Summary of interview results

Interviews are the qualitative part of the project research. We have gathered experience of 30 youth workers, teachers and experts from 3 countries Latvia, Norway and North Macedonia to analyse the competencies necessary for the realisation of the project goals. We reveal the findings while paying attention to how they can be interpreted in light of the questionnaire results.

Music’s Impact on Youth. As expected, leaders of youth music activities from across the three countries offered an array of rich personal anecdotes showing the fulfillment they experience from seeing the transformative role of music in the lives of youth. For instance, Zane from Latvia explained that “The most fulfilling moments are when children and youngsters realise they are able to do something in music and are getting better at playing music even if someone before has told them they lack talent for music (singing or playing an instrument).” Haakon from Norway noted that a “fulfilling aspect to working with children’s singing is how they grow into understanding social interaction, learn to trust their own voice and personal meanings, and meet other cultures through music.” Rolf from Norway acknowledged some challenges, noting that “most teachers feel there are too few resources for students in terms of funding and instructional time. Still, it is exciting to see that some of our students make music into their way of life as they mature into adulthood.” Tormod, also from Norway, observed that “The most fulfilling aspects of my job is to see young people grow and develop as persons and musicians and generally do well and master their lives. That will include young people from several factions of society and several nationalities, and include refugees.” These perceptions fit well with clear indications from the questionnaire that music continues to be of great importance to young people from across an array of backgrounds.

Music Discussions. In line with survey results, several youth music leaders indicated their impressions that young people frequently discuss music with friends, but also offered some insights into the nature of these discussions. Some youth music leaders also indicated that many young people seem unable to effectively describe musical sound and seek to learn more about how to do so. Kristaps from Latvia observed how youth discussions of music can be simplistic at first, and the input of a leader may be needed to nudge such discussions to a deeper level: “For most it is ‘like’ or ‘dislike’, and it is challenging to invite the young people to think about why they like it, what is it in the music that attracts them, or, to the contrary, what are the aspects of music that make them reject it.” However, Viggo from Norway observed that “Music is linked to getting into deeper conversations, and very often that is among the most potent forces of music. When young people enter the music workshop they have music as a tool to engage and get into conversations, so they can talk around things a bit instead of getting directly into difficult topics.”

Anna from Latvia offered an anecdote that demonstrated insights gained from a group discussion of Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni:

When we started discussing the plot with my students, so many of them caught on to Don Giovanni's unhealthy and destructive patterns of living life. My students were all talking about the feminism aspect of the opera, how many women he hurt, maltreated and how unfair and utterly disgusting his actions were. They also asked the question, what was the reason for his actions? Was it something that happened to him in childhood, a trauma of sorts?

Civic Engagement. The accounts of youth music leaders also enable us to develop a clearer sense of how the notion of civic engagement is publicly understood, and the various ways it may be connected to musical experience. For instance, Nina from Norway observed that music activities can be…

a kind of democratic platform where people can really meet and gather together, to transcend any kind of background or social or cultural boundaries, at least to some degree. It can also be a neutral platform in some ways. Through music you also learn to listen to each other, come up with initiatives, know when best to be quiet and when to add something, getting a balance between taking initiatives and cooperating with what others add, providing good skill development that goes beyond music. You learn to sound so much better through cooperating well with others.

Ginta from Latvia also noted how music discussions enable youth to “bring up important topics in society, such as ecology, human rights, and freedom,” each of which are themes connected with notions of democracy and social justice, if not explicitly attributed to civic engagement. Vlatko from North Macedonia described a powerful example of civic engagement through music: “a humanitarian concert for donations for a surgery of a young girl from our city, where a lot of young people who were in bands, together with more popular band were performing in order to collect donations and to raise awareness about helping each other when it is really needed.”

Two interviewees from Norway offered examples of music’s therapeutic power, which has implications for civic engagement. Tormod recalled that “Sometimes I see grown-ups quitting drugs and significantly improve their lives, partly because of music and help from music therapists. It is always great to see people being able to improve on their lives.” Viggo, also from Norway, observed the following:

One of the most fulfilling aspects I experience, both as a [Music Therapy] practitioner and a researcher, is seeing how music supports the young people in coping with the challenges of everyday life, to raise their voice, build networks, and enter adult life. I have seen young people use music to build their CVs in order to get a job and become productive citizens of society. These young people are individuals who have extra challenges in life. They are in need of some kind of support to get to the stage of becoming full citizens of society. It is not a given that they will get there without that support, and we find that through music it is possible to be of help to them.

Traditional Music Heritage. The youth music leaders also noted indications that traditional music is becoming valued less in all three countries, but this trend seems especially evident in Norway, while in Latvia there are rather diverse views regarding its severity. As Rolf observed, “One important change I have noticed across recent generations [in Norway] is that much of the singing repertoire that was previously seen as “national cultural heritage” (children’s songs) is unknown among children and adolescents today. I think this music is sung much less in primary school compared to before the twenty-first century [in Norway].” Tormod noted that folk music seems to be more important among the ethnic minorities in Norway, particularly those from refugee communities: “Traditional Norwegian folk music has not been a priority among young people. However, people from other countries seem to care more for their traditional music and dance. At Fana and Ytrebygda culture centers, we work with Latvian, Serbian, Indian, Tamil, and many other nationalities' cultural schools and festivals.”

Andrej from North Macedonia expressed concern that “Young generations are losing that peace of tradition and folklore because of globalisation. I think that parents and the educational system should be more invested in teaching children about our music heritage which is so rich and beautiful.”

