EXPERIENCING EMOTIONS: THE
ESSENCE OF THE CHILD-MUSIC
RELATIONSHIP AND MUSIC EDUCATION
Music. Emotions; Education; Childhood;
Historical-Cultural Theory
This thesis analyzed, in the light of HistoricalCultural Theory, the essence of the childmusic relationship and music education,
demonstrating that in culture, children
experience the art of music by attributing
emotional meanings to musical structures
based on their experiences, and this should
be the essence of the music education
process. The theoretical-methodological
approach was based on the assumptions of
the pedological method proposed by
Vigotski. Empirical research was carried out
with four children aged 7 and 8, with the aim
of investigating how they respond to musical
art, in terms of its content, material and form,
what emotions they feel and from which of
their experiences. The research tools and
procedures were songs that the children and
the researcher selected to listen to together,
conventional and unconventional musical
instruments for various musical creations,
conversation circles and dialogues in free
narratives. The tools used for analysis were
experiences, musical behavior, words and
musical creations. It was analyzed that from
early childhood, based on their experiences,
children recognize parts that make up the
musical structure, whether in content,
material or form, attributing emotional
meanings to them. Through musical
structures, children experience a variety of
affects and express their emotions in
different ways. The results contribute to the
strengthening of a musical education that
strives for the intentional organization of
educational spaces in music, with a focus on
the living of affections.