Finland’s world renowned music education system is a subject of continuing interest among music educationists in Australia. Attention has naturally focused on how music is taught in its school system and how we could learn from some of its ideas in this country. But there is yet more we could find out if we turn our attention further afield to Finland’s distinctive approach to music festivals.

Finland plays host to numerous summer music festivals, many of which are specifically for children and involve them in various types of participation from singing and dancing to music theatre. The largest and most prominent is the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, and it is enormous. Kaustinen itself is a village 450 kilometres north of Helsinki with a population barely more than 4,000, but each summer over 100,000 people head there for a week-long event that includes concerts, workshops, jam sessions, and a highly developed series of children’s events. Full story.

Graham Strahle (Music Australia) / April 10, 2018

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