ECMA Next Step. Teaching and Learning Chamber Music

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1 ECMA Next Step Teaching and Learning Chamber Music

2 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music ECMA Next Step

3 ECMA and Norwegian Academy of Music. You may copy from this report as long as you specify the author and publisher. The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. Cover photo: David Engmo ISBN (print) ISBN (pdf) Norwegian Academy of Music PO Box 5190 Majorstua NO 0302 OSLO Tel: nmh.no Typesetting and printing: 07 Media, Oslo, 2018

4 Innhold ECMA Next Step strategic partnership 5 The project 5 The outcome 5 The working group 5 Teaching and Learning Manual 7 1. What is ECMA? 8 Facts and reflections on ECMA and its history Institutional background 11 Universität fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien: mdw 11 Joseph Haydn Department for Chamber Music, Early Music and Contemporary Music 11 Master in Chamber Music 13 Content and expected outcomes 13 Curriculum 14 Application 14 Final exam 15 Assessment and grading 15 Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, KC 16 Chamber music on the Bachelor of Music programme 17 Organisation 17 Course content 18 Objectives 18 Assessment 18 Areas of specialisation at the RC 18 Chamber music on the Master of Music programme 19 Practice 19 Research 20 Career development 20 Role and impact of ECMA for the RC 21 Norges musikkhøgskole NMH 21 Chamber Music on the Bachelor Programme 22 Chamber Music on the Master Programme 22 Role and Impact of ECMA for NMH 23 Fondazione Scuola di Musica di Fiesole Onlus SMF 24 Philosophy 24 Chamber music at Scuola di Musica di Fiesole 25 3

5 ECMA Next Step Pre-academic studies 25 Chamber music on the bachelor programme 26 Perfezionamento / Higher Level 26 Tools 28 Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija LMTA 28 Aim of the study programme 30 Curriculum 30 Distinctive features of the study programme 32 The final exam (artistic project) 32 Royal Northern College of Music RNCM 33 Chamber music on the undergraduate programme 33 Chamber music in the Postgraduate Masters/Diploma programme Teaching methodologies case studies 35 No 1 Using a text to understand phrases and rhetorical aspects in music 35 No 2 Conducting can improve sound, phrasing and clear musical gestures (strings) 36 No 3 Flow and performance 37 No 4 Flow and practice 38 No 5 Reading, understanding and realising the score 40 No 6 Connecting to the dramatic aspect of performing chamber music 41 No 7 Embodying the music 43 No 8 Articulating musical opinions 43 No 9 Improvisation 44 No 10 Breathing 45 No 11 Developing a deeper sense of communication within the chamber group 46 No 12 How to shape a musical phrase and add expression where necessary Assessment of chamber music 49 The ECMAster and (International) External Examiners 52 Purpose: why International External Examiners? 53 International external examiners and the ECMAster Assessment Criteria 54 Practical considerations 55 Further experiments with assessment and feedback in chamber music teaching Resources 59 Bibliography 59 Performance practice 62 Music and rhetoric 63 E-documents 63 4

6 ECMA Next Step strategic partnership The project ECMA Next Step is a strategic partnership funded under the European Union s Erasmus+ programme. The project aims to develop new content for the ECMA training programme in terms of curriculum, mobility and recognition and to further develop existing chamber music expertise. Particular focus is given to the pedagogical knowledge and skills of chamber music instructors with a view to strengthening chamber music s position on regular training programmes. One of the main goals of this three-year strategic partnership has been to ensure the utmost quality of chamber music training and proactively meet the challenges and opportunities that the increasing demand for chamber music entails. The outcome ECMA Next Step has had two working groups made up of members from the project partners working on two separate outcomes. One working group has developed a Joint Master Programme in Chamber Music (ECMAster) which is offered at all the partner higher education institutions. The other working group has developed this manual, which contains case studies on teaching and learning chamber music, different approaches to organising chamber music at a higher education institution, views on assessing chamber music and involving external evaluators, and suggested further reading on the topic. The working group The working group has consisted of the following members: Peter Schuhmayer, chair Antonello Farulli and Rita Urbani Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien Fondazione Scuola di Musica di Fiesole Onlus Senior Lecturer in Chamber Music and Violin Professor of Viola and Chamber Music, responsible for the Research Department and Development. Teacher in Research and Development Department 5

