[COMMUS] Fazer música, viver comunidade

Music in the Community (MC) is an area of specialisation that is clearly being affirmed within the scope of Music Studies, with growing academic research in this field at international level (Higgins & Willingham 2017; McCarthy 2008, Koopman 2007) and, more sparse and dispersed, at national level (Costa, Mota & Cruz, 2017; Araújo, 2017; Mota & Lopes, 2017). In Portugal, the unique and pioneering training programme offered by ESELx and ESML, with the MC degree, allows us to take the first steps in the production of knowledge in this area (Vieira, Gama, Marques & Garcia, 2016). It is in this sense that we intend to build a research practice based on the dynamic and fluid relationship between the theory and practice of students, teachers and graduates in MC, as well as mapping the higher education offered, nationally and internationally in this area of speciality, with a view to building a profile of the Musician in the Community. In terms of methodology, we opted for qualitative and quantitative methods and techniques, using tools associated with Art-Based Research (Leavy 2008). The main guiding questions for this research are: i) What is a Community Musician? ii) What community intervention practices are developed at ESELx/ESML within the scope of Community Music? iii) What training is offered in higher education within the scope of Community Music? The answers and reflection around these central axes will allow for cross-referencing with the main current currents of thought around CM and the production of scientific knowledge about practices in this area.