An analysis of the learning skills of students taking the Mevlevi ceremonies course (The example of AYBÜ)

This study aims to examine the learning skills of students taking the Mevlevi Ceremonies course. Mevlevi ceremonies are considered one of the most comprehensive and richest forms of Turkish religious music in terms of performance technique. Since they require a certain level of knowledge in both music and Sufism, they also present certain difficulties. In this context, the study aims to reveal the difficulties students encounter in the process of learning the ceremony, the gains they acquire, and their learning methods. This study employs the case study design from qualitative research methods. The research aims to reveal the effects of the Mevlevi Ceremonies course, taken for the first time by second-year students in the spring semester of the 2024-2025 academic year at the Turkish Religious Music Department of the Turkish Music State Conservatory at Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, on the development of their ceremonial learning skills. In this regard, the study has the characteristics of an experimental research in terms of the method followed and the nature of the data collected. A pre-test-post-test design was applied to the students in the sample group included in the experimental process within the scope of the research. The data obtained as a result of the research were evaluated using content analysis. The study found that students experienced difficulties in various musical elements such as makam, usül, the relationship between lyrics and melody, and performance techniques during the learning process; however, it was determined that these difficulties could be overcome with appropriate guidance and systematic work. Furthermore, it was observed that the synthesis of the traditional meşk method and academic education contributed positively to the learning process. This study provides important data for the development of more effective methods for teaching Mevlevi rituals and for strengthening the role of this course within the curriculum.