Conference Program

This contribution aims to present the experience of the Tridentum choir-laboratory, founded in Trento (Italy) in 2017 and devoted to the historical repertoire of Alpine polyphonic singing (Labanca et al. 2020). Over the past year, the Tridentum choir-laboratory has been producing a CD intended as an opportunity to refine interpretative choices through a process that questions vocality, phrasing, and the relationship with the traditional text. This cultural project simultaneously encourages critical observation from different disciplinary perspectives. Alongside the collective work of studying and recording the songs, professionals invited to share in the experience are producing contributions that will be collected in a forthcoming volume. In this way, a compact disc takes on the broader and more significant role of a Connection Device. Choral practice within the Tridentum choir-laboratory becomes a form of active citizenship education. The choir functions as a pedagogical and social space in which collective musical production becomes a site for negotiating meanings, shared responsibilities, and reciprocal listening. From this perspective, choral practice involves not only the singers—who are called upon to exercise cooperation, coordination, and participation—but also the audience, which through listening participates in a process of cultural and symbolic construction. Choral practice thus becomes an educational device capable of activating forms of cultural citizenship both in the performative dimension and in that of reception, showing how music can operate as a space for civic education and critical reflection (Schütz 2015).

This paper analyzes the "Self-Managed Orchestra" project, developed within my school’s Music Department following the introduction of Civic Education as a cross-curricular subject (Law no. 92, August 20, 2019). This regulation mandates that the subject should not be restricted to a single discipline but should emerge from the synergy of the entire Class Council through shared competence goals. Moving beyond a purely content-based perspective—which often reduces Civic Education to the study of symbols or celebratory texts—this project distances itself from a notionistic approach. Instead, it embraces the spirit of the 2018 National Guidelines and New Scenarios, which promote "Arts for Citizenship" as tools for fostering active and aware citizens. The teaching unit enables third-year students (Grade 8) to experience firsthand the weight of individual and collective responsibility. The methodological approach is based on the deconstruction of the vertical hierarchy typical of traditional orchestras, placing all operational decisions in the hands of the students to perform a collective piece within a set timeframe. This model draws on Christopher Small’s concept of "Musicking," which defines music not as an object but as a relational and social action capable of shaping interactions between individuals. Through process observation, this study documents critical phases of negotiation:

• Repertoire Selection: Students mediate between identity-based tastes and technical feasibility, transforming the choice into a democratic act.
• Peer Tutoring: The establishment of "section leaders" redefines group dynamics, promoting informal learning and exposing—in a rare way—the "underground life of the classroom" (Benadusi, 2012).
• Collective Arrangement: Participatory composition redefines the "cultural product" as a synthesis of the group’s demands, turning musical practice into an exercise in micro-politics (Laes et al., 2025).

Through participant observation, musical practice is reinterpreted as a space of resistance against the pressures of evaluative standardization. It promotes a socio-historical understanding of music-making as an act of democratic co-creation and an awakening of power dynamics. Ultimately, the Self-Managed Orchestra addresses the challenge of forming citizens capable of critically inhabiting conflict.

The contribution moves from the idea of a Republic “founded on culture,” interpreting Articles 3, 9, and 33 of the Italian Constitution. While Article 9 entrusts the Republic with the promotion of culture, Article 3 clarifies its substantive dimension by committing public institutions to remove the obstacles that limit full participation in social and cultural life; Article 33, finally, safeguards the freedom of art and teaching, opening a space of pedagogical autonomy within which artistic practices may assume a public and democratic function (Zagrebelsky 2014).

Within this framework, music is understood not merely as a disciplinary subject, but as a situated cultural practice capable of generating relationships, constructing shared meanings, and making visible the relational dimension of citizenship. Through the experience of the association Armonicà (Trentino), the paper analyzes collective singing as a device of inclusion and co-construction of enduring values (Freire 1970).

The programmes developed – addressed to participants aged 7 to 80, including people with disabilities – integrate vocal technique, bodily awareness, theatrical expression, and choral work, configuring the group as a community of practice: a place where equality is not assumed but constructed through mutual listening, cooperative discipline, the valorization of differences, and shared responsibility for a common work.

These practices have been implemented not only within the associative context but also in institutional music education settings, particularly at the music school of Riva del Garda, where educational autonomy has made it possible to experiment with inclusive and interdisciplinary pathways. The case presented aims to contribute to the debate on the tensions between the democratic promise of music education and processes of standardization, proposing music as an educational common good and as a cultural infrastructure of active citizenship.

