96427 - Fundamentals of Music Pedagogy

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student: knows objects, languages and methods of Pedagogy of Music; understands the connection between Pedagogy of music and Sciences of education and Musicology, scientific disciplines, as well as with Music, school discipline (so called in the Italian National Curriculum); knows and understands the model of school educational music based on the Pedagogy of Music treated in this course and aimed at understanding music in history and culture; acquires competences concerning school planning in relation to the latest ministerial provisions; learns some methodological fundamentals of transposition of musical knowledge and knows how to decline them in the development of an educational path.

Course contents

The course aims to impart basic knowledge of music pedagogy and develop essential methodological and teaching competences for both formal (school) and non-formal (associations, music schools, etc.) music education.

The course also trains those without a vocation for transmitting musical knowledge to understand music from a historical and cultural perspective, through listening didactics. Some lessons will be specifically dedicated to the didactics of composition and creative sound processes, developing basic competences in musical invention, development, and writing.

The course is divided into two parts: the first addresses the epistemological foundations of the discipline and is therefore primarily theoretical; the second applies what has been learned in the first to specific musical pieces from various eras and genres, and is therefore more practical and laboratory-based.
The topics covered by module are as follows:

PART I (first 30 hours)

• Fundamental concepts of music pedagogy and teaching, linked to the basic themes of general pedagogy and teaching, and cognitive, metacognitive, and learning psychology;
• The thinking of several important scholars, applied to music education: Dewey, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner;
• The music education model aimed at understanding music in history and culture;
• School curriculum and the 2025 Curriculum Guidelines.

PART II (second 30 hours)

• Didactics of listening and Didactics of musical composition: theory and practice;
• Workshops on didactics of listening and didactics of musical composition and creative sound processes, focusing on various musical genres;
• Design, planning, and implementation of a learning unit on a piece of music, with practical exercises, to be conducted under the guidance of tutors. For these exercises, please refer to the National Guidelines for the 2025 Curriculum:

https://www.mim.gov.it/-/indicazioni-nazionali-per-il-curricolo-scuola-dell-infanzia-e-scuole-del-primo-ciclo-di-istruzione.

Readings/Bibliography

The bibliographical titles should be studied in the precise order in which they are listed: Nos. 1-3 place Music Pedagogy within the context of the democratic education model; Nos. 4-6 provide a systematic overview of the discipline, in its relationship with Musicology and the Educational Sciences, as well as with music education practiced in schools and in informal contexts; Nos. 7-10 illustrate the teaching of listening itself and its relationship with the teaching of production, particularly musical performance and composition.

1. M. Baldacci, Saperi scolastici e formazione democratica, in "Musica Docta", vol. 3, 2013, pp. 7-12. On line:

https://musicadocta.unibo.it/article/view/4014/3465

2. G. La Face Bianconi - L. Bianconi, Il mandato intellettuale dei musicologi nella costruzione della cittadinanza europea, «Musica Docta. Rivista digitale di Pedagogia e Didattica della Musica», III, 2013, pp. 1-5. On line:

https://musicadocta.unibo.it/article/view/4046/3496

3. L. Bianconi, La musica al plurale, in Musica, ricerca e didattica. Profili culturali e competenza musicale, a cura di A. Nuzzaci e G. Pagannone, Lecce, Pensa Multimedia, 2008, pp. 23-32 (anche in C’è musica e musica. Scuole e cultura musicale, a cura di L. Zoffoli, Napoli, Tecnodid, 2006, pp. 71-76). On line:

http://wwcat.saggiatoremusicale.it/saggem/ricerca/bibliografia/bianconi_musica_al_plurale.pdf

4. C. Cuomo, Didattica della musica, in Enciclopedia della musica contemporanea, direttori scientifici E. Assante e S. Cappelletto, vol. D-J, Roma, Treccani, 2025, pp. 76-79.

5. C. Cuomo, Dall’ascolto all’esecuzione. Orientamenti per la Pedagogia e la Didattica della musica, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2018.

6. C. Cuomo, La valenza formativa della musica d’arte a scuola, da «Nuova secondaria», XL, n. 6, febbraio 2023, pp. 48-54.

7. G. La Face Bianconi, Le Pedate di Pierrot – Comprensione musicale e didattica dell'ascolto, in Musikerziehung. Erfahrungen und Reflexionen, Brixen, Weger, 2005, pp. 40-60. On line:

http://www.saggiatoremusicale.it/1/home/biblioteca-elettronica/testi-di-pedagogia-musicale/e-didattica-dellascolto/ .

