Abstract:

Esagramma is a clinical, educational and research Institute based in Milan. Since 1983 it creates and implements original methodologies to immediately involve people in symphonic orchestral sessions and in linguistic-prosodic activities even if they have never attended a structured music or vocal educational program. These allow children, adolescents and adults to achieve sophisticated soft skills that can be used in different life contexts. Artistical activities, often supported by innovative technologies, are structured by increasing complexity in terms of forms and dialogues, in order to make the participants able to discover and manage individual and group psycho-relational dynamics.

The paper will briefly describe the methodological principles shared by three Esagramma Methodologies offered to primary and secondary school students, but also to professionals (teachers, managers, and psychologists): ProvaL’Orchestra (PLO), OrchestralTeamBuilding (OTB), and AffectiveVocalEducation (EVA). In the case of musical pathways, as ProvaL’Orchestra and OrchestralTeamBuilding, it is the classical symphonic repertoire, from short marches, corals and lullabies to suites and symphonies, that structures the experience and its elaboration through active involvement in the orchestral work. In the case of VocalAffectiveEducation pathways the prosodic and expressive work is progressively articulated following narrative structures, from brief dialogues or sketches to fables, radio dramas and audiobooks.

Underlining the common and complementary aspects of these methodologies, the paper will present the observation protocols and the results obtained at personal and collective level in terms of soft skills:
- The enrichment of expressiveness: in terms of imitation, identification, exposure, supporting of other voices, personalization and differentiation of musical and vocal parts, dialogue, exploration, empathy, coping and resilience. These aspects constitute indeed the base of the flexibility that everybody needs to assume different roles and use various and appropriate expressive styles in communication.
- The opportunity to listen and elaborate previously neglected or inaccessible emotions and affects: evoked from symphonic and vocal prosodic dynamics, in a safe and a rich context where students cooperate with high-profile professionals (musicians, psychologists, sound engineers).
- The attainment of a high-level of self-awareness and identification: according to the role played into the “resonant” and shared artistic context.
- The elaboration of moments of crisis and discontinuity: with progressive achievement of the ability to face moments of stress and difficulty.
- The refinement of teamwork and leadership skills: in terms of adhesion to work, feeling of membership, focused attention, compliance with rules, flexibility to find new multimodal strategies, desire of structured interaction, regulation of spaces and distances, exchange between all components.

The paper also briefly describes the support offered by the usage of innovative electronic and computer-based technologies for:
- the support to the prosodic activities of the EVA pathways (with applications of vocal and prosodic performance visualizations that facilitate the imitation of professional models);
- the analysis of proposals, moments of crisis and results that characterize the three different groups of educational activities in accordance with the described protocols.

Keywords:

Orchestra, soft skills, prosody, esagramma.