This qualitative research study explores the notions of identity and musical agency within the Educational and Cultural Association Didá in the city of Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. The organization consists of a school of music for underprivileged women and children within the poor neighborhoods of the city. It is a social project existing in one of the poorest and most conservative cities in Brazil and has had significant success in keeping women and children off the streets and out of trouble.
The researcher uses the ideas and educational theory of Paulo Freire to explore the Educational and Cultural Association Didá. Intertwined within this framework, the researcher writes of aspects of identity including gender identity, behavioral aspects of identity, education, racial identity, and social identity. The researcher defines and describes the notion of musical agency and how it is created and reflected within practices of the organization. Two case studies of two adult female members of Projeto Didá are included. The researcher has followed qualitative research methods used by ethnomusicologists including observations, participant observation, journal fieldnotes, interviews, and audio and visual documentation.