My aim is to provide a critical and reasoned account of my work both as a primary school teacher and as a choir director, which allows me to observe and experience the many benefits that arise from musical practice. Both in classroom work and within the structured setting of a children’s choir, it is clear how music can be regarded as an educational and social endeavour.

Music is thus interpreted and utilised as a vehicle for transmitting values, both in terms of content—thanks to the lyrics used in choral practice—and from a social and well-being perspective: the importance of listening, respect and observing rules. Music is a catalyst for cognition, participation and collaboration: working together to achieve a common goal, recognising one’s individuality within the group and strengthening the sense of belonging to a community (Caon, Lobasso 2008).

Observing music-based activities with children and teenagers reveals just how much music can act as a facilitator in the teaching of academic subjects. I will therefore present the pilot study conducted for my undergraduate thesis in two primary school classes: the aim of the research was to examine whether music-based teaching activities can facilitate foreign language learning compared to more traditional methods, and thus act as a facilitator (Degrave 2019). Between April and May 2019, a short teaching intervention was carried out at the Mori-Brentonico Institute (TN), in which music was integrated with linguistic content and activities. It was noted that music triggered significant language memorisation processes, as these were linked to the tonal, affective and emotional dimensions (Dolean 2016).

Established in 2010, music high schools (licei musicali) are currently the benchmark in Italy for structured and recognized music studies in adolescence, including as a possible pre-academic path following the 1999 reform of “Conservatori di Musica” (Italian musical academy). The music curriculum includes two or three hours per week of individual afternoon instrument lessons. The uniqueness of this type of high school within the secondary school system allows us to investigate and explore how the study and practice of an instrument during adolescence can be a vehicle for growth, not only individual but also social: such a growth focuses on a pluralistic and collaborative community vision, in which multiple individuals 'concert' in a shared direction; it allows to conceive a multi-perspective reading of the surrounding world, with empathy and sensitivity, and to overcome obstacles with determination and perseverance. In this context, the study of the musical instrument is also connected with the transversal skills of reference for active citizenship and civic education.

Studying an instrument requires each student to organize their activity and time through slow gestures, repetition, patience, attention to detail, method, and discipline (far different from the “smart society”, in which today students are living). In the same way, it allows them to face with their own emotional or even physical insecurities, and the instrument becomes a way to bring out and discover parts of themselves. Instrumental practice, in comparison with the repertoire, as well as in improvisational practice (mentioned in the National Guidelines concerning the specific learning objectives of music high schools), develops students' creativity, problem-solving and adaptation skills, and curiosity. The study of music typically involves both rational and emotional aspects (for this reason it has frequently been the object of neuroscience studies), connecting different ways of thinking and thus allowing the ability to envisage more personal solutions and perspectives.

However, the study of music is also an opportunity to be “other than oneself” (as is the case with theater), to experience distant worlds and poetics, and above all, it is an opportunity to perceive oneself in relation to others, to listen to others. Specifically, ensemble music (developed in music high schools as part of the school curriculum in morning lessons and through various extracurricular activities) becomes an opportunity to listen to and understand others, and to share a common idea. It allows students to be part of social dynamics, which may involve different systems and relationships between individuals, with different roles and responsibilities.

This experience, in relation to the age group typically in transition and change from youth to adulthood, helps to promote a dimension of democratic participation among young people.

Choral practice constitutes a privileged space of cultural participation in which individuals and groups build forms of belonging, learn shared practices, and negotiate collective meanings. This experience is not merely a musical activity but also a social context in which forms of cooperation, mutual recognition, and participation in the cultural life of the community develop. Choral practice can also be interpreted as a form of cultural literacy through which individuals acquire tools to recognize, interpret, and attribute meaning to the cultural products they encounter throughout their lives. Participation contributes to the development of an interpretive competence that allows individuals to orient themselves critically within the symbolic systems of their community, thus constituting an important dimension of citizenship formation (Turino 2008).
The choir can therefore be interpreted as a community of practice, a social space in which learning, the transmission of knowledge, and the construction of identity occur through both shared participation in a common activity and processes of situated learning, in which musical and relational competences gradually develop within collective practice (Lave & Wenger 1991).
This contribution is based on twenty years of research conducted through methods typical of anthropological inquiry and complemented by a component of autoethnography, which values the researcher’s direct involvement within the practice under study as a tool for analysis and critical reflection (Ellis, Adams & Bochner 2011). Choirs are observed as micro-communities comparable to the villages traditionally studied in anthropology: circumscribed social spaces in which it is possible to analyze from within forms of organization, systems of relationships, collective rituals, and the processes through which belonging is constructed.
The comparison between two case studies is conceived as an exercise in comparative ethnography aimed at highlighting how different configurations produce distinct modes of participation. The study compares two geographically close contexts characterized by different forms of organization and participation: Lombardy and Trentino.
In the Lombard context, choral practice tends to take the form of a community of practice oriented toward identity and group stability: joining a choir often implies exclusive and long-term participation, fostering strong collective identification and lasting social bonds. In the Trentino context, by contrast, a more fluid and network-based model of participation emerges, in which singers with recognized competences may participate in multiple ensembles and actively negotiate their presence and musical trajectories.
This comparison highlights a tension between two different modes of participation: on the one hand, a model based on identity-based belonging and group stability; on the other, a model characterized by mobility, multiple affiliations, and greater individual autonomy. Which of these forms of participation proves more effective in fostering processes that contribute to the construction of active citizenship?
Through this open question, the contribution proposes to examine choral practice as a space in which dynamics of belonging and negotiation emerge, reflecting on the role of such practices in educational contexts as sites of participation, social formation, and the construction of democratic values.

