Innovative music-didactic approaches with elements of music therapy in working with children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties

As part of the IGDP project, a study was conducted focusing on innovative approaches to working through music with children and adolescents with emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD) and their effects. The aim of the study was to continuously explore how music and related artistic approaches can create a safe environment for expressing the needs of these children and adolescents. A key goal of the project was to familiarize and train students from various professional fields, such as future academic musicians, educators, social workers, special educators, and psychologists, to use elements of music therapy when working with children and adolescents with EBD. Students were encouraged to creatively use music as a tool to improve their work with this population. The project also focused on bridging the age gap between children/adolescents and professionals, as building trust between them enables progress. New possibilities were explored for integrating music therapy into musical expression as known by classical musicians. At the end of the project, a handbook titled Shaping Emotions and Behavior Through Music (https://press.um.si/index.php/ump/catalog/book/388) was created for professionals addressing the issue of EBD. The handbook also includes an evaluation study of the project. The project was further enhanced by Eva Brus's master's thesis, Musical Didactic Games for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, in which the project's findings were implemented in a primary school setting.