ABSTRACT
Following an EU declaration from 2016, which identified schools as the most crucial domain for social changes that strengthen democracy, this chapter discusses Nordic music education and research in the challenging context of rapid demographic changes. Resting on emerging results from the authors’ research projects, the first theme we discuss is music education and social sustainability. Secondly, we shed light on inclusion and policy issues in music education, and in the final section our focus is on democracy. The empirical data emanate from the implementation of the El Sistema approach to music education in Malmö, and from the ongoing transformations within Swedish Art and Music Schools. In our discussion, we underline the importance of research connected to the field of music praxis, and that engages in policy as a tool for developing democratic praxis. We also affirm the importance of the NNME network to support collaborative research models that stimulate critical and reflective approaches for the development of music education as a research field with great social impact.