8. C. Cuomo, Storia di un giovane romantico in cammino. I “Gesellenlieder” di Gustav Mahler, in “Musica e Poesia son due sorelle”. Percorsi di ascolto per la scuola, a cura di G. La Face e N. Badolato, Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2022, pp. 268-294.

9. B. Martini, C. Cuomo, M. De Luca, Trasposizione didattica del sapere musicale: aspetti di contenuto e di metodo, in La musica tra conoscere e fare, Atti del convegno (Bologna, 16-17 maggio 2008), Milano, Angeli, 2011, pp. 123-156.

10. C. Cuomo, Formazione musicale storica e culturale e didattica della composizione musicale e dei processi creativi sonori: un’ipotesi metodologica, in Arti, linguaggi e panorami educativi. Il sostegno dell’educazione musicale al raggiungimento delle competenze chiave, a cura di M. Morandi e A. Rosa, Pisa, ETS, 2025, pp. 123-135.

 

For those who are approaching this course without any prior musical education or teaching, and for theses, the following readings are recommended:

• G. La Face Bianconi,Il cammino dell'Educazione musicale: vicoli chiusi e strade maestre, inEducazione musicale e Formazione, Atti del convegno (Bologna, 12-14 maggio 2005), Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2008, pp. 13‑25; anche in rete, punto A della “Biblioteca elettronica” del “Saggiatore musicale”: http://wwcat.saggiatoremusicale.it/saggem/ricerca/bibliografia/La%20Face%202008.pdf
• B. Martini,La didattica dell'ascolto. Una lettura didattico-disciplinare, inLa musica tra conoscere e fare, Atti del convegno (Bologna, 16-17 maggio 2008), Milano, Angeli, 2011, pp. 157-166.

Teaching methods

The course is conducted through lectures (part I and beginning of part II), listening and musical composition workshops as well as practical exercises (part II), also through the collaboration of tutors.

Assessment methods

To pass the examination, students shall:

1) oral report on the Bibliography above.

As an alternative to the oral exam in the traditional question-answer method, students can choose the exam method in the form of a conference: see the "Music Pedagogy and Didactics" course web page for the Master's Degree in Music and Theater , in the same point "Methods of verifying and evaluating learning".

2) Prepare a written learning unit on a short piece of Western art music intended for preschool, kindergarten, primary, lower, or upper secondary school students (structural comprehension and functional-contextual comprehension). For this exam, it is essential to consult the National Guidelines for the 2025 Curriculum (for the link, see above, section "Contents").

Students who do not feel comfortable taking this exam may alternatively present a brief illustration of the piece based on listening.

PLEASE NOTE - For this test, students who have difficulty preparing it are invited to get in touch with the teacher (in time!), who can also entrust them to specific tutors;

3) report on a concert or show of art music they have recently attended: they are required to sit the examination bringing the concert program (a point on the exam score will be removed for those who do not present themselves with the concert program).To pass this test, students shall:

- historically contextualize the piece;

- describe the overall structure of the piece or focus only one part (e.g. Sonata, Symphony, or individual movements);

- critically evaluate the execution: in this regard, they are invited to carefully prepare the listening from a structural, formal and historical-critical point of view before the concert.

Students actually attending the Fundamentals of Music Pedagogy course, who have carried out at least one practical exercise and have obtained the relevant certificate, will be exempted from point 2.

It will be assessed as excellent/good the performance of those students achieving an organic vision of the course contents, the use of a proper specific language, the originality of the reflection as well as the familiarity with the tolls for analysing the Musical Pedagogy.

It will be assessed as discrete the performance of those students showing mostly mechanical or mnemonic knowledge of the subject, not articulated synthesis and analysis capabilities, a correct but not always appropriate language, as well as a scholastic study of the Musical Pedagogy. It will be assessed as barely sufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, lack of knowledge of the Musical Pedagogy. It will be assessed as insufficient the performance of those students showing learning gaps, inappropriate language, no orientation within the recommended bibliography and inability to analyse the Musical Pedagogy.

Students who wish to continue their studies in Music and Theater Master’s Degree and to qualify as teachers in Secondary Schools, are invited to attend the pedagogical-music course in DAMS/music 3-years degree.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Students with learning disabilities (DSA) or temporary or permanent disabilities are advised to contact the relevant University office promptly (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it). They will be responsible for suggesting any accommodations to the students concerned. However, these accommodations must be submitted to the instructor for approval 15 days in advance, who will evaluate their suitability also in relation to the educational objectives of the course.

Master’s Degree and to qualify as teachers in Secondary Schools, are invited to attend the pedagogical-music course in DAMS/music 3-years degree.

Teaching tools

Eventual didactic materials will be gradually included in the IOL platform during the course.

Office hours

See the website of Carla Cuomo