Self-Concept Clarity and Music Education: Applying a Lens of Musical Vulnerability

• In Event: Engagement and Self-Concept in Music Education

Abstract

Music learning can invoke moments of vulnerability. Vulnerability is a key component of coherent self-concept development in adolescence, which is crucial not only for learning, but also for positive, long-term mental health outcomes in adulthood. Utilizing a lens of psychological development, we consider the relationship between the vulnerability experienced in music education and the development of self-concept clarity in adolescence. We determine that music education may be uniquely positioned to encourage positive experiences of vulnerability that benefit students’ mental health and psychological development. We propose that a nuanced reframing of vulnerability may offer new perspectives on student learning behaviors and outcomes, ultimately empowering educators to facilitate musically and psychologically positive growth experiences for their students.

Authors

• Laura Gaynon, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Stephen Fairbanks, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign