Journal of Liberal Arts and Humanities (JLAH) Issue: Vol. 1; No. 11; November 2020 pp. 1-21 ISSN 2690-070X (Print) 2690-0718 (Online) Website: www.jlahnet.com E-mail:
[email protected] Doi: 10.48150/jlah.v1no11.2020.a1 The Wind-Band phenomenon in Italy: A short socio-historical survey and its effect on popular musical education Prof. Emanuele Raganato University of Salento (Italy) E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract Wind-Bands are musical ensembles existing all around the world, but with a stronger traditional presence in certain regions of the globe. One of these regions is Southern Italy. In this geographical area, this phenomenon developed historically over two centuries and has taken on shapes now considered traditional. Thanks to Wind-Bands, historically, millions of Italians have participated in collective musical activities as musicians or listeners and have been trained in music. Wind-Bands, in fact, for most of the 19th and 20th centuries have been the main means of spreading musical culture in Italy and the world and the only way for working class youth to learn a musical instrument. Thanks to a careful examination of the publications on the local Wind- Bands through the historiographic method, we have outlined a frame that explains the change in the social role of the Bands from the end of the 19th century to today. The conclusion is that today the Wind-Band has assumed a new morphology that, however, would deserve to be reconsidered taking into account the new social changes taking place (emigration of the middle class, immigration, social reforms and the music education system, and so on.) to understand if, as in the past, the Wind-Band can still have a fundamental functional role in local communities for social cohesion and music education, or at least imagine future scenarios to reconsider this role.