Do conto ao concurso: Collective songwriting with children from 8 to 10 years old

Abstract

This paper describes a project of collective songwriting with children from 8 to 10 years old, in the group class of a music school, in Portugal. The project was developed in 2014 throughout the last two trimesters of the school year. Four songs inspired by existing childrens’ stories resulted from the activity, three of them composed together in the classroom. The performance of the songs included the instrumental accompaniment which was played by students from the class. The reflection about justifications and implications of this kind of project in the context of music education is made after analysing the processes and the results. The discussion connects this project with relevant practices involving active methods and creation, and involves considerations about the multidisciplinary approach involving literature and music.