The Future of Education

This study aims to reflect on the benefits and advantages of music education in the school environment through group piano methodology, not only in controlling emotions but also in building healthy relationships between diverse cultures and communities. When considering democratic and inclusive music education, this would be one of the most organized strategies, both musically and didactically, to introduce children and adolescents to the universe of sound and silence. The primary goal is not to train concert performers but, above all, to foster a pleasant, collaborative, and welcoming musical and cultural learning and teaching environment, where interaction among learners is stimulated through of group cohesion. The qualitative research was conducted across seven in-person meetings, from March 4 to April 15, 2025. The sessions, lasting 30 to 40 minutes, took place in the morning and afternoon shifts, with seven to ten students per session on keyboards purchased by the University of Macerata, where we worked as a visiting professor between 2024 and 2025. The activities, conducted with children of 20 nationalities, were adapted from the book "Piano 101", designed specifically for democratic and collaborative group piano instruction for beginners, with the aim of creating positive musical and cultural memories. Based on the questionnaires completed before and after each class by participants, and also on the testimonies of some of the institution's teachers who attended the classes, it is clear how the group piano methodology can awaken diverse communities not only to music learning but also to the creation of an environment of dialogue, tolerance, collaboration, and solidarity, so essential in a society that still fails to embrace, normalize, and welcome differences.