Rethinking Arts Education: How One School Beat the Curriculum Constraints

September 10, 2026

The latest issue of the Musiikkikasvatus journal (The Finnish Journal of Music Education, FJME, 1/2026) features a review article on the specialized activities at the Mika Waltari School in Laukkoski, Pornainen, where creative music-making has been integrated into the school’s operating culture through local decision-making:

Kastinen, A. & Olkanen, T. (2026). Luovan musisoinnin pedagogisten käytäntöjen kehittäminen ja juurruttaminen suomalaisen alakoulun toimintakulttuuriin: Toimintatutkimuksellinen näkökulma. [Developing and embedding pedagogical practices of creative music-making into the operating culture of a Finnish primary school: An Action Research perspective.] Musiikkikasvatus, 29 (1), 45–57.

Since the journal will be behind a paywall for a year, the article has been self-archived on ResearchGate.

The review describes the challenging position of arts subjects caught between ambitious curricula and minimal lesson hours, and highlights how local decisions and teacher collaboration have enabled the Mika Waltari School to mitigate the suffocating impact of educational policy on arts education.

In the local curriculum of the municipality of Pornainen, music is defined as a subject well-suited for cross-curricular integration through hands-on, experiential learning. The small kantele has been chosen as a core teaching instrument that progresses grade by grade, with a focus on improvisation and creative music-making.

The approach’s effectiveness is enhanced by the local curriculum, which provides structural and pedagogical framework for integrating music into multidisciplinary learning modules (known in Finland as MOK cycles, or monialaiset oppimiskokonaisuudet). The goals, content, and implementation methods of these modules are established in local curricula, and, in accordance with guidelines from the Finnish National Agency for Education, at least one module must be organized per academic year.

During these modules, teachers collaborate across subject boundaries while actively engaging students—including in the planning of content and learning methods. Students are also given opportunities to work in diverse group settings, collaborating with peers of different ages and learning alongside multiple adults. At the Mika Waltari School, music integrates seamlessly into these broader learning entities through improvisation and songwriting.

In addition to musical learning objectives, improvisation has been used to practice active listening, communication, and collaboration, as well as to create soundscapes that deepen students’ understanding of the themes at hand. As the article notes:

“At its best, arts education develops citizens capable of critical thinking who—through creative play and empathy—have the capacity to break away from rigid thinking patterns and drive innovations that benefit society at large.”

Creative music-making is therefore understood as an educational space where students practice listening, negotiation, and the construction of shared meaning.

The Mika Waltari School also focuses on structural solutions. A central example is a midday activity hour, during which students can participate in arts and crafts clubs led by school staff or external providers, as well as instrumental lessons organized by the local music institute. This block has also been used to extend joint creative projects, giving students dedicated time for independent work.

A standout feature of the local municipal curriculum is the role of the traditional kantele as a core teaching instrument that progresses grade by grade, with a focus on improvisation and creative music-making. The use of the kantele is justified by its inherent suitability for creative music-making, composition, and improvisation—all of which are emphasized in the national curriculum.

By experimenting with and developing various playing techniques, students are supported in composing and improvising soundscapes that reflect their own artistic perspectives and align with multidisciplinary learning modules, deepening the overall learning experience through hands-on engagement.

Over the past decade, the school has fostered an operating culture where improvisation and composition serve as core methods of working. Co-teaching, in turn, has enabled small-group instruction, which has proven essential for keeping activities meaningful and achieving pedagogical goals.

The primary pedagogical foundations of these activities are experiential learning and rich, hands-on engagement, while the core learning goals focus on active listening and interaction. Student-created improvisations have been recorded, listened to together, and integrated into performances and exhibitions.

A notable feature worth highlighting is the integration of cultural heritage into these educational activities. This has involved using local folklore—such as traditional poetry, music, and instruments—as a driving force for musical expression, exploring the meanings of cultural heritage, and bridging the past with the present. In this way, the creative music workshops have aimed to strengthen students’ identity and foster a deeper connection to their local region.

Without initiatives that extend beyond the baseline hours of the curriculum, achieving the goals set for music education in the national curriculum for basic education would be virtually impossible. While local curricula provide the structural framework, successfully implementing these goals ultimately relies on the commitment and pedagogical vision of the entire school community.

This is one way of doing it!