The Latvian interviewees especially offered a range of opinions on this topic. Darta from Latvia had a very positive interpretation: “In Latvia we still have quite strong folk-dance and song traditions. Many schools have dance classes for pupils, or they can attend folk-dance groups, singing in a choir is mandatory. But a lot depends on the parents who pass on tradition.” Kristine from cautioned that new interpretations of Latvian folk songs can pose risks:

Traditional (folk) songs are changing their form nowadays. The new generation gives them a modern "taste". Of course, it must be felt ... Not always, supplementing traditions can bring them to a different light, it can also damage them. For example, if we transform the traditional songs of the anthem or song festival into a pop, rock style (as an example), then the message that the ancestors have put in the music and words will disappear.

Other Latvians seemed to express more of a sense of crisis. For instance, Zane gave the following report:

The majority of children and young people don’t know the basic/ must-know folk-songs, and that is really worrying. They don’t know the most popular Latvian folk-songs that we could sing under the Soviet Union as kids. On the one hand the reason is maybe that there is no longer the tradition of singing in families (for most people). Another reason would be modern Western influences, and thirdly school programmes seem to focus on a very wide range of music aspects and there are not enough music lessons in schools for just singing and getting to know folk-songs.

However, there were also several Latvian interviewees who indicated that the National Singing Festival continues to enjoy a high profile with much participation across Latvia. Anna from Latvia suggested the problem is less due to a total lack of interest in folk music, but rather practical issues: “In my experience, working with young people who are studying academic music, they're not that interested in it, and I think it's simply because learning about folk music takes time.” Gundege, also from Latvia, offered a more nuanced position: “The traditional music has lost its function as it used to be in ‘old times’, when it was a part of everyday life. Now it has more a ‘museum’ and historic value. However, I think that there are young people who develop a sense of national identity through playing, dancing and singing traditional music.” Kristaps offered some solutions for Latvian folk music: “The youth are quite sceptical, but as a teacher I’m trying to change it by developing exciting singing tasks and creative tasks to discover the folk song. For example, we created a ‘contemporary folk song’ which they were performing themselves using the stylistics of the folk song. So, after they have become excited, they are ready to sing and enjoy the “classic” folk songs as well.” Liva, also from Latvia, offered the following suggestions:

Traditions always pose challenges in teaching, but when paired with effective story-telling, folk songs can prove to be a valuable resource in assisting with the exploration of one’s identity. Connecting with one’s roots, learning more about one’s origins and having access to folk songs that are performed by contemporary artists might serve as a valuable tool for that exploration of one’s ever evolving self.

Social Change and Social Media. Several of the youth music leaders noted evidence of generation gaps, particularly in Latvia where there appears to be some important differences of experience between elders who still recall Soviet times and youth who cannot. In North Macedonia, a divide was mentioned by multiple youth music leaders between those who do, and do not, appreciate the local “Turbo Folk” genre. Across each country, youth music leaders noted that social media has seen a major impact on the shaping of youth musical preferences and that these tendencies are often unrelated to the actual quality of musical sound. This is interesting, considering a finding from the questionnaire was that a substantial proportion (nearly 42% of respondents) sometimes choose to conceal their true musical preferences.

Ilze from Latvia observed how social media shapes youth music preferences: “I’d say it’s a marketing thing, not based on what the youth would be really interested in or how their point of view could be widened. The conversations are mostly about what is popular already. If it is popular, it becomes more popular. It is not connected with the music itself.”

Viggo from Norway explained the multifaceted impact of social media in following way:

Social media has an extreme impact, and has taken over lives to a big extent. Young people use social media to share things, such as videos and artist websites: “listen to this, you must check this out.” They do recordings of themselves when they sing, or pictures when they are on stage, and then post everything online. That becomes a platform for recognition they otherwise wouldn’t get. Social media creates a possibility to gather audiences for recognition, but the flip side is they get the opposite too, bullying and negative comments. Overall, it is a lottery, and you don’t know what you will get. We need to investigate that more, and adults need to know that social media is not necessarily a good thing. It can be, but also the opposite.

Methodological Needs. We obtained some helpful feedback from several youth music leaders regarding the kinds of methods that need to be developed to support more effective work in their field, which is the ultimate goal of our Music Talks project.

Andrej from North Macedonia affirmed the need for development of more effective methods to reduce some of the problems associated with common approaches. Specifically, he indicated that “I think we can discover the talent in young children much easier and in earlier age. Nowadays, we witness a lot of young people wasting their talent or being lost in their creative journey.”

Ginta from Latvia also reported on how much effective methods can make an important difference in music projects: “There are a lot of people who say - I can't sing, I don't have a musical hearing or a voice. I was in a project where a musical teacher proved the opposite. We followed her instructions, tips and tricks, and within two hours everyone sang. We recorded the song and to the surprise for many of us the song sounded great. It was very motivating, to understand what a hidden power we have.” Clearly, much can be achieved with effective methods, which can be eye-opening even for those who assume they lack any musical abilities.

Regarding new methods, Agnese from Latvia also suggested, “I think that listening to different music genres and discussions should be encouraged from childhood. Children should be encouraged to talk not only about music, but also about other current topics. It would gradually develop young people's skills, means of expression and self-confidence.”

Rolf from Norway noted that “In terms of new methods for music learning, it is clear that the Internet and computer programs (apps) have opened up a new world of possibilities over the last 25 years. On the other hand, engaging with these technologies also takes up a large amount of young people’s free time, so I find it is also more difficult to get them to practice on their instruments.” Based on these suggestions, we recognize that methods are needed to improve confidence and convince reluctant participants, methods that do not place excessive emphasis on ability but also enable talent to be recognized where relevant. We also see that technology can play an important role, but that its application must be balanced with other approaches.