Several youngsters need and use art-based expressions to communicate their feelings, experiences and ideas. To be able to handle different forms of expressions is a human right. But even if this is something that we all can agree upon, several questions have to be formulated. The aim of the paper is to present the message of democracy in current curricula, and investigate Hannah Arendt’s thoughts about democracy as a guideline for organizing of music education in Swedish schools. What challenges and priorities do music educators achieve from Hannah Arendt’s writings in this respect? A crucial starting point in Arendt’s thinking was the balance between Vita Activa (the action life), consisting of work, production and action, and Vita Contemplativa (the philosophical thinking life) consisting of different forms of thinking. Arendt sought to see and make connections between the two possible. She meant that Vita Activa takes place in the world wherein we are born, through speech and action, where actors and audience depend on each other. In the social context we become clear to our selves and to others through interaction. In those interactive activities we need different forms of languages to try, modify, and create ideas and insights. But to reach common sense, we also need to step back, Arendt says, and think, imagine, value and reflect. In the paper the thoughts are used and connected to contexts, which are constituted by communication in and through music. Questions that have to be elaborated upon when using Arendt’s view of democracy are for example; Who is expected to make their voices heard, who is seen as a possible participant, and who has access to the specific areas? The paper discuss how and to what extent Arendt’s thoughts about democracy can be used to put light on how Swedish schools, based on expressions in the current curricula, can offer Music as a language for all.
Godkänd; 2013; 20121015 (cefe)