Musical Education in Vulnerable Communities: A Social Transformation Experience in Latin America

Type: Short Paper - [Experience Report] · Article nº 1480

Authors: Kaline Graziela Legat Gulyas¹; Janice Possamai Fiedler²; Salete Maria Chiamulera Böhler³

Presenter: Janice Possamai Fiedler

Institutions: ¹ UNISE; ² PUC/PR; ³ UNESPAR/EMBAP

Abstract

This experience report addresses music education activities carried out in a high-risk community in Latin America through partnerships with industry development agencies and students aged six to twelve. It concerns an educational musical practice implemented within the CEE (Centro de Esportes e Educação Paraná) Project, in the cities of Araucária and Campo Largo, lasting ten months, located in areas of high risk of violence, reflecting on its turning points and improvements derived from the music and art classes practiced there.

On the official website of the sponsoring institution, the initiative—called “work that delivers results”—describes these actions as an incentive for children to “experience new realities and explore a world beyond their community” (CEE Project, 2025), seeking to overcome everyday social vulnerability. The activities took place during the opposite shift of the children’s regular school schedule. Studies in similar contexts demonstrate the effectiveness of musical activities as tools for social transformation in high-risk areas (Kleber, 2006; Rodrigues, 2024; Bozzetto, 2024; Maziero, 2024).

The educational content—including songs, musical games, rhythmic body percussion, and the creative reuse of recycled materials—was contextualized within the thematic axes of Sustainability and the Environment. Activities involving drumming and the constant discovery of new sounds from seemingly disposable materials generated great enthusiasm among the students. This report also highlights life memories and testimonies showing how musical actions became instruments for improving family life.

“This child is my best percussionist!”—a statement made by the music educator to a father accustomed to being summoned to the school due to his son’s behavioral issues—transformed not only that father’s perception but also the life of the child, often labeled violent or aggressive. This episode consolidated music education as a social agent of change. The supervised musical encounters, encouraging the search for new experiences and the discovery of each child’s potential, triggered productive cycles of relationships. Thus, these music-pedagogical experiences reveal that the musical practice within this project contributes substantially to both the musical and human development of its participants.

References

Kleber, M. (2006). A prática de educação musical em ONGs (Doctoral dissertation). UFRGS.

Souza, J. (2014). Música, educação e projetos sociais. Tomo Editorial.