ENHANCING AURAL SKILLS IN PORTUGUESE MUSIC EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE MUSIC STUDENTS AT ESMAE-P.PORTO
ENHANCING AURAL SKILLS IN PORTUGUESE MUSIC EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE MUSIC STUDENTS AT ESMAE-P.PORTO

Summary/Abstract: This study explores the role of Music Education within Portuguese vocational and higher education, with a particular focus on aural skills development. Since the foundation of the Lisbon Conservatory of Music in 1835, Music Education has been a fundamental component of curricula at the basic and secondary levels. The 1983 reform integrated Music Education into higher education programs, maintaining ear training and active listening as core competencies. Despite the absence of a unified national program, the development of aural skills remains a common educational goal across institutions. Using the case of the Bachelor’s Degree in Music at the School of Music and Performing Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (ESMAE-P.PORTO), this article presents specific pedagogical strategies implemented in the Musicianship I and II courses. These strategies are designed to strengthen relative listening abilities, which are considered crucial for professional musicianship. The study demonstrates that student engagement with this approach is driven not only by the cognitive and technical challenges it presents but also by a deepening recognition of the fundamental value of developing relative aural skills within their broader musical education.

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