Schools of the Ateneu Igualadí Working Class: The Beginnings of Music Education (1921-1930).
Author(s):
Maria José Fernández Biel (presenting / submitting) Maria-Àngels Subirats (presenting)
Conference:
ECER 2014
Network:
17. Histories of Education
Format:
Paper

Session Information

17 SES 10, Paper Session

Paper Session

Time:
2014-09-04
15:30-17:00
Room:
B221 Sala de Aulas
Chair:
Anna Larsson

Contribution

This paper aims to present the work done with the implementation of music education in Ateneu Igualadí schools during the ten years in which Manuel Borgunyó he led as Head. We are sure that to be important in the field of History of Music Education.

Igualada is an industrial town near Barcelona, a group of workers were founded in 1867 in  this place the Ateneu Popular of the working class. Its purpose was the intellectual and moral improvement of workers in the population. This experience became a model and took much of the educational responsibility of the city and was a great educational reference for many Catalan organizations. The year after its inception evening classes for adults and later (1890 and 1908) day schools for boys and girls respectively were initiated

In 1921 as part of the educational activities of the Ateneu, with its expansion creating a Conservatory of Music, in which various sections are contemplated according to the objectives pursued, are deemed necessary. For this new challenge was named Manuel Borgunyó further the position of director of the Conservatory, took responsibility for music education in the schools of Ateneo besides undertaking other projects.

In order to deepen the study of this period, this paper argues about the following issues:


• The role of music education in Ateneu Igualadí schools.

• The Conservatory of Ateneu: educational and cultural activities that were developed.
• The incidence that these activities were within the society of Igualada.

• The role of the chorus in the music education and social life.

Method

The method of our research is part of the descriptive qualitative paradigm, the peculiarities of each research, make different ways of obtaining information. In this case the descriptive and historical studies play an important role, the documentary sources are the main asset for the study. The analysis, interpretation and data processing are a key aspect in the field of qualitative research, it is from them that the results to allow us to follow the path designed are obtained and finally compare and validate the information to establish the study's findings. We can work, codify, organize, synthesize, look for patterns and discover the contributions found in the literature studied. Analyze information involves establishing organize models, categories and descriptive units, for once analyzed, proceed to the interpretation which will ultimately give meaning to the analysis, explaining models appearing and seeking relationships between them. For documentary collection we have the following sources: • The documentary archive Borgunyó family • Archive documentary Arturo Menendez Alexandre • Publications Manuel Pla i Borgunyó • Library of Ateneu Igualadí of the working class • Funds from various libraries (BNE, BC, BU, ULL .....) • Newspaper Libraries, Miscelaneous, Obtained this documentation we proceeded to organize and classify for the first organizational level, establishing different sets of documents as provide information regarding the future of the institution, the activities there of, or didactic aspects and pedagogical employees in the implementation of music education in schools. In a second phase, based on the use of an interpretative methodology, Bisquerra (2000 : 257-259 ) has done the job content analysis of documents. To perform this analysis, we have designed a chip analysis by setting out one metacategories and their corresponding categories. From the documentary analysis, we were able to extract the elements that allow us to discover and understand the actions taken by him during that period, the type of methodology used in the teaching of music in primary schools and also allows us to visualize the social impact of their work in front of the Conservatory and schools in the city of Igualada, in order to be able to interpret and respond to questions.

Expected Outcomes

From the desk study we have done, once analyzed and interpreted the various documents, we can answer the initial questions raised and the following conclusions: About music education in schools of Ateneu Igualadí, we can say that: • this achieved great relevance and importance, reaching notoriety, as reflected by the press of the time. • the methodological proposals of M. Borgunyó in the performance of their educational work at the forefront of music education for children in schools, it represented one of the important educational and cultural world Catalan concerning which served somewhat as a model for movements pedagogical musical that developed during the 30s, culminating in the inclusion of music education in schools in Catalonia, and was highly valued as noted by various specialists. About the Ateneu Conservatory and educational cultural activities developed, it can be noted: • In addition to professional studies, promoted and developed an intense musical activity, creating additional sections, such as Section of Music Concerts; Association of Friends of Music; and organization of Musical outreach courses, bringing the city to great performers of time. • Related to the role of the chorus in the musical education and social life, in 1923 M. Borgunyó revived the Chor d'homes, (Choir of men) which included 123 men and achieved great popularity in Catalonia, performing numerous concerts

References

Bisquerra, R. (2000). Métodos de Investigación educativa. Guía pràctica. Barcelona: Ceac educación Manuales. Borgunyó, M. (1923). L’Educació Musical a les Escoles de l’Ateneu Igualadí de la Classe Obrera. Butelltí de l’Associació Protectora de l’Ensenyança Catalana, 4, 49-53. Borgunyó; M. (1923). Música a l’escola. Revista Catalana de Música, 3, 103-109. Cohen, L. y Manion, L. (1985). Research Methods in Education. Beckenham, Kent, United Kingdom: Croom Helm. Colás, M.P. (1997). Enfoques en la metodología cualitativa: sus prácticas de investigación. En L. Buendía, P.Colás y F. Hernández (Ed.), Métodos de investigación en psicopedagogía. Madrid: McGraw Hill. Flick, U. (2008). Designing Qualitative Research. London: Sage Publications. Galí, A. (1978). Història de les institucions i del moviment cultural a Catalunya 1900-1936. Vol. XII. Barcelona: Fundació Alexandre Galí. Keeves, J.P. (Ed.) (1988). Educational Research. Methodology & Measurement. An International Handbook (pp 19-16). Oxford: Pergamon. L’Ateneu (1922). Revista del Ateneu Igualadí de la classe obrera, 62. L’Eco d’Igualada. (1921). Periòdic setmanal. 43, 373 La Vanguardia Española (1923). Palau de la Música Catalana. Coro Infantil de Igualada. 10/5. 18. Riba i Gumà, S. (1988). L’Ateneu Igualadí de la Classe Obrera. 1863-1939. Igualada: Ateneu Igualadí. Sandin, M.P. (2003). Investigación cualitativa en educación. Fundamentos y tradiciones. Madrid: Mc Graw Hill. Subirá, J. (1923). Un coro infantil. La Alhambra. Revista quincenal de Artes y Letras, 567, 238-242. Granada: Ventura. Vila, J. (2000). Manuel Borgunyó. Músic i pedagog. Revista d´Igualada Nº 6. (pp.14-21). [on line] URL: (accessed , at 25th on January 2012)

Author Information

Maria José Fernández Biel (presenting / submitting)
Universitat de Barcelona
Didàctica de l'Expressió Musical iCorporal
Barcelona
Maria-Àngels Subirats (presenting)
University of Barcelona
Didactics of musical expression
BARCELONA

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