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InnovativeConservatoire 2010 1/15

InnovativeConservatoire: a five year collaboration in

professional development for

teachers and innovation in

conservatoires

2011-15


Innovative Conservatoire: a five year collaboration (2011-15) in professional development for

teachers and innovation in conservatoires The Innovative Conservatoire seminars have been developed by the Innovative Conservatoire (ICON) group, the Polifonia Project of the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) and the SIDA project “Widening Participation on the Road to Membership”, with partner institutions: Cork School of Music Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya Estonian Academy of Music Guildhall School of Music & Drama Göteborg University- Academy of Music and Drama Jazeps Vitols Latvian Academy of Music Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Malmö Academy of Music Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Norwegian Academy of Music Oulu University of Applied Sciences

Prins Claus Conservatorium, Groningen Queensland Conservatorium Royal College of Music in Stockholm Royal Conservatoire of the Hague Sibelius Academy SIDA group: Academy of Arts in Banja Luka; Academy of Arts in Novi Sad; Academy of Music Sarajevo; Faculty of Music, Belgrade University; Music Academy of the University of Montenegro

Following the success of this project, this is a call for expression of interest in participating in a new five year plan for continuing seminars (2011-15) and the growing network. Mission The Innovative Conservatoire contributes to excellence, international exchange and innovation in positioning musicians’ practice at the heart of the global knowledge economy. Through tailor-made professional development, the Innovative Conservatoire stimulates knowledge exchange and reflective practice in teachers in Higher Music Education. It enables them to engage with core values, change and innovation in the heart of the process of teaching and learning, and to become key players in the growing international community of practice-based research. History The Innovative Conservatoire began in 2006, through cooperation of several European Conservatoires dedicated to exploring the potential of collaborative professional development for their teachers at an international level. A pilot seminar was hosted by the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, in April 2007. Between October 2008 and October 2010 the collaboration was extended through the Polifonia project of the AEC and the SIDA project, bringing 35 teachers from 16 conservatoires together to share practice, reflect and research. The profile of participants in the most recent seminar is shown in Annexe 1. This has been a critical step in enabling teachers to articulate the core values and processes of their practice, make tacit dimensions of their craft more explicit, and engage with/lead change from their position as artists and teachers. Directed by Dr Helena Gaunt (Guildhall School of Music & Drama) and Bart van Rosmalen (Royal Conservatoire of the Hague), with input from a range of international experts, the seminars established a community of practice, with a particular spirit of collegiality, enquiry,


and exploration of fundamental values and practices in our institutions. An evaluation of the first two seminars was made by Dr. Rineke Smilde, (Prins Claus Conservatorium, Groningen and the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague) and is published in the AEC publication (2010) Researching Conservatoires: Enquiry, Innovation and the Development of Artistic Practice in Higher Music Education (www.polifonia-tn.org). Outcomes include:

Increased knowledge and understanding, engagement with existing research and initiation of participants’ practice-based research;

A model of professional development, including working forms and content resources;

Preliminary experience with the use of new media in sharpening reflective practice and stimulating the growth of the community of practice;

Spin-off projects developed by participants, including special-interest networks, curriculum developments, further seminars and research projects (see Annexe 2).

A website: www.innovativeconservatoire.eu supported the development of the seminars. Innovative Conservatoire 2011-2015 In the next five years there is potential to deepen and extend the initial Innovative Conservatoire partnership, with between ten and fifteen institutions across Europe and from the AEC membership as a whole. Partner institutions will commit to:

Identifying a pool of staff to be involved, including one teacher to take a local coordinating role and a member of senior management with responsibility for facilitating the strategic development of the project within the institution;

Funding the participation of at least two participants in each international seminar, covering the seminar fee plus travel. The seminar fees will be reviewed annually. Based on the experience of the seminars held as part of the Polifonia project, the fee for 2011 is expected to be 500 euros per person per seminar (including accommodation and subsistence, administration and website development).

Aims and objectives 2011-2015 The project will:

Extend the community of practice and collaboration between partner institutions in reflective practice, exchange, knowledge creation, practice-based research and the nexus between research and teaching;

Create a programme of 3-day international seminars, two per year (starting in April 2011), for teachers from the partner institutions. Focus on key themes:

The musician in society One-to-one and small group teaching Assessment and feedback Health and well-being Practising Improvisation and creativity Methodologies in practice-based research Presence and performance Masterclasses

Continue to develop and document working forms within the seminars which deepen the quality of exchange and lead to creative collaborative learning, enhanced practice as teachers, curriculum development, international cooperation, innovative artistic, research and knowledge exchange projects;

http://www.innovativeconservatoire.eu/


Generate further tools to enable institutions to catalyse development of the key themes internally, including connections to satellite symposia, conferences and festivals, strategic use of Erasmus mobility, individual coaching and mentoring, documentation of working forms as transferable tools, and documentation of examples of good practice relating to the themes and research outputs;

Explore the use of new media in facilitating the growing community of practice and providing distance-learning opportunities, connecting to existing media initiatives within partner institutions.

Four arguments to underpin the Innovative Conservatoire Professional Development for staff teachers. The Innovative Conservatoire presents a tailor-made model of international professional development for professionals in higher music education. It is a unique approach to reflective practice, developed by musicians themselves, that integrates research, practical exploration and processes of illuminating tacit knowledge. Participants in the Innovative Conservatoire will learn to adapt and elaborate this model for use in their own institutions. International exchange of people and knowledge. Taking part in and contributing to the Innovative Conservatoire depends on being embedded in the international policy of the participating institution. Participants can play a major part in strengthening its international network. A systematic programmatic approach of two seminars a year enables relationships within the network to become strong, sustainable and productive in collaborative projects. Practice-based research. Practice-based research is increasingly important to the profile of our conservatoires and the practice of our teachers. Yet the discipline is still young – what methods can be used; what are the best practices; what are the common features of success? The Innovative Conservatoire focuses on ‘teaching and learning in higher music education’ as a key field in the development of practice-based research. Anchoring teachers’ research development in their own teaching practice creates a solid foundation and fertile ground for further development. Conservatoires in the knowledge economy. The profound knowledge of craftsmanship, coming from a long and strong tradition, has growing value in our changing society (Richard Sennett (2008) The Craftsman). As so much of this knowledge, however, is tacit, it is often difficult for this knowledge to make strong connections to the world outside. The InnovativeConservatoire helps to bring the hidden treasure of craftsmanship to the surface and to articulate professional knowledge in such a way that it can be used to connect strongly to the global knowledge economy. For further information please contact: Helena Gaunt, Guildhall School of Music & Drama: [email protected]; +44 (0)7825 388060 Bart van Rosmalen, Royal Conservatoire of the Hague: [email protected]; +31 629014216 Helena and Bart have both been members of the Research Working Group of the Polifonia Project.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Annexe 1: Profile of participants


Helena Gaunt

Helena is an oboist. Her current research focuses on one-to-one and small group tuition in conservatoires, and the role of improvisation (verbal and musical) in developing professional expertise. She is Assistant Principal at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and a National Teaching Fellow (2009).

Bart van Rosmalen

Bart is a cellist, specialising in improvisation, and also a theatre director. He is the head of the research programme ‘Teachers of the 21st Century’ at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague. His research and practice as an artist focuses on ‘Connecting Conversations’ between art, science and business professionals, to contribute to innovation and organisational change.

Dinah Stabb Dinah has been a professional actress since 1970. She has been a member of both the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company and has extensive TV credits. During the last 10 years she has combined this with directing and teaching at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. She is a member of the audition panel for their three year BA Drama course. She is on the Advisory Board of 'Ecole des Ecoles,' the Association of European Drama Conservatoires. In 2009, Dinah was invited by the Association of European Conservatoires to run a series of workshops in Villecroze and Helsinki for musicians (teachers and performers) on Presence in Performance. Since then she has been co-teaching with Armin Zanner 1st and 2nd year classical singers at the Guildhall School. Gemma Carey

Gemma is senior lecturer in Keyboard and Convenor of the Bachelor of Music Programme at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. She is also Head of the Pedagogy Department. Gemma’s expertise and research interests are in the area of Performance Pedagogy, Curriculum and Teaching and Learning. She has presented and published papers in the field of Instrumental Pedagogy both nationally and internationally and more recently published a book

titled New Understanding of “Relevant” Keyboard Pedagogy in Tertiary Institutions.

Tapani Heikinheimo Tapani currently holds the position of lecturer for cello music at the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences music department. He also coaches pedagogies at the Sibelius Academy. He completed his dissertation which focused on instrumental lessons and the process of interaction between student and teacher at the Sibelius Academy in November 2009.



