4E Music Pedagogy and the Principles of Self-Organization
Andrea Schiavio, Dylan van der Schyff
Behavioral Sciences August 9, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/bs8080072 via DOAJ
Summary
The mind is increasingly understood as embodied, embedded, extended, and enactive (4E), but this framework has rarely been applied to musical development. This paper explores music pedagogy through 4E cognitive science, drawing on research in music, pedagogy, psychology, and philosophy. It connects the concept of autopoiesis—the self-regenerating nature of living systems—to emergent dynamics that support musical growth, revealing continuities between new teaching approaches and principles of self-organization. The work aligns these ideas with interactive cognition and collective music pedagogy, advocating collaboration among musicians, pedagogues, and cognitive scientists.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Applying 4E cognitive science to music pedagogy reveals continuities between autopoiesis, self-organization, and emerging teaching approaches, supporting interactive and collective music learning. |
Abstract
Recent approaches in the cognitive and psychological sciences conceive of mind as an Embodied, Embedded, Extended, and Enactive (or 4E) phenomenon. While this has stimulated important discussions and debates across a vast array of disciplines, its principles, applications, and explanatory power have not yet been properly addressed in the domain of musical development. Accordingly, it remains unclear how the cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of musical skills might be understood through the lenses of this approach, and what this might offer for practical areas like music education. To begin filling this gap, the present contribution aims to explore central aspects of music pedagogy through the lenses of 4E cognitive science. By discussing cross-disciplinary research in music, pedagogy, psychology, and philosophy of mind, we will provide novel insights that may help inspire a richer understanding of what musical learning entails. In doing so, we will develop conceptual bridges between the notion of ‘autopoiesis’ (the property of continuous self-regeneration that characterizes living systems) and the emergent dynamics contributing to the flourishing of one’s musical life. This will reveal important continuities between a number of new teaching approaches and principles of self-organization. In conclusion, we will briefly consider how these conceptual tools align with recent work in interactive cognition and collective music pedagogy, promoting the close collaboration of musicians, pedagogues, and cognitive scientists.