ABSTRACT

In the context of accelerating ecological crises, education is increasingly called upon to reconsider its assumptions about human–nature relationships, knowledge production, and ethical responsibility. Forest School has gained prominence as an outdoor educational approach that foregrounds experiential learning, long-term engagement with natural environments, and relational ways of knowing. At the same time, music education has begun to more explicitly address issues of social justice, ethics, and ecological responsibility. Despite these parallel developments, sustained dialogue between music education and Forest School remains limited. This article offers a conceptual examination of the relationship between music education and Forest School, drawing on a selective narrative engagement with literature from music education, outdoor and environmental education, and ecomusicology. Rather than positioning music education as just an addition to Forest School practices, the article places these fields in dialogue as relational pedagogical practices shaped through sound, embodiment, and shared ecological contexts. Engaging with ecomusicology and a relational onto-epistemology, the article develops a conceptual framework that reorients music education away from anthropocentric and instrumental framings. Through the concepts of sound commons and response-ability, it foregrounds relational ethics and multispecies coexistence, contributing to ongoing debates in music education and outdoor education in the Anthropocene.

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