The Crecer en Música project was initiated in 2012 in the city of Cochabamba, within the "La Ciudad de Los Niños" orphanage. It started as courses, lessons, and musical experiences offered to children and adolescents living within this small "city." The participants ranged from the very young (3-5 years old) to elementary school children (6-12 years old) and teenagers (13-18 years old).

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This "city within a city" was characterized by its large facility with its own school for all levels, recreational spaces, and a small farm.

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The primary goal of this collaboration, in addition to enriching the lives of the children and teenagers involved, was to study techniques that could promote the creation and development of higher-quality social structures and microstructures in which individuals could confidently assert their uniqueness, all through the medium of music.

What makes this part of the project pedagogically interesting is that it aims to achieve these goals in a context where there is an absence of musical and instrumental skills. This necessitates redefining the concept of "academic" music to make it more accessible to those who have not undergone formal musical training.

To achieve this, music is integrated with other more immediate forms of artistic expression.

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Between 2012 and 2015, the concrete activities proposed within the Ciudad del Niño included:

• elementary music theory lessons for children

• singing and choir activities

• concrete music experiences

• piano and ensemble music

• creation of a musical theater show

• interactive musical experiences

 

Studying music through unique methods, content, contexts, and approaches can tap into a deeper level of individual expression and serve as a tool for personal development, even before considering it as a potential profession.

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However, the ultimate goal of the project is not to use music as a means to an end but to employ music as a language and skill through which relationships can be established. Music education is seen as a training ground for personal responsibility and self-esteem. Its educational aim is to form individuals while its practical goal is to create music and acquire musical competence, albeit to varying degrees depending on the context and the individual.