Music Lessons as a Source for Well-Being and Lifelong Involvement with Music

This paper presentation is based on outcomes of two studies which were carried out in 2008 and 2010. The objectives of the first study were to analyse the experiences and memories gained in general music lessons at school in relation to the current musical activity of the person and his or her attitude towards music; how music lessons have influenced the musical behaviour of a person after graduating from general school and what is the role of the music teacher in that process. I would like to present some results from that study where the following themes were discussed ((1) the most vivid memory from music lessons; (2) an emotion from music lessons; (3) the purpose of music lessons; (4) personality of the music teacher; (5) the importance of music; (6) involvement or lack of involvement with music at present) in the light of outcomes from the second study.The second study explored connections between creative lessons (music, arts and crafts and physical education) at general education school and 13-14 year-old pupils’ leisure activities, creativity and well-being. The idea of this study was to search for links between active participation in creative activity, creativity and well-being. In this presentation I will particularly focus on relations between music lessons and well-being. Could we draw lines between feelings felt before entering a music lesson and general absence from school? Or how is the school\u27s environment connected with that before mentioned entering feeling of a lesson? Are there any differences between boys and girls? Why some pupils stay distant from music and possibilities to change it? How could music teachers encourage pupils in their lessons to start a life-long involvement with music? In this presentation I would like to discuss the idea of music lessons as a source and a resource of well-being in the present and life-long involvement in the future. And what seem to be those difficulties which keep music lessons from being that source at the moment