Music for All: An Intervention Project in an Artistic School in Portugal

Abstract

In Portugal, in 2018, an action-research project began to find solutions so that children with cerebral palsy (CP) could learn music in Arts Education Programmes of Music (AEPM). When conducting the characterisation of the child with CP, which gave rise to the study, and a series of literature reviews to find out what has been done in this area, we came across several works related to different Accessible Digital Musical Instruments (ADMIs) which can be employed by users with different needs. In the present case of the child under study, two of these ADMIs were chosen and used because of the opportunities they offer: Netytar and Netychords. These instruments allowed the child to access an artistic school near their residence after the respective admission test. In the Intervention Project (IP), which lasted six months, we analysed how the entry process was carried out, so we qualitatively studied the music teachers' field diary records. This situation included several interviews and conversations with the educational community involved. More specifically, the following were analysed: (i) the process of the child's entry into the artistic school; (ii) the work done by the piano teacher in the first three months of the study; (iii) the curricular adaptations proposed by the music teachers (MTs) of the ensemble and music training class so that the child could fulfil the proposed objectives; and (iv) the arrangements and musical compositions adapted so that the child could fulfil the demands of the school programme. As a result, we noticed that the peers of the child with CP adapted much better to the participation processes in favour of inclusion than the adults involved, probably because among the adults there was fear in the face of a still unknown situation, as is the case of working with a child who accesses information and music teaching unusually. We also noticed the urgent need for specific training and supervision among all involved - MTs, operational assistants (OAs), and parents/guardians (PGs). We were faced with the need for training in minor details such as accompanying the child with CP to move and use the toilet. In other words, it is necessary to prevent and prepare, empowering those involved with a series of skills so that children with special needs can fully and actively participate in this type of education.