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Background: Vocalizing is key to the individual’s psychological development, and singing can be vital in creating a sense of community. There is, however, scant knowledge on how singing can contribute to finding a voice of one’s own in youth. Method: We explored the impact of singing in a qualitative study with Bangladeshi village girls learning folk songs. The data material includes in-depth interviews with 10 girls coming from rural areas where girls often get married off early. Results: Analysis resulted in three main themes: 1) To become oneself through singing, 2) To comfort oneself through singing, and 3) To get to know oneself through the teacher. Conclusion: Findings demonstrate that the girls discover and integrate affect through singing, giving them courage to stand up for themselves. The paper argues that singing may be a driving force in psychological individuation processes towards increased autonomy. Keywords: voice, folk song traditions, singing, individuation, affect integration

What kind of music teaching and learning takes place among folk musicians and young ones, aiming to reclaim their oral tradition and educate new master teachers? This question will be answered by drawing on extensive fieldwork at nine song-and-music schools in rural Bangladesh, applying critical realism as a meta-theory. An overall aim is to expand views on what music teaching and learning can be, with potential implications for education beyond rural Bangladesh. The empirical material was collected through a focus group interview with 12 students in an advanced class and in-depth interviews with these students and their three master teachers. The analysis shows that the generational transmission can be seen as based on the ‘four pillars’ of music pedagogy. These are re-described through dialectical critical realism in an abductive process, showing that music pedagogy can open an ontology and dialectic on being and becoming human for the participants. Results are discussed with absence and remembrance as key concepts. The study provides practical and philosophical insights into a music pedagogy about deep learning and resonance: towards transformative praxis.

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