The music we listen to: an exploratory study with students of the Basic Music Course of the exploratory study with students of the Basic Music Course of the Conservatorio doVale do Sousa

This article is the result of research carried out with ninth-grade students enrolled in the Basic Music Course of the Conservatorio Vale do Sousa (Portugual) [Vale do Sousa Conservatory], within the scope of the class subject Com Textos Musicais [With Musical Texts]. The project intended to clarify the role of music within the social and cultural context of the students involved regarding its value and meaning; it also intended to assess the disciplines relevance to the curricular matrix of the course considering that it constitutes a complementary course offering. The research methodology was similar to a case study and data collection applied questionnaire surveys. The results underline that context-considering age, gender, and professional situation-affects musical taste. Students experience a particular context of their own, their musical taste focuses on pop/rock while Portuguese music is not represented. The parents and grandparents portray themselves in another context, their musical taste focuses on popular/traditional Portuguese music, however, in their youth, this group also preferred pop/rock. The value and meaning attributed to music varies according to the type of participant. Students perceive music as a source of feeling and emotion; parents and relatives appreciate music from a perspective of fun and entertainment. The course subject Com Textos Musicais is relevant to the Basic Music Course curriculum but requires timely clarification. The curriculum of the Conservatorio Vale do Sousa needs to incorporate different musical typologies.