects of meditative expertise

Recent brain imaging studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have implicated insula and anterior cingulate cortices in the empathic response to another's pain. However, virtually nothing is known about the impact of the voluntary generation of compassion on this network. To investigate these questions we assessed brain activity using fMRI while novice and expert meditation practitioners generated a loving-kindness-compassion meditation state. To probe affective reactivity, we presented emotional and neutral sounds during the meditation and comparison periods. Our main hypothesis was that the concern for others cultivated during this form of meditation enhances affective processing, in particular in response to sounds of distress, and that this response to emotional sounds is modulated by the degree of meditation training. The presentation of the emotional sounds was associated with increased pupil diameter and activation of limbic regions (insula and cingulate cortices) during meditation (versus rest). During meditation, activation in insula was greater during presentation of negative sounds than positive or neutral sounds in expert than it was in novice meditators. The strength of activation in insula was also associated with self-reported intensity of the meditation for both groups. These results support the role of the limbic circuitry in emotion sharing. The comparison between meditation vs. rest states between experts and novices also showed increased activation in amygdala, right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), and right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) in response to all sounds, suggesting, greater detection of the emotional sounds, and enhanced mentation in response to emotional human vocalizations for experts than novices during meditation. Together these data indicate that the mental expertise to cultivate positive emotion alters the activation of circuitries previously linked to empathy and theory of mind in response to emotional stimuli.

Characterizing typographic expertise: do we process typefaces like faces?

Studies of face recognition and discrimination provide a rich source of data and debate on the nature of their processing, in particular through using inverted faces. This study draws parallels between the features of typefaces and faces, as letters share a basic configuration, regardless of typeface, that could be seen as similar to faces. Typeface discrimination is compared using paragraphs of upright letters and inverted letters at three viewing durations. Based on previously reported effects of expertise, the prediction that designers would be less accurate when letters are inverted, whereas nondesigners would have similar performance in both orientations, was confirmed. A proposal is made as to which spatial relations between typeface components constitute holistic and configural processing, posited as the basis for better discrimination of the typefaces of upright letters. Such processing may characterize designers’ perceptual abilities, acquired through training.

The MaPS project: mapping teacher conceptions of musical development

The chapter starts from the premise that an historically- and institutionally-formed orientation to music education at primary level in European countries privileges a nineteenth century Western European music aesthetic, with its focus on formal characteristics such as melody and rhythm. While there is a move towards a multi-faceted understanding of musical ability, a discrete intelligence and willingness to accept musical styles or 'open-earedness', there remains a paucity of documented evidence of this in research at primary school level. To date there has been no study undertaken which has the potential to provide policy makers and practitioners with insights into the degree of homogeneity or universality in conceptions of musical ability within this educational sector. Against this background, a study was set up to explore the following research questions: 1. What conceptions of musical ability do primary teachers hold a) of themselves and; b) of their pupils? 2. To what extent are these conceptions informed by Western classical practices? A mixed methods approach was used which included survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview. Questionnaires have been sent to all classroom teachers in a random sample of primary schools in the South East of England. This was followed up with a series of semi-structured interviews with a sub-sample of respondents. The main ideas are concerned with the attitudes, beliefs and working theories held by teachers in contemporary primary school settings. By mapping the extent to which a knowledge base for teaching can be resistant to change in schools, we can problematise primary schools as sites for diversity and migration of cultural ideas. Alongside this, we can use the findings from the study undertaken in an English context as a starting point for further investigation into conceptions of music, musical ability and assessment held by practitioners in a variety of primary school contexts elsewhere in Europe; our emphasis here will be on the development of shared understanding in terms of policies and practices in music education. Within this broader framework, our study can have a significant impact internationally, with potential to inform future policy making, curriculum planning and practice.