7 ECMA Next Step Are Sandbakken Norges musikkhøgskole Professor of Chamber Music Asdis Valdimarsdottir Indrė Baikštytė Laura Jellicoe Tone Jordhus, secretary Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag Lietuvos Muzikos ir Teatro Akademija Royal Northern College of Music Norges musikkhøgskole Teacher of Viola and Chamber Music Associate Professor of Chamber Music and Piano Accompaniment Chamber Music tutor, Head of Flute Senior Adviser, Project Coordinator 6

8 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Teaching and Learning Manual The connecting link for all the activities within the project ECMA Next Step is the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA), which became a synonym for supporting the values of chamber music within our short-lived and materialistic society. This manual is the outcome of the three-year project, consisting of sections which provide informative facts about the state of chamber music at the participating higher education institutions as well as teaching and learning-centred methods and ideas for practical use. The manual might be misunderstood as something you should use in the same way as you would use the manual for your car. In the case of the car manual, there is usually just one way to deal with a problem. This chamber music manual is quite a different story in that it is more a collection of ideas and strategies which may be useful in certain situations in chamber music teaching or just serve as tips or motivation to pursue new paths in student-centred teaching and learning. As a teacher you have to be fairly flexible in providing strategies and ideas for motivating the students, stirring their interest in further development, solving problems and guiding them in improving their skills. In normal chamber music teaching you use your experience or your instinct as a teacher to work with the students. You very rarely write down your experiences or ideas surrounding that process. This document is an attempt to create a record of such day-to-day experiences in higher education institutions in a format accessible to a larger audience. The ECMA website may not only serve as an online database for looking up examples at some point, but also as an open archive which can be updated at any time and enriched with teaching methods. Finally, the bibliography in general contains a collection of selected and mostly easily accessible texts, partly on the internet, on theory, philosophy or artistic research in chamber music and music in general. 7

9 ECMA Next Step 1. What is ECMA? Facts and reflections on ECMA and its history. By Hatto Beyerle ECMA is an adventure and a miracle in our troubled times. Maestro Piero Farulli, former violist of the famous Quartetto Italiano and one of the greatest champions of the preservation of occidental music, and I launched the idea of a European chamber music academy. We called it Academia Europea del Quartetto. Many young musicians have attended the academy in Fiesole. Both of us were motivated by the fact that in our fast-moving and global times our European culture was increasingly in danger of being forgotten or neglected. We started the first sessions in the late nineties together with artists such as Norbert Brainin, Milan Skampa and others. Some years later, after Farulli had died, it became difficult for us to keep the Academia alive. In order to pursue the idea further and because I was still worried about the future of our cultural heritage, I transferred the Academia to Hannover, where I was teaching at the time, and in 2004 to the University of Music and Performing Arts (my alma mater) in Vienna. At the same time we decided to widen the scope from string quartet to all types of chamber music and therefore changed the name to the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA). Since then our baby has grown into one of the most successful institutions of its kind anywhere in the world. ECMA has gained several highly regarded music conservatoires in Europe as partners, such as Universität für Musik und dastellende Kunst Wien (mdw), CNSMD Paris, Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, Norges Musikhøgskole in Oslo, Koninglijk Conservatorium Den Haag, Lietuvos Muzikos ir Teatro Akademija, Hochschule der Künste Bern, and as a special partner the Festival de Musique Pablo Casals in Prades. A great number of ensembles that have trained with ECMA have won prizes in prestigious competitions worldwide (Melbourne, Osaka, Vienna, Bordeaux, Reggio Emilia and Geneva to name a few). This, and other factors, is proof of the success of ECMA. ECMA is different from other institutions of its kind in many ways. Our adventure is based on a collaboration with the partner conservatoires and thrives on our continuing reflections on the content of music with a team of excellent musicians, searching, together with the young musicians, for new solutions to interpretation, 8

10 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Hatto Beyerle. Foto: Gerard Spee searching for common facts in music, philosophy and the natural sciences, searching for the truth in life. All the great artists of the past, such as P. Casals, J. Thibaud, Y. Menuhin, E. Isaye, D. Oistrach, A. Grumiaux, C. Haskil, W. Gieseking and F. Gulda, to name just a few, evoke a feeling of another era, a time where none of them played like the other but everyone was on a life-long search for the truth. That s why we at ECMA are trying to pass on the secrets of music to the next generation; something you can t teach but may discover by studying, thinking and searching yourself, often in contact with the young musicians who come to learn all about music. This is the story of the adventure that is ECMA. At first we, the coaches, had to learn many things about the language of music, such as the grammar of musical rhetoric, and many rhetorical figures, such as the meaning of Anabasis, Katabasis or Abruptio and the meaning of counterpoint and its most sophisticated result: the fugue. We had to learn the facts about tempo (Allegro, Andante, Largo or Presto) to understand it as character, not as a 9

11 ECMA Next Step measurable speed. Next we went from studying contemporary sources to deeper thoughts, and that led us to philosophical questions. We began to learn more about European and Asian philosophy sometimes together with our young ECMA members but all of us far from knowing the truth. We are still trying to understand and to express the deeper sense of the written notes, the secret behind the secret (LaoTse). We are also trying to understand the meaning of Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis (Hegel). We also have to learn how the Theory of Relativity (Einstein) and Quantum Theory (Heisenberg) draw closer to philosophy and music. These are the facts leading us to the concept of adventure. But at ECMA we are also trying to find ways to bring our partners and all our ensembles closer together, bearing in mind the great distances between the countries. We are beginning a continuous search for new solutions, such as using video teaching (teaching over long distances by video). Last but not least, we are seeking funding to meet the cost of the necessary flights the ensembles have to undertake in order to complete their studies at other universities affiliated with our partners in Europe. All this will help us to broaden the horizons of our young musicians. This will be the future of ECMA, an adventure of never-ending ideas. Hatto Beyerle 10

12 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 2. Institutional background Chamber music is strongly supported at all the participating higher education institutions. Yet they offer slightly different strategies and courses to incorporate ensemble performance as one of the core values in musical and instrumental education. Some institutions offer bachelor and master programmes specialising in chamber music, while others highlight chamber music as part of their instrumental studies. There are differences in organisational ideas and assessment procedures as well as in the formation of the panels for auditions and exams. Some colleges use grading systems, while for other institutions just verbal or written feedback seems to be the right strategy. The various facets of chamber music teaching provide an opportunity for inspiring others and learning from each other. New ideas to promote ensemble performance not only for the performance aspect but also as a field of study in its own right are emerging everywhere. Our hope is that chamber music will be a prioritized area in all the higher education institutions, and that initiatives will be supported. The influence of ECMA on all institutions is without a doubt a significant effect shared by all participating institutions. Universität fur Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien: mdw Joseph Haydn Department for Chamber Music, Early Music and Contemporary Music Vienna and chamber music this immediately makes one think of the enormously rich inheritance passed down to us by the vast number of major works within the chamber music repertoire with direct connections to this city: from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert to Brahms, and from the Viennese School, Zemlinsky and many half-forgotten composers of the first half of the 20th century to today, chamber music has been an essential medium of expression for the greatest masters. 11

13 ECMA Next Step On the performance side there were the legendary quartets working with the composers, the Schuppanzigh, Hellmesberger, Rosè and Kolisch Quartets. In the last decades of the 20th century Alban Berg, Artis and a number of other quartets have maintained this tradition. There have been and there are important piano trios (Haydn Trio, Altenberg Trio and Wiener Klaviertrio), and there has always been intensive chamber music activity amongst members of the orchestras in Vienna. In addition to that, this city has had (and still has) an almost unique tradition of ambitious chamber music playing by trained amateur players. Based on these foundations, around 20 years ago mdw decided to make chamber music training an essential part of its performance curricula, which astonishingly enough had not been the case before. Our main goal from the beginning was what we today call empowerment : we want to give young musicians more of the essential tools for their artistic careers. In chamber music our young musicians learn to deal with more than just mastering their own instrument: they learn to listen to what is going on while playing with full immersion, they learn to understand and to feel musical structures and emotions in complex settings, they learn to discuss what they find in the score, they learn to combine theory and playing practice, and they find motivation to do their own research in order to come to their own interpretation of the works they are studying. We are happy to have made this strong move and can confidently confirm that it has proved extremely beneficial to our students and their development! There is now a major chamber music scene at mdw with various levels of intensity. All chamber music training is provided by the Joseph Haydn Department. Chamber music has been a significant mandatory part of every performance curriculum for instrumentalists studying at mdw for almost two decades. After ten years experience of a chamber music major curriculum within the traditional diploma system, chamber music major studies were recently shifted into the Bologna system. For majors in piano chamber music there is a bachelor curriculum, and mdw now offers a master curriculum for chamber music majors for strings (violin, viola, cello), winds (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon) and piano. Chamber music major studies are accessible to individual students. The large number of students enrolled in instrumental performance studies provides a large 12

14 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music pool of potential ensemble partners, since all compulsory chamber music courses for strings, winds and piano as part of the curriculum for instrumental studies are being taught by 14 specialist chamber music teachers from the Joseph Haydn Department. For instrumental students within the diploma system there are chamber music intensive options ( Focus chamber music in years 1 to 4, Profile chamber music in years 5 and 6). All solo and chamber music major students also explore ensemble practice in historical and contemporary performance taught by specialist teachers of the Joseph Haydn Department. Improvisation (basic skills) is now a compulsory part of all curricula. After regular studies (diploma or master) internal and external ensembles and individuals have the opportunity to apply for the postgraduate chamber music course (normally one year, maximum two years). Regular studies are (for the time being) free of tuition fees for EU citizens. For non-eu citizens and postgraduate students there are moderate fees (between 350 and 800 euros per semester). mdw is carrying out a substantial reform of all curricula. The process is due to be completed in the next 6 years, providing increased individualisation for students and more cross-disciplinary options. mdw provides a multitude of performing platforms and has a network of partners among selected concert promoters including the Musikverein and the Konzerthaus Vienna. Online teaching is so far not included in the actual chamber music studies but mdw s state-of-the-art technical equipment (LOwLAtency system) is regularly used for international co-operation, masterclasses and partnership projects. Master in Chamber Music Content and expected outcomes Due to their highly developed professional standards, graduates are able to create their own musical concepts and present them on a most convincing artistic level. They are able to understand artistic processes and concepts and to work with them on the basis of their highly advanced instrumental and ensemble playing skills. 13

15 ECMA Next Step They have learned to communicate within a group and can identify and solve unexpected problems in musical practice. Graduates are accepting musical responsibilities within a group in artistic aspects, and they are interacting on a high social and ethical level. They have the ability to use strategic knowledge to establish themselves in the music market. They have gathered wide-ranging experience of the main chamber music repertoire in different styles and formations and are able to use and communicate their expertise on performance and theory to experts and non-experts alike. On the basis of their acquired artistic and scientific values they are equipped for autonomous further development. Curriculum The curriculum on the master programme (4 semesters) offers a wide range of compulsory and elective subjects for developing not only performance skills but also skills such as career planning and repertoire development, mental training strategies, rehearsal techniques and recording. The master curriculum comprises 120 ECTS in total, including 103 ECTS for compulsory subjects (chamber music coaching and instrumental training, performance techniques in contemporary music and on historical instruments, applied music theory, repertoire contextualisation, history of interpretation, music market, improvisation, production of a recording, research methods and preparation of the master thesis). Electives to be chosen from a vast range of courses (9 ECTS) and the master thesis (8 ECTS) complete the curriculum. The master thesis can be done as a full research thesis or as an artistic project with an obligatory written part. Application The chamber music master is available to ensembles and individuals. In the case of a pre-existing ensemble the application is still done individually. A bachelor, master or diploma programme on the applicable instrument (as mentioned previously) must have been completed before starting the chamber music master. The degree should be presented at the time of enrolment at the latest. Proof of German language skills at level B-1 is a prerequisite for enrolment/inscription. 14

16 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music All candidates have to pass an entrance audition. The audition panel consists of mdw teachers from all instruments groups (strings, winds, piano). Before the audition the candidates must pass a music theory test in the morning on the day of the audition. In the audition applicants present: I) Solo: selection from the main repertoire II) Chamber music: two pieces from two different chamber music categories III) Prima vista playing (sight-reading) More information about the audition programme can be found on the mdw website. Auditions take place in late April / early May. The first semester starts the following October. A successful audition remains valid for one full academic year. Final exam At the end of the four semesters and following approval of the master thesis the exam consists of two parts: Performance in front of a jury of piano, string and wind experts, which selects from the prepared repertoire. Duration approx. 40 minutes. If successful, candidates are invited to perform in a Public concert The final exam repertoire should include eight major works in different chamber music combinations and one substantial instrumental solo work (or parts of different solo works). Graduates receive a certificate with the academic grade Master of Arts. Assessment and grading The assessment criteria developed by the ECMA Next Step Working Group have been in use since The grading system is Very good 2-Good 3-Satisfactory 4-Sufficient 5-Insufficient 15

17 ECMA Next Step mdw and the Joseph Haydn Department have been actively involved ever since the very start of the initiative that eventually became ECMA. The combination of building a diverse chamber music scene at home and cooperating on the highest possible international level has proved most fruitful and effective. A number of ensembles could grow from our department into ECMA and finally make their successful way in the music market. The existence of ensembles at an international award-winning level inspires all students, and it has helped establishing a general acceptance of the value and importance of chamber music. ECMA has been coordinated from Vienna since 2007, closely connected with but still independent from the Joseph Haydn Department. With the launch of the ECMAster in 2019 we will step into a new era of this successful development. Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, KC Chamber music is increasingly gaining popularity around the world, and as this is happening the teaching of this subject is also gaining momentum. New chamber music courses are being set up everywhere, and there are more excellently trained young professional chamber music groups than ever before. This highlights the fact that chamber music training at a high level is one of the most effective ways of training young musicians for whatever facet of the music world they will eventually join: as orchestral musicians, as soloists, as teachers or indeed as chamber or ensemble musicians. The Royal Conservatoire is following this trend with a master programme for chamber music and an expansion of chamber music opportunities in all years of the undergraduate programme. By studying chamber music, students learn about the different layers of musicianship. They learn how to communicate musically, how to support other voices with their own, how to shine when it is their moment, and how to fit into and expand the tapestry of the music. They are challenged with the technical demands of achieving a high level of ensemble. They get an opportunity to delve into great masterworks in the repertoire, not only from a performance point of view but also in terms of analysing the work with a theory teacher who works with every group at the Royal Conservatoire. They learn about working closely with others and all the challenges this brings. They learn about planning, 16

18 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music how to think ahead and how to arrange performance opportunities. In chamber music lessons it is possible to focus on working with individual students on their particular challenges in a way that is not possible in larger ensembles. Therefore the learning is deeper and quicker, and the musician gains many facilities that would otherwise take much longer to train. This is why investing in chamber music training is a vital part of the Royal Conservatoire s philosophy. Chamber music on the Bachelor of Music programme At the Royal Conservatoire The Hague (RC) we offer chamber music lessons from the second semester of the Bachelor of Music programme. The students are encouraged to start their own groups in the first year of study. They can have lessons from their second semester and throughout the four years of the bachelor programme if they so wish. Chamber music is compulsory only in the second and third years of study. In general the students are offered up to ten lessons per group during the course of the year, but they are allowed to participate in up to four groups, so some of the more proactive students end up having a lot more lessons than that. Organisation Students generally form the group themselves and pass their information to the course coordinator. If they are not able to find others to work with, they will be helped with forming a group. One of the members of each group acts as the main contact and is responsible for organising the lessons with the allocated teacher of their group. The head of the Classical department and some members of the chamber music teaching team assess and approve the composition of the groups and their choice of repertoire, bearing in mind the level of the students and the various educational aspects. The coordination and organisation of the ensembles is done by a theory teacher who also works with the students on the analyses of their chosen repertoire. The groups are usually allocated one teacher who will work with them throughout the year and, depending on the composition of the group, sometimes they will be offered lessons by two or three different teachers, for example in the case of groups with mixed wind and strings or piano. The students receive four lessons of ninety minutes each per term and at least one lesson with a theory teacher to analyse the music they are working on in terms of harmony and structure to enhance their understanding of the music. The chamber music lessons are taught by the main subject teachers, most of whom are active chamber music performers alongside their teaching careers. From time to time there are master classes by visiting artists. 17

