Narratives in teaching practice: Matti Raekallio as narrator in his piano lessons

The present article considers the narratives told in piano lessons, studied as both a teacher's ‘way of knowing’ and as echoes of ‘masters’ voices' in classical music. The main character is a well known Finnish music pedagogue and artist, Matti Raekallio, and the study focuses on his knowledge of teaching practice; that is, his practical knowledge. The data was collected through observing Raekallio's piano lessons. The research results consist – in their notable part – of so-called curriculum stories: Raekallio's practical knowledge becomes visible during lessons in the interaction between teacher and student, in narratives that unite the music, the subject content, with musical, historical, social, and cultural contexts. The interpretation of the results is that through curriculum stories the students are taught knowledge and skills, but are also guided in the culture and practice of the field.