Karst de Jong

Karst was born in 1961 and studied music theory and piano (classical and jazz). He held teaching positions at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag before being appointed professor of improvisation and music-theory at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC) in Barcelona. He is an active performer, composer and arranger.

Wieke Karsten

Wieke teaches the flute at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague and the Prince Claus Conservatoire Groningen. She has developed practising and performing methods based on the functions of the brain. She performs and teaches both in Holland and Europe. She has a column on teaching in several music magazines in Holland and Germany.

Renata Marcinkutė-Lesieur

Renata studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre specialising in piano and organ. She undertook further studies in performance at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg. She frequently plays as a soloist with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra, the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra, and with a number of choirs in Lithuania and Europe, and has made recordings for Lithuania Radio and TV. Renata is the vice - president of the Religious Music Centre in Vilnius, the artistic

director of the “Christopher Summer Festival” Sacred Music Hours programme at St. Casimir’s Church, jury member of National and International Organ Competitions and head-master of the Organ and Harpsichord department of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre. Sofia Martinez-Villar

Sofía is a flautist, musicologist and ear training specialist. In recent years, her interest has been in contemporary chamber music, as a member of the Ensemble Gaudi. She has taught ear training and flute repertoire at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya since 2002, and holds seminars on ear training across Spain. She was associate teacher in the music section of the Art History department in the University of Barcelona between 2006-

2009. Bojan Martinovic

Bojan is professor of piano at the Music Academy Cetinje. Bojan performs with various chamber ensembles and artists including Marina Yashvili, Peter Langgartner and Vladislav Igulinski. His repertoire is extremely diverse. Bojan is vice director of the Espressivo Festival in Montenegro.



Milan Miladinović

Milan holds a degree from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad and UDK Berlin. He is Assistant for Piano and Docent for History of piano performance at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad. He is Laureate and prize winner of several national and international piano competitions.

Marija Misita Marija studied at the faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade and completed her studies at the ‘Mozarteum’ in Salzburg. She won several awards in national competitions, coming first in the "Petar Konjović" competition in Belgrade. For several years she was a member of a number of string orchestras including "Dušan Škovran", “St.George strings”, “Camerata Serbica”, and from 2000-2004, was part of the chamber orchestra "Salzburg Chamber Soloists". Since 2000, she has held the post assistant for violin of the

Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade, and from 2009, docent at the same institution. Dino Mulic

Dino is a pianist and holds a bachelor and masters degree in piano performance from the Academy of Music Sarajevo. Dino has won several international competitions and has performed in Canada, the United States and Europe. He is currently Senior assistant professor at the Academy of Music Sarajevo.

Toms Ostrovskis

Toms received a BMus from the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Music Academy in 2002 and an MMus from Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2004. Since 2000, Toms has been an active member of the EPTA (European Piano Teachers’ Association) in Latvia. Toms has taught piano performance at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music since 2006.

Ivan Otasevic

Ivan was born in 1976 in Belgrade. During his education he participated in numerous festivals, international competitions and played in various concert halls throughout Europe. Since 2004, he has worked at the Academy of Arts in Banja Luka as a senior assistant within the violin department with Professor Maja Jokanovic. In January 2010, he became concertmaster for the Banja Luka Philharmonic. He has recorded numerous pieces for Radio

Belgrade, Republic of Srpska Radio Television (RTRS) and the Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a member of the Music Society of Republic of Srpska and the Association of Serbian music artists.



Peeter Paemurru Peeter started his cello studies at the Nõmme Music School. Peeter has achieved recognition as soloist, chamber musician and pedagogue. He has given concerts in Estonia and abroad, participated in many festivals, organised performances and orchestral tours. Peeter is Head of the Strings department at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Anto Pett

Anto graduated as a pianist and composer from the Tallinn Conservatoire (now renamed the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre). Since 2002, Anto has been professor of improvisation at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. He has developed an original method of teaching improvisation and has held masterclasses presenting his method in many music academies and conservatoires in Europe. Anto has performed improvisations as a soloist and with several ensembles in festivals and

concerts throughout Europe. In 2007, Fuzeau published Anto Pett`s Teaching System. Matz Pettersen

Matz studied in Oslo, Paris, Hannover and Berlin and has played Oboe and English horn for the Oslo Philharmonic since 1982. He was a member of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra between 1980 – 1992 and has taught oboe and chamber music at the Norwegian Academy of Music since 1985. He is Head of the Wind, Percussion and Harp department at the Norwegian Academy of Music (Nmh).

