Music Mediation in the Context of Instrumental Pedagogy

Empirical Perspectives on the Professional Self-Understanding of Instrumental Pedagogues

Abstract

Based on empirical findings from a qualitative-reconstructive study, this article examines the professional self-conception of instrumental teachers who also identify with the field of music mediation. It analyses how music mediation practices influence professional self-perception, pedagogical orientation, and institutional action. Starting from the ob-servation of increasing institutional ‘schoolification’ of music schools, music mediation is understood as a source of impulses for reflection, creativity, and participatory teaching practices.
The research design is based on group discussions, which were analysed using the docu-mentary method. The focus lies on reconstructing collective orientations that provide insights into implicit professional knowledge and the processes of professional transfor-mation. The analysis reveals that music mediation is often perceived as a counterbalance to institutional constraints: it opens up spaces for artistic freedom and supports (re-)alignment with key pedagogical principles such as aesthetic experience, participation, and self-determination.
Based on the reconstructed orientations, a typology of professional self-conception was developed, highlighting different ways of understanding musical experience and pedagog-ical objectives. Two interrelated perspectives emerge: one with a stronger artistic-aesthetic orientation, the other emphasizing social and participatory aspects. Both share a focus on musical experience as a central professional value, which is pedagogically op-erationalised in different ways.
The findings indicate that music mediation not only stimulates individual reflection, but also contributes to institutional development. It offers perspectives for balancing artistic autonomy, social responsibility, and institutional openness.