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Harmony or Discord? Understanding children's valuations of a Sistema-inspired initiative

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2017

Mark Rimmer*
Affiliation:
School of Art, Media and American Studies, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 [email protected]

Abstract

This article explores children's reflections on the value of their participation in In Harmony, a social and music education programme whose approach and philosophy derives from the Venezuelan ‘El Sistema’ (‘The System’) model. More specifically, through an analysis of participating children's accounts (n=111) and an exploration of the key patterns evident within children's attribution of value to their In Harmony participation, the article highlights a series of ways in which the initiative's approach to music and musical learning threaten to undermine its core aims.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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