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Jul 18, 2025
Abstract
This article is based on the keynote lecture given on October 4, 2023, during the XIV Latin American and VI Pan American Regional Conference on Music Education in Santiago, Chile. The keynote explored the transformative potential of the Learning
Music Through Play (LMTP) approach in extracurricular music education., as implemented at the University of Young Musicians (UJM). Through the integration of serious games, guided play, and instrumental play into lessons, UJM aims to stimulate creativity, strengthen engagement with musical learning, and enhance the well-being of young people aged 6 to 12 from diverse sociocultural backgrounds. The results, obtained from a longitudinal study conducted over two academic years,
are highly encouraging in terms of personal and interpersonal creativity (Mini-C and Little-C), and demonstrate sustained engagement of the young participants with the proposed interactive and playful activities, as well as emotional well-being related to the fun and creative nature of the lessons. Although the conclusions confirm the relevance of the LMTP approach, limitations related to sample specificity and the need to evaluate long-term impacts are acknowledged. This keynote aimed to
highlight the relevance of playful learning for revitalizing extracurricular music pedagogy and to underscore its potential to create inclusive, engaging, and enriching experiences for today's young musicians.
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