Ulla Raiskio Ulla Raiskio, mezzo-soprano, is the senior lecturer of voice, pedagogy and lied at the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. She is responsible for developing courses for singers relating to acting skills, and producing operas. She specializes in the methods of dramatic interpretation of opera. As an artist, she currently focuses on modern Finnish opera and the development of new practices in the concert tradition.

Robert Schenck

Robert Schenck is Senior Lecturer at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He teaches flute, chamber music and stage presence. As head of the chamber music programme for over 30 years, he has been instrumental in developing strategies and methods within the performance department of the Academy.



Ilona Sie Dhian Ho

Ilona studied in The Hague, Netherlands and Bloomington, USA. In her performance of the Beethoven Concerto in the Concertgebouw she was described as “… an extravert and charming, outspoken solistic personality…”. She is professor at the Royal Conservatoire the Hague and the Prince Claus Conservatoire Groningen.

Tine Stolte

Tine is a core teacher for the Teacher Training Programme at the Prince Claus Conservatoire in Groningen. She is also a member of the INVITE Polifonia Working Group of the AEC that is looking into instrumental and vocal teacher training in European conservatoires. Tine is a classical singer and singing methodology teacher.

Jouko Tötterström

Jouko, a pianist and composer, works as principal lecturer at Oulu University of Applied Sciences. His doctoral degree focused on the challenges of piano duo. As a pianist and chamber musician, Jouko has played in several European countries. He is also an active composer.

Gerda van Zelm

Gerda worked at the Dutch Radio Choir in Hilversum between 1987 and 1993, as a voice teacher at the conservatory of Alkmaar between 1980 and 1989, and the conservatory of Arnhem between 1990 and 1995. Since 1992, Gerda has worked at the Royal Conservatory the Hague and from 2001 at the conservatory of Groningen. She is currently head of the vocal department at the Royal Conservatory.

Armin Zanner

Armin studied at the University of Cambridge and at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama where he is now Deputy Head of Vocal Studies. He has a particular interest in song and he has written for various publications, most recently notes for Linn Records. Armin is also Artistic Director of the Franz-Schubert-Institut, Austria.

Annexe 2: Examples of projects


Using the work form of dramatising feedback on 1-2-1 teaching within a pedagogy course Gemma Carey, Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University Incorporating the work form of dramatising feed back on 1-2-1 teaching will assist pedagogy students in a myriad of ways. Through this collaborative process, students will gain much insight into themselves as learners, themselves as teachers and into the student as an individual. The processes involved in this workform have the benefit of ensuring that the ‘inner skills’ that we require as teachers are more consciously realised. Through the practice of story telling, listening, improvisation, silences, experimentation and group experience, emotions are brought to life and the learning process is clarified. The power of listening through the exploration of the above skills within teacher-student interaction brings vitality and excitement to both teacher and student and these are so crucial to our teaching practice. Seminars on improvisation, assessment and one-to-one teaching with guest teachers from the InnovativeConservatoire Matz Pettersen, Norwegian Academy of Music Three professors from the Norwegian Academy of Music (Nmh) have participated in the InnovativeConservatoire seminars. This has already resulted in a further co-operation with Anto Pett on improvisation. Anto visited the Norwegian Academy of Music last spring where both teachers and students participated in 3 days of practical seminars. This project will be followed up with a new seminar during spring 2011. In addition to playing, the group explores questions relating to how improvisation can improve the classical way of playing and teaching. Seminars focusing on assessment and dramatised feedback in 1-2-1 teaching are now also being planned and proposals presented to the competence-building committee. There is positive interest at Nmh to enable all staff to engage with these themes. Our experiences from the seminars are essential for developing this, and continuing the InnovativeConservatoire project will be important in helping to embed teaching development. Development of practice-based research at the Royal Conservatory the Hague Gerda van Zelm, Royal Conservatory the Hague Some of the projects that have been developed during the InnovativeConservatoire Seminars could be subjects for master students to pursue for the research element of their programme. Documentation of the projects can be used as the starting point of further research. In consultation with the heads of the masters studies and the masters studies in music education, I will try to develop a research programme of this kind, with the master students taking part. In this way the institution will also be able to be more pro-active in outlining its own research agenda. Taking the lead in articulating curricula for students, staff, administration and governance Robert Schenck, Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg As participants of the InnovativeConservatoire, Marianne Khoso and Robert Schenck were two of the four teachers at the Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, to be chosen as members of a committee established in August 2010 to renew all curricula (course descriptions). Since this work has been consistent with many of the themes discussed at InnovativeConservatoire sessions, including the importance of goal formulations, student assessment and teaching content, it was inspiring to present the initial work of the committee to colleagues from many countries and pedagogical traditions. The committee’s task is to formulate course descriptions that are well written, are consistent with one another, are comprehensible for students and teachers, reflect reality, can be used as a tool in teaching contexts, and conform to the requirements of the University. Hopefully



