Special Music Education

Mr Markku Kaikkonen
Director
Special Music Centre Resonaari
Helsinki, Finland



More and more students with disabilities have got possibilities to participate Music Education at schools but also in instrument teaching. Curriculums in many countries have started to take more care of special learners but there have been many positive changes also in attitudes in political and pedagogical levels. At the same time music educators have started to respect the potential of learning of people with special needs. This change means music teachers would need more knowledge of learning styles and about special learners and how to organize and plan teaching, but most of all about pedagogy in Special Music Education.

The research & development work made in Special Music Centre Resonaari (Helsinki, Finland) introduces new approaches for goal-oriented music and instrument teaching for people with special needs. Aim is also to show the importance of many-sided pedagogical thinking and need of use different media in teaching. Special Music Education have started to be seen as an individual part of Music Education. It means music educators need to find out the philosophical, pedagogical and sociological background and basics of Special Music Education.

To teach instrument playing for people with special needs means a teacher will face lot of practical and pedagogical challenges. A teacher needs theoretical knowledge but also new approaches and applications for teaching. One new tool for instrument teaching for people with special needs is Figurenotes developed in Special Music Centre Resonaari. The use of Figurenotes has expanded widely in Finland but also internationally in many countries (including Italy, Estonia, Japan, Ireland, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Latvia and UK), and not only in Special Music Education but also in Music Therapy and so called mainstream Music Education.

People with special needs have a right to get goal-oriented instrument and music teaching in equal way with so called mainstream pupils. There is a need to create theoretical and pedagogical background for Special Music Education. This is a challenge for education programs, for teacher training, for development and research work but also for music teaching in practice.

To teach instrument playing for people with special needs is a challenge in many ways.  A teacher needs to find the best way to teach each pupil. In practice this means a teacher must have knowledge of different approaches and applications for to teach instrument playing. At the same time a teacher must have a sensibility for good interaction with a pupil.

To teach people with special needs must hold the same high standards than so called mainstream music education. It is important to focus in the quality of the teaching. As teachers we need to respect disabled people as a learners in equal way with all other pupils and students we have. In this way learning start to be more equal, in this way culture start to be more equal – in this way there start to be democracy, understanding, respect and equality in culture and in our society.

© Markku Kaikkonen 2008