In the last decades, the music field has been going through significant changes due to discussions related to colonialism, ownership and representativeness. By questioning traditional music-related values and incorporating debates from diverse social and human sciences, researchers with different backgrounds have become attentive to the function of music education in promoting social justice. Focusing on the Ijexá rhythm, the following article has as its main aim to investigate, analyze and discuss implications of the application of approaches to music education that were developed based on minority groups’ traditional knowledge. Strongly influenced by the critical paradigm’s perspective, this paper presents four specific aims: 1) to present the main sociological, ethnomusicological and religious features of Ijexá; 2) to examine the intentions and effects of traditional Eurocentric approaches to music education; 3) to reflect on the connections between music, music education and collective identities; and 4) to analyze the possible social and educational impacts of the application of decolonization-oriented approaches to music education. Sustained by the aforementioned goals, this research employs the qualitative documental analysis as its methodological approach to examine different sources of written and audiovisual materials, to gather the data, to acquire the information and to develop the knowledge that supports and guides the presented discussions. Its critically oriented reflections intend to contribute to the ongoing scientific debate by investigating the application of an educational approach’s strand that is supported by African-based music and African-based traditions.

Regardless of the field, the establishment of a curriculum is intrinsically connected with discussions that incorporate struggles from broader social contexts. A scrutinizing analysis of a music course’s curriculum can disclose complex power structures that interfere with the social perception not only of the courses’ direct stakeholders but also with the perception of general members of society. In this context, the current article has as its main aim to reflect on possible connections between the establishment of the curriculum of an influential higher education music institution and the general social perception toward different types of musical knowledge. Influenced by a postcolonial perspective and focused on Salvador, a Brazilian northeastern city, this investigation has three specific aims to support the general purpose: 1) to review the literature which discusses the connections between social struggles and curriculum development; 2) to contextualize the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) in the Salvador city by presenting their main characteristics that are related to the presented discussion; and 3) to examine the curriculum of the course “Instrument – Acoustic Guitar” offered at UFBA. Supported by the aforementioned aims, this inquiry employs the “Qualitative Document Analysis” methodology to analyze academically relevant sources that can support and foster the proposed reflections. Likewise, this paper intends to contribute to the ongoing scientific debate about the impact of social structures in the curricula of higher education music courses and to stimulate conscious and active participation of higher education organizations in the promotion of fairer societies.

Con el lanzamiento del protocolo MIDI, se han desarrollado nuevos recursos y posibilidades para la interpretación, composición y edición musical. Debido a la creciente expansión de las capacidades de almacenamiento y procesamiento de los ordenadores, también ha sido posible aumentar la calidad y la especificidad de las bibliotecas de muestras. En tal escenario, esta investigación de métodos mixtos tiene como objetivo principal investigar las actuaciones de los bateristas centrándose en desarrollar vías para incorporar sus características en la secuenciación MIDI. Derivado de ello, se establecieron cuatro objetivos específicos: 1) presentar los elementos básicos del muestreo y protocolo MIDI; 2) secuenciar las actuaciones de los bateristas; 3) aplicar cuestionarios de evaluación de la calidad de los audios generados en secuencia; 4) presentar el análisis de los resultados. Los resultados de la investigación demuestran que algunas características, como la variación del timbre y la dinámica, son determinantes para la aceptación de la secuencia por parte de la audiencia

Since 1983, with the release of the MIDI protocol, new resources have been developed for musical editing, composition, arrangement and performance. Due to the growing expansion of computers’ storage and processing capacities, it has also been possible to increase the quality and specificity of sample libraries. In this context, the following work reflects on possible educational impacts of the research which investigate different audiences’ perceptions regarding audios recorded by drummers’ performances and by MIDI tools. Supported by the respondents’ perceptions, the general aim of this paper is to reflect on the challenges for the application of MIDI-oriented approaches in formal teaching and learning music processes. Excerpted from this, four specific aims can be drawn: 1) to present the basic elements of sampling and MIDI protocol; 2) to systematically and pedagogically describe the procedures employed in the process of sequencing the selected drummers’ performances; 3) to apply quality-assessment questionnaires for the sequencing-generated audios; 4) to reflect on the connections between the questionnaires’ results and the use of MIDI in formal music education contexts. Pursuing these aims, the current investigation employs qualitative and quantitative methods to gather the data, to analyze the materials and to develop the knowledge that will guide the proposed discussions. It is defended that the employment of MIDI resources in music education can be beneficial not only for the development of knowledge connected with digital and modern technologies but also for the improvement of traditionally pursued music competences.

In the European context, social and emotional education (SEE) has been developed from social and emotional learning (SEL) and aims to be a core curriculum element across the region. However, to reach the current development in SEE, apart from the effort of individual nations, the roles of the European Union (EU) in uniting and strengthening the SEE concept across its member states is significant. This paper employs document analysis method as the main tool to accentuate the roles of the EU in this development process. It first identifies the educational context and policies articulated by the EU as the foundation for the induction and inception of SEE into the area, which are reviewed afterward. Finally, the current module of SEE adopted across the EU members is introduced as an illustration of the EU’s effort to bolster SEE in their regional area. This paper presents a good example of how a regional union unites and boosts their regional development in general and particularly educational innovation.