our work will be successful. No matter what, the process itself is challenging and developmental. Mentoring Development project Helena Gaunt, Guildhall School of Music & Drama This project, which involved 23 members of staff at the Guildhall School all engaged in mentoring in the School in some way, provided participants with an opportunity to enhance mentoring skills and clarify issues relating to the place of mentoring within curricula. Three sessions, facilitated by Peter Renshaw between January and March 2010, allowed participants to begin to build a community of practice between mentors, develop a holistic approach to mentoring, deepen their own reflective process as teachers and artists for example in relation to one-to-one teaching, and to clarify issues of boundaries around being a mentor and how the role relates to the roles of a Head of Department or a one-to-one teacher.

The project will be extended to a larger group of staff to continue to exchange the creative processes and to share ideas about teaching. A clear timetable for ongoing work with a staff mentoring development group (in small groups of 6-7 people) in relation to the academic year will be drawn together, and will involve phases for planning, delivery and evaluation of the work with students. An induction process for those taking on the role of mentor will also be devised. Co-teaching project Dinah Stabb & Armin Zanner, Guildhall School of Music & Drama A co-teaching project, which grew directly from work at the InnovativeConservatoire Seminars, has been run at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. This brought together actor Dinah Stabb from the Drama Department and Armin Zanner from the Vocal Department, teaching the Year 1 German Recitative class in tandem each week. Practical changes have included: shift away from conventional ‘masterclass’ format consistent active involvement of whole group emphasis on shared learning through ‘doing’ not observing new teacher–learner dynamic with two tutors The results for the students’ work have been immediate, bringing a stronger sense of embodying – therefore communicating – the text. More broadly the project has offered students a direct experience of integrating different strands of their course. The tutors have encountered new models for their own teaching – an opportunity for professional development and, more widely, this collaboration has initiated other connections between the School’s Drama and Music Departments. So this innovative teaching practice is benefiting students, staff and the institution.

Teachers as peer learners in 1 – 2 -1 teaching Gerda van Zelm, Royal Conservatory the Hague During September 2009, the Royal Conservatory initiated a programme whereby teachers attended each others’ lessons. The teachers were asked to write down what they found inspiring, creative, unexpected, special etc. in the teaching of their colleagues. The aim was to identify aspects that appealed to the observing teacher, and that made them reflect on their own teaching. Twelve teachers applied for the programme and seven actively took part. Those that did not cited their schedules as reasons for not attending. In February 2010,



