Creative pedagogical methods for fostering tolerance and empathy in music education: A comparative study of vocalists and instrumentalists

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of creative teaching methods in developing empathy and tolerance in music students. Methods included functional analysis, analytical-synthetic approaches, the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence test, the Cultural Intelligence Scale, Likert scales, the Wilcoxon criterion, and the Cohen coefficient. Findings indicate that tolerance supports the perception of musical styles, high-quality group performance, and intercultural and professional ethical competence, while empathy enhances emotional perception and expressive performance. Creative methods such as interactive music platforms, intercultural techniques, musical improvisation, game-based learning, musical discussions, and empathic reconstruction proved effective. Group No. 1 (vocal) showed high group performance and cognitive tolerance development, while Group No. 2 (instrumental) excelled in individual performance and metacognitive tolerance. The study highlights the practical significance of creative approaches for cultivating empathy and tolerance in musician training.