MUSIC EDUCATION IN SOCIAL CONTEXTS – A STUDY PROGRAM

This article outlines the foundational considerations of the academic qualification ‘Music Pedagogy in Social Work’ conceptualized and realized in Potsdam, Germany. Based on knowledge about possible benefits of cultural and musical education for the aims of social work, namely the empowerment of individuals, social participation and inclusion, the author specifies the needs and competences for professionalization in this field. Examples from student and graduate experiences with musical education in kindergarten, youth clubs and other social institutions make clear the objective of the qualification. The importance of aesthetic experiences and aesthetic education in social work contexts constitute the theoretical framework for an interdisciplinary combination of music education competencies with an academic qualification in social pedagogy. The evaluation of musical pedagogy in social contexts underlines the necessity of an artistic musical qualification as fundamental for successful implementation of music education in the context of aesthetic and cultural education within social work