Drawing on the personal outcomes of students and band members observed during two distinct research projects involving the Music School System (SMT) of the Autonomous Province of Trento, this paper presents the characteristics of the primary music education production system. This system contributes to such results through a model of public and private-cooperative co-production.

The study outlines student objectives, the genres studied versus those listened to, and their motivations (Deci, 1975; Ben-Ner and Putterman, 1998). It further explores the quality of established relationships (Gui and Stanca, 2010) and the environments where student creativity best flourishes (Dewey, 1916). Outcomes are also analysed in terms of accessibility (geographical, demographic, and socioeconomic) and used to delineate the traits of the cultural production system shaped by Trentino’s 1987 provincial law on culture.

It must be noted, however, that music schools are not an alternative to other educational entities; rather, they represent a service production model that is complementary to other musical institutions. Cultural volunteering, for instance, constitutes a fundamental pillar of the cultural democratization project. It offers a vital point of access to music—especially folk and community music—facilitated by a widespread network of band and choral associations supported by local administrations (Sacchetti, Diani, 2022; Diani, Sacchetti, Trulli, Schiavo 2024).

Band and choral training projects involve the SMTs alongside the federations of bands and choirs. These collaborations also extend to compulsory schooling through ensemble music and choral projects. Furthermore, several SMTs are currently developing partnerships with the Bonporti Conservatory of Trento and Riva del Garda. This plurality of actors and the collaborations—both active and potential—represent a significant resource for the region's musical vitality. They reflect a wide array of aspirations and needs, ranging from professionalizing opportunities in higher education to relational and personal growth in the majority of other cases.

Nothing that begins in such division is likely to end well.
(Charles II: The Power and the Passion)

The choir represents a highly heterogeneous social ensemble. It brings together individuals from entirely different backgrounds, possessing disparate ideas, perspectives, and skill sets.

While this is true of choral singing in general, such characteristics are even more pronounced within university choirs (Van der Sandt J., Nardi C. 2024). By their very nature, these groups are subject to rapid turnover and draw from a much wider variety of origins than those typically found in standard cultural associations.

The choir is a perfect mirror of society. Individual tensions and seemingly insurmountable differences of opinion may exist; yet, to achieve the collective goal - the creation of an intangible sound as a conduit for beauty - all energies must converge towards concord. This pursuit requires two essential elements: the conductor’s clear artistic vision and the quality of listening (Correggia 2025). To be brought into existence, sound requires silence, and it is within silence that listening finds its fertile ground. Every chorister is aware of their specific role within the composition. A role defined by rests, moments of prominence, and, above all, cooperation (Pearce E. et al. 2015).

Meanwhile, the conductor bears the responsibility of providing a definitive interpretation, instructing the ensemble, and governing the community.

Drawing on a case study of the University of Trento Choir, I aim to reflect on how the teachings of the choral world can contribute to developing a better, more attentive, and more efficient society. Conversely, I intend to examine how a dysfunctional society can transmit vices and misconceptions which ultimately hinder the attainment of choral objectives.

Teaching music history is frequently understood as talking about the past; however, the process of learning (every kind of) history should aim to know the past to understand the present. Our work proposes a practice approach, suitable to any kind of music, where generations can meet in exchanging information about their generation's own music, their musical tastes and the reasons behind them, to create a link where the history of music is not about remembering a golden past, but it's a tool to create comparison between experiences from the past and the present, to assure a deeper knowledge of every musical language and to strengthen the link between different tastes. Sharing as many tools as possible and comparing similar situations we can enhance knowledge and comprehension.

Through this process, a stronger integration between generations, cultures, and citizens can be achieved.