Platform for the Collaborative Generation of European Popular Music Erasmus Project

Project Title

Platform for the Collaborative Generation of European Popular Music

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Research and innovation; Creativity and culture; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

In the musical education of children, classical music has been broadly analyzed and heard. However, most part of the repertoire of different European popular songs are almost unknown by this audience, despite the impact that it has on the culture of different folks. The globalization, the migration from villages to the big cities and the loss of the context in which this music has been conceived, are factors that has made even more difficult to transmit this popular music. These factors are visible not only at a regional or national level, but in most part of the Europe.
This project aims to give a solution to this loss of our popular music (and therefore our cultural heritage) by transmitting the musical knowledge of our rural areas to the new generations. Therefore, the objective of this project is to bring closer the audience (in particular, infantile audience) and the popular music. Currently, the application of new technologies are an innovative methodology that has improved the results of education in the schools. In particular, a new way to attract children’s interest is by proposing interactive games through the use of electronic devices. Since music, as intangible heritage, are actions, and the best way to preserve them and project them into the future is to continue doing them, we propose a platform capable of interacting with the children to present popular music and, in this way, improve their skills and knowledge. The platform will make use of innovative techniques of artificial intelligence to interact with the children and present popular music.
There will be five participants in this project. the University of Padova, with their knowledge about music, education and psychology, will lead the construction of a pedagogical methodology in order to search the best ways to use the platform and improve the children’s skills about popular music. In a second step, the University of Salamanca, through the research group of musicologists and ethnomusicologists will lead a deep study to decide which songs of popular music will be incorporated to the platform and therefore be taught to the children. In a third step, University of Coimbra will lead the development of the platform, as they are specialized in computer sciences and creative systems. Finally, the University of Padova, the JACC association in Coimbra, and the School “Colegio Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón” in Salamanca will perform the pilot studies. They will apply the methodology with the platform and collect the results to check the improvement and the success of the project proposed.
Among the results expected, we highlight the following:
– The database built will include a representative sample of different traditional songs, with different sonorities, rhythms and instruments. Most of the traditional songs of the countries involved in the project are stored in physical format, in particular journals or books. This format makes quite difficult to access to the information from distant regions, moreover from abroad. Additionally, these books are quite specific, and difficult to get without being an expert. This factor also limits the impact of popular music can get, as general public usually do not know the existence of songbooks and similar materials. This database will give a more global view about the traditional music in the countries that are part of the project, and a first step to digitalize the popular music. Moreover, as the database will be published in our website, it will be fully accessible from anywhere with an Internet connection. Therefore, we expect to bring popular music to local, national and international levels. This database will be maintained along the project and beyond it,so that different institutions interested in Musicology and Ethnomusicology can show interest in collaborating to enlarge the data stored and even include music from other regions and countries.
– One of the most attractive points of the project, which can influence the increase of public is that the audience feels parts of the composition process, and not a mere spectator of a prepared program. This fact can attract not only a broader number of children and academic institutions due to its playful interface, but also a common public interested on listening to popular music and interacting with the platform, which will be very positive for the improvement of the knowledge of our cultural heritage.
– Finally, our students, teachers and local communities will improve their knowledge in popular music, and consider new technologies as a positive path for the education and transmission of culture. All of them will have a deeper understanding of Europe cultural heritage, especially in popular music. With Co-POEM, they will develop their identity as a folk and, above all, increase their understanding, tolerance and respect to other cultures through their music.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 199635 Eur

Project Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA & Country: ES

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA
• Jazz ao Centro Clube
• UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA
• FUNDACIÓN EDUCATIVA ACI – Colegio Esclavas del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús