Third Erasmus+ lesson: “Social problems and musical solutions”
As part of the ongoing activities of the ERASMUS+ KA210-SCH project Social Vibes & Biz: music, technologies and social entrepreneurship, the third open lesson, entitled Social Problems and Musical Solutions, took place at Kaunas 1st Music School on 12 March 2026. This integrated music history lesson 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 were encouraged to view music not only as an art form, but also as a meaningful means of identifying and addressing various issues arising in society.
The lesson began by exploring what a social problem is, what its defining features are, and how it affects different groups within society. Students discussed the fact that social problems may be both global and local, and that their causes lie within society itself; therefore, solutions must also be sought through collective effort. A range of issues was examined, including poverty, unemployment, social isolation, discrimination, lack of access to healthcare, inequality in education, and digital exclusion. At the same time, students were encouraged to recognise that these problems also affect the world of music, since music reflects society, shapes public opinion, and can promote change.
A substantial part of the lesson was devoted to a historical analysis of access to music. Students discussed how, in different periods, music was unequally accessible to different social groups: in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it largely belonged to the Church and the elite; in the Baroque period, musicians were often dependent on the will of their patrons; in the Classical era, public concerts expanded audiences, yet inequality remained; and in the Romantic period, the cultural divide between urban and rural communities became more pronounced. In analysing the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, students considered how, although music became more widely accessible, new forms of exclusion emerged, including economic inequality, the digital divide, the influence of algorithms, pressure from social media, gender and racial inequality, and the overshadowing of local cultures by global trends.
The lesson also presented concrete examples of how music can serve as a tool for addressing social problems. These included choir rehearsals for senior citizens that help reduce loneliness, community music projects for children from socially vulnerable backgrounds, and adapted music programmes for people with disabilities that promote inclusion and self-expression. Special attention was also given to the tradition of Song Celebrations, presented as an example of music’s power to build community, strengthen national identity, and unite society around a shared purpose. Such examples helped students understand that music can not only reflect social problems, but can also become an active part of their solution.
At the end of the lesson, students were invited to identify a social problem within their own community and, using the model Social Problem → Musical Solution → Social Impact, develop an idea for a musical project. This task fostered critical thinking, social empathy, the ability to connect historical knowledge with present-day challenges, creative problem-solving, and the capacity to justify their choices with clear arguments. The lesson contributed directly to the broader aims of the project: to develop students’ social entrepreneurship, creativity, and sense of social responsibility by linking music education with real societal needs.
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.
A2.1.2 Teacher visits to creative business representatives in Lithuania and Latvia.