the programme was evaluated and it was agreed that this should continue during the 2010-2011 academic year. Masterclasses research and trial of masterclass working forms Helena Gaunt, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, in collaboration with Linnhe Robertson, Dr Marion Long and the Institute of Education Masterclasses offer strong formats for knowledge exchange in music. Students, however, report varying outcomes, including both excellent and negative experiences. Challenging ethical and educational implications arise in this form of learning, and masterclasses require considerable institutional resources. We therefore regard this research to be vitally important in understanding more about the value and impact of masterclasses on professional musical training, and the wider application of masterclasses in diverse communities of practice. The project links with parallel research in Norwegian Academy of Music, focusing on masterclasses from masters’ points of view. The first phase of research investigated the value, purpose and impact of masterclasses from the perspectives of audience, performer and master, with the aim of strategically facilitating teaching and learning for performers and those listening. Findings of a questionnaire survey of 373 students at the Guildhall School showed that prior experiences of masterclasses facilitated learning, yet many students had not experienced masterclasses before entering the School. A key aim of performing in masterclasses was to be accepted into a professional community of practice. However, findings indicated individual differences in experience of masterclasses. These were explained by different expectations amongst principal study instrument groups and according to gender. In phase two, we will trial a variety of masterclass working forms and will create a framework of practice from a taxonomy of types and features of masterclasses. Improvisation Network Karst de Jong, Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya The aim of this project is to create a network of improvisation teachers from higher education institutions throughout Europe, and to possibly extend this further afield. As experienced through the InnovativeConservatoire seminars, there is great interest for such a network, which should connect teachers concerned with improvisation in the widest sense: not only in the field of jazz, but also free, classical, folk music, and the pedagogic aspects of improvisation. Inspired by the Innovative Conservatoire seminars, we feel that personal exchange should be at the heart of such a network. Therefore we have initially chosen for an “inkblot” approach: teachers invite each other in exchange programs such as Erasmus, and teach each other’s students, work together and learning from each other. So far, there have been very successful exchanges, among them: Karst de Jong and Rolf Delfos taught a masterclass in Cork, Anto Pett visited Den Haag and will come to Barcelona, Karst de Jong visited the Estonian Academy of Music & Theatre and so forth. We strive to give the network more shape and develop it from here in the coming phase of the InnovativeConservatoire. Connecting the InnovativeConservatoire to a new course for students focusing on innovative teaching methods Toms Ostrovskis, Latvian Music Academy The programmes at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music contain courses on innovation in the respective fields of study i.e. Innovation in instrument teaching and innovation in instrumental performance methods. The knowledge base developed at InnovativeConservatoire will be made available to students of the piano department in



digital forms (through local webpages of the study courses and via the InnovativeConservatoire webpage) as well as in printed form. Course content will provide students at undergraduate and postgraduate level with the latest information about new approaches to one-to-one teaching, group teaching, coaching, practicing, masterclasses, professional health and well being and other relevant topics discussed and analysed by the Innovative Conservatoire. Selected materials that have been gathered and created by members of Innovative Conservatoire will be translated and form the bibliographic foundation of the course. Practising & Performing, Health & Well Being Wieke Karsten, Royal Conservatory the Hague In the year 2007/2008 the Royal Conservatoire started courses on practicing and performing, and health and well- being titled Alexander Technique and Practicing in Flow and Effective Practice. Since then the contact with musicians and organizations that are interested in the same subjects in the Netherlands has widened. However, so far, in spite of much effort, participants have hardly met one and another. The same goes for the rest of Europe. As teachers from the Royal Conservatoire we have emphasis on the following projects:

organizing an international symposium on Practising & Performing, Health & Well Being in the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague.

strengthening the network of musicians and organizations who have interest in the same subjects, both in the Netherlands and abroad

collecting links to websites and articles

more activity on the internet. Peer and self-assessment Tine Stolte, Prins Claus Conservatorium This academic year a pilot project to introduce peer assessment and self assessment in the instrumental teaching curriculum of the Prince Claus Conservatoire has been planned. Two groups of instrumental teaching students and their teachers will be involved in this project. The aim is to develop peer and self assessment competences for students. During their teaching practice, students will observe each others’ teaching, and communication skills for giving and receiving feedback will be developed. After practising this over a period of time students will be asked to look into their strengths and the characteristics they want to develop further. At the end of the term, they will write a personal development plan for this particular part of their teacher education and future work placement.

Exploring the principles and practices of coaching/mentoring in teaching Robert Schenck, Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg In spring 2010 I participated in a coaching course together with 15 colleagues from my Academy since the contents and ideology of the course (adhering to the guidelines of the International Coach Federation) were consistent with the goals and approaches of the Innovative Conservatoire. Since then, I have been experimenting with the implementation of coaching techniques and principles in the field of higher music education where they hardly have been used previously. This has helped me to draw from and respect the potential of the students, and question and develop my role as a teacher, not in the least when examining which teaching contexts may or may not be suited to coaching approaches. At the 3rd Innovative Conservatoire, I shared my paper on this subject with colleagues and felt new inspiration afterwards to continue my explorations.



