The impact of school music education: The experiences of four Catalan citizens

Abstract

This study examines the impact made by music education on a sample of Catalan citizens who studied this subject during their compulsory schooling. A biographical narrative methodology was used to investigate a broad spectrum of the participants’ school musical experiences and to analyze the impact that music education has had on different aspects of their lives. Their perceptions and experiences, collected and expressed through life stories, show a correlation between the theoretical approach to learning music adopted by teachers and its little impact on the participants’ lives. Their stories also bring to light the difficulties involved in identifying and distinguishing the existing impact between both in-school and extracurricular music education but identify emotional impact as the most relevant one overall. Based on the evidence provided, this article aims to contribute to the debate on the role of music education on the school curriculum.