Fourth Erasmus+ lesson: “Idea development: a social music project”
As part of the ongoing activities of the ERASMUS+ KA210-SCH project Social Vibes & Biz: music, technologies and social entrepreneurship, the fourth open lesson, entitled Idea Development: A Social Music Project, took place at Kaunas 1st Music School on 16 March 2026. The lesson was designed to introduce students to different concepts of social music projects and to encourage them to think for themselves about how music can become a genuine response to issues arising within the community or society at large. This activity was organised within WP2, Teachers’ training, under activity A2.2, Development of methodological materials on the development of social entrepreneurship for students.
During the lesson, students explored several inspiring international examples demonstrating how music can generate social impact. The lesson addressed projects working with people experiencing social exclusion, such as The Choir with No Name and Streetwise Opera, which help homeless people and others living on the margins of society to rebuild self-confidence, a sense of community, and personal dignity through musical activity. Intergenerational music-making models were also examined, in which children and older adults come together in shared creative activities, and music becomes a means of reducing loneliness, fostering empathy, and strengthening social ties between generations.
Special attention was given to the relationship between music, technology, and inclusion. Students were introduced to SoundShirt technology, which allows deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to experience music through bodily sensation, as well as to the Landfill Harmonic project, in which children make music using instruments created from waste materials. These examples helped students understand that a social music project can address a wide variety of issues, ranging from cultural exclusion and lack of accessibility to ecological awareness, sustainability, and creative approaches to limited resources.
An important part of the lesson was devoted not only to discussing ideas, but also to evaluating them critically. Students compared different project concepts in terms of social impact, feasibility, and educational value, considering which models could realistically be adapted to the school environment and which would require more complex partnerships, technologies, or additional resources. In the practical part of the lesson, they also carried out an audio analysis by comparing an authentic musical work with its modern version, thereby developing their ability not only to listen, but also to interpret music within a broader cultural and social context.
At the end of the lesson, students were invited to move on to developing their own social music projects. They considered what problem they would like to address, who their project would be intended for, what the musical idea would be, how such a project could become financially sustainable, and what benefit it could bring to society. This task fostered creativity, social sensitivity, project-based thinking, the ability to argue convincingly, and the capacity to model real initiatives. The fourth lesson thus consistently extended the overall direction of the project: to help students understand that music can be not only a form of artistic self-expression, but also a meaningful means of creating social change.
Photos: expert accordion teacher Janė Macevičienė
Prepared by: expert piano teacher Dr. Domantas Milius
ERASMUS+ KA210-SCH project „Social Vibes & Biz: music, technologies and social entrepreneurship“.
WP2 Teachers’ training.
A2.2 Development of methodological materials on the development of social entrepreneurship for students
