Muzyka i edukacja muzyczna w opiniach ludzi trzeciego wieku

Abstract

The content of the article is focused on the issues of musical activity, role of music in the youth of older people and their opinion about musical education. In the context of these issues, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the results enables us to notice certain similarities, typical for young people today and in the past. The research has demonstrated that, unlike today, vast majority of the then youth came from families where there existed a tradition of singing together. Almost half came from families with a tradition of playing musical instruments together. Many of the respondents played a musical instrument and participated in dancing parties. Music played an important role in their lives – its functions were mainly aesthetic, educational and compensatory. When it comes to the role of music in their present lives, both the elderly and the youth expressed their views. Regardless of the generation gap, all the opinions demonstrate a close and emotional attachment to music. Among the factors that influenced their musical taste to the greatest extent, the respondents mentioned family and friends. A vast majority still remembers the classes where music was taught. The largest percentage of people pointed to singing, which they also included among their best-mastered skills, and to voice and hearing practice, as to the dominant elements of a music lesson. In the opinion of the majority, music teachers were demanding and some statements indicated their excessive rigor. The school did not arise their musical interests or a need of contact with music.The respondents indicated that the cause of this might have lain in an uninteresting way of conducting lessons, based mainly on singing.