ABSTRACT:
This essay is the result of the first author’s experience as a music educator and coordinator of the Extension Program “Música na APAE” from the Universidade Federal de São João del-Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Here, we present some reflections that have originated from her Doctoral research, based on the phenomenological approach, primarily influenced by the philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty. The phenomenological conception of education and a more open attitude toward perceiving children with Intellectual Functional Diversity [IFD] in their genuine musical expressiveness have guided our perspective and the scene descriptions presented, representing a moment of reflection and self-criticism for the educator who is always seeking means to enhance the learning of children with IFD and make it more meaningful. We used class registration material, such as field diaries and recordings, which were produced to document the development of the Program. The results of this initial exploratory phase, such as the enhancement of musicality, rhythmic development and musical expressiveness, indicate that a more attentive approach to the phenomenon and the individual in the situation can foster a more meaningful and appropriate musical learning experience to the diverse way of being of these children.
KEYWORDS:
Musical education; Intellectual disability; Phenomenology