A small Innovative Conservatoire seminar for conservatoires in the Balkan countries Milan Miladinovic, Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, Bojan Martinovic, Music Academy of the University of Montenegro, Marija Misita, Faculty of Music Belgrade, Ivan Otasevic, Academy of Arts in Banja Luka, Dino Mulic, Academy of Music Sarajevo The Balkan countries have a well-developed system of music education, which follows the following pyramid system: Primary music school (6 years), High school of music (4 years), Music Academy - Bachelor of Music (4 years) Masters (1 year) and Doctorate (3 years). It is a traditional, conservative system, which achieves professional results but is not however very open to change and new approaches. The Innovative Conservatoire seminars have provided a fantastic platform for discussing, reflecting, exploring and presenting new approaches, and we hope to organise a small Innovative Conservatoire seminar for conservatoires in the Balkan countries in order to re-established communication and to share experiences and reflections about developments in music pedagogy and to develop a strategy for promoting and implementing new approaches in our institutions. Financial support will be sought from the SIDA project or the AEC in order to make the seminar possible.

Creating a 48hr Innovative Conservatoire seminar in one institution (Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre) Renata Marcinkute-Lesieur, Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre Following the first two seminars, it was clear that this process needed to continue to develop, and that the issues explored during the seminars are important and common to many of us within our own institutions. Time spent together can undoubtedly bring good results for our professional practice, in terms of sharing of experience and solving problems – pedagogical and artistic. I find it difficult, however, to begin such discussion in our institute, and my suggestion for making progress is to invite at least one person from the Innovative Conservatoire group to visit, with a particular focus on one of the main themes, and to use these visits to build a group of 3-5 people within our academy to take the lead in producing an Innovative Conservatoire seminar of our own. The main topics I would like consider are:

Assessment as a form of learning, criteria used for assessment (for instrumentalists, vocalists, actors etc), tension between objectivity and subjectivity in assessing performance, assessment as a form of developing capacity for self-assessment.

Masterclasses – what are they and what do we mean by this word? What different forms of masterclasses might we explore? How can we use masterclasses to increase communication between colleges? How can we provoke curiosity and creativity in the students? Masterclasses as a form of sharing experience among the professors and their different traditions of interpretation and cultural influences.

Improvisation - as an inspiration of creativity as for professors and for students. The continuum of improvisation – composition – interpretation. A focus on the ways in which improvisation in a group helps to develop the capacity to listen, quick reactions, a dynamic, rhythmic and emotional dialogue among the participants. Improvisation in accompaniment – as a stimulation to improve knowledge of harmony, melody, rhythm and form.

Well-being - concentration during performance requires emotional and physical training. There is much work to be done to enable practice for the musician to



value good physical form in a similar way to the way in which it is important for the sportsman. A particular context for musicians working as teachers is that we are often isolated one from the another and from the surrounding world - this isolation creates psychological problems in communication, which also need to be addressed.

Improvising as a tool for understanding and well-being Tapani Heikinheimo & Ulla Raiskio, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences The music teachers at the Metropolia began their academic year in 2010 with a two day improvisation workshop led by Anto Pett. After an introduction, Anto’s exercises were explored in smaller groups of four or five people, and the project finished with everyone together again. All participants volunteered for this project as part of their working contract. Improvising music with colleagues offered a different means of communication compared with conversations usually held about administrative issues. Focusing on music making facilitated our presence and communication as musicians. Through music making we learned more about who we are as individuals, more about our colleagues, and how we may think and express ourselves musically. As an outcome, we felt that improvisation supported the well-being of our community as teachers and musicians. We assume also that more improvisation could stimulate the development of our teaching and learning methods and could perhaps impact on the curriculum as well. In future, we would like to continue and expand this improvisation process with pop and jazz teachers and perhaps with other music colleagues in Finland and abroad. Pilot of assessment criteria relating to collaboration in piano duos, and peer assessment in chamber music Pamela Lidiard, Guildhall School of Music & Drama The first project created and then piloted criteria that could be used to focus on ensemble elements of a performance alongside the extant categories of communication, musical awareness, control of instrument and quality of sound. These were used in various assessments last year, found to be helpful and are now incorporated into our handbooks at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The second project is ongoing. Its primary aim is to encourage students to think more about the process of collaboration, to develop good rehearsal skills and a professional attitude towards ensemble work. Currently the only aspect of ensemble work that we assess is the final performance, yet in the profession a person’s attitude and reliability in rehearsal can be as important as their concert performance. To this end we are asking students to assess other members in their group on organisational skills, level of preparation for rehearsals and attitude in rehearsals. This pilot is taking place in the Chamber Music elective this year.

a five year collaboration in - innovativeconservatoire.com · a five year collaboration in ......

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