Peer Communication and Social Harmony Among Elementary School Students Through Embodied Music Making

Abstract

Music education in elementary schools remains dominated by teacher-centered theoretical approaches, even though music can be explored more profoundly in an embodied manner—namely, music-making activities that involve body movement, auditory perception, and affective responses within an integrated learning cycle. In elementary schools, music education is integrated into the Arts, Culture, and Crafts subject (Seni Budaya dan Prakarya—SBdP), resulting in very limited time allocation. This condition demands music learning that is both intensive and meaningful. This study aims to develop an embodied music-makingbased learning model to examine peer communication and social harmony among elementary school students. The method employed is Design-Based Research (DBR) with a qualitative approach through iterative cycles. Data analysis used the six-phase thematic analysis (focus, understand, define, conceive, build, and test) to identify emerging patterns. The findings reveal that embodied music-making practices among elementary school students at Sampoerna Academy BSD demonstrate patterns of communication, social cohesion, and emotional expression through singing and dancing activities that occur naturally. In this context, music-making activities are not acquired through verbal instruction but are embodied through the whole body in collective social interaction. This study enriches music education practice with an applicable and responsive pedagogical framework that can be implemented in SBdP learning at the elementary school level.