Here, there and everywhere: music education research in a globalised world

Most research in music education has so far dealt with music training in institutional settings, such as schools, and is accordingly based, either implicitly or explicitly, on the assumption that musical learning results from a sequenced, methodical exposure to music teaching within a formal setting. However, in order to realise and understand the multidimensional character of music teaching, musical learning should be considered in a much broader and wider context. During the last decade there has been an awakening interest in considering not only the formalised learning situations within institutional settings, but also all various forms of learning that goes on in informal musical learning practices outside schools. The study of informal musical learning outside institutional settings has actually proved to contribute to important knowledge and aspects of music education. The aim of this presentation is twofold: (i) to give a ‘view from the bridge’ about current and potential directions in music education research and practice, and (ii) to illuminate this issue by presenting some current and recent work. I will do this by focusing on two main themes: (i) different aspects of formal and informal learning situations or practices, and formal and informal ways of learning, respectively and (ii) the developing of research methods exemplified by the main results of a meta analysis of qualitative studies on music creativity and composition. By way of introduction, I will start by presenting the definition of the field of research in music education from which I operate. This also involves a view of the relationship between music education as a field of praxis (music pedagogy) and as a field of research, and the relationship between these two facets of music education and the surrounding society.