“Flourishing with music” : from music students to well-rounded musicians of the 21st century

Abstract

People need music to sing, dance, play, work and listen to during a substantial part of their daily lives. Musicians understand and communicate life through music, a form of art that individuals and societies treasure. Tertiary music educators invest time and energy in order to assist music students in creating their own successful careers, but do their teaching and learning include holistic education approaches that develop the student into a well-rounded person? As a “think piece”, this article advocates a few important perspectives that will encourage undergraduate music educators to structure a music programme that will prepare music students to flourish in their lives and future work place. 21st-century skills for living and lifelong learning recommended by researchers, business leaders and education specialists are acknowledged and related to the challenges of teaching music as a well-rounded person. Wellbeing, flow and mindfulness are aspects that open up other dimensions such as meaningfulness and spirituality.

Musiek speel ʼn belangrike rol in mense se alledaagse lewe. Hulle sing, dans op die maat van musiek, luister daarna wanneer hulle werk, kuier en sport beoefen. Musikante verstaan en kommunikeer die lewe deur musiek sodat individue en die samelewing dit as ʼn kunsvorm kan ervaar en koester. Tersiêre musiekopvoeders spandeer tyd en energie om musiekstudente vir produktiewe betekenisvolle musiekloopbane voor te berei. Maar word daar ooit aandag gegee aan holistiese onderrig en leer wat musiekstudente se menswees ook aanraak en afrond? In hierdie artikel beredeneer ek ʼn paar standpunte wat tersiêre musiekopvoeders sal aanmoedig om voorgraadse musiekkursusse so te struktureer dat musiekstudente in hul lewens en werkplek sal floreer. Ek ondersoek lewenslange leervaardighede wat deur sakeleiers, navorsers en onderrigdeskundiges aanbeveel word. Hierdie vaardighede word verbind met die uitdagings om musiekstudente te laat fokus op hul persoonlike welstand, die hier-en-nou, betekenisvolle lewe en hul verbintenis met spiritualiteit deur musiek en musiekaktiwiteite.