The effects of musical activities on the self-esteem of displaced children in Colombia

This article presents some of the results of a research project undertaken in a school located in a deprived neighbourhood of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The project investigated the effects of musical experiences on 6- to 8-year-olds’ social and musical development by means of a mixed-methods approach involving the children, their parents and teachers. The project comprised three studies, and this article reports the results of the first, an experimental intervention study which was carried out with two groups of 52 children. The experimental group followed an 18-week music programme of singing workshops involving Colombian traditional songs and musical improvisation, whereas the control group had no such musical programme. Harter’s (1999) Perceived Competence Scale for Children was administered before and after the 18-week singing programme to assess its effects on the children’s self-esteem. Analysis revealed that musical activities had a significant impact on children’s self-esteem, and especially upon its cognitive component. These results are of crucial importance in the context of forced displacement in the Colombian population as a result of violence.