19 ECMA Next Step Course content On the chamber music course the main focus is on the various specific skills required for ensemble playing such as unifying the articulation, pulse and sound production, understanding the context and structure of the work and looking for a unified interpretation. Much emphasis is put on teaching good rehearsal techniques and ways of breaking down ensemble problems in order to gain an understanding of how to build a good ensemble. The students are encouraged to apply for performance opportunities around The Hague made available through the school. They need to plan and organise this themselves; it prepares them for life outside the RC. Objectives By the end of this course the student has studied in depth and performed representative ensemble repertoire; is able to analyse a composition and incorporate this in the rehearsal process; has developed effective rehearsal techniques, including planning, cooperation, studying repertoire, dealing with critique and communicating within the ensemble setting; is able to demonstrate artistic development and craftsmanship; and can communicate musically in performance. Assessment Each ensemble has an opportunity to perform their repertoire before a panel in the early part of December. This is not a graded exam; it provides an opportunity for the teaching team to observe the work in progress and a goal for the students to work towards. By the end of February the teachers indicate whether the students have been attending lessons and working to a satisfactory level. If they have done satisfactory work, they will be approved to perform in a festival of chamber music that takes place in April at various innovative venues in the neighbourhood of the RC. The following elements have priority in the assessment: Perfection of playing is subordinate to the process. If an ensemble is approved to perform, they cannot fail: the chamber music festival offers a stage for a serious performance. The panel committee offers immediate verbal feedback after the performance and a written report for the ensemble and each member of the group. This transforms an exam situation into a learning experience. Areas of specialisation at the RC On the bachelor programme students in the classical department are able to choose an elective module from the other departments. The RC has a particularly strong historical performance department, and the students can work with active 18

20 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music performers in that field. For example, this means that a string quartet working on a Haydn quartet can have a session with a teacher from the early music department. The RC places much importance on understanding the harmonic structure of music. It therefore offers every chamber music group an opportunity to analyse their repertoire with a theory teacher. The RC has very strong links to contemporary music with a flourishing composition department. On the chamber music master programme every group will be linked to a master student in the composition department to work on a new composition. The RC also has a strong focus on improvisation. Several teachers are experts in various kinds of improvisation, ranging from tonal improvisation and improvisation in early music to free improvisation. This focus on improvisation has recently been extended to encompass the use of digital technologies: students at the conservatoire have been involved in a highly innovative experiment to improvise online in real-time with students at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. Chamber music on the Master of Music programme The Royal Conservatoire has been offering a new master specialisation in chamber music since September 2015 for highly motivated chamber music ensembles with ambitions to pursue a career in chamber music. An ensemble is allocated three coaches: one for ensemble work, one for research and a third for career development. Together they support the ensemble in building a national and international career and generating the ensemble s profile. The chamber music master curriculum comprises three main parts: practice, research and career development. Ensembles can also take modules from the regular master programme curriculum. Practice Chamber music classes three hours a week. In addition students will have individual classes of half an hour a week (or an hour each fortnight). Each ensemble is affiliated to a master student of composition. Coached by a composition teacher, the student, in close cooperation with the ensemble, will compose one or more pieces for the ensemble. Ensembles may attend classes in historical performance practice for the relevant repertoire in the early music department. Incidental improvisation classes are also part of the study programme in order to support the artistic development of the ensemble as a whole and as individual students. 19

21 ECMA Next Step Research A research project gives students the opportunity to do research together as an ensemble on subjects that serve to foster the ensemble s artistic development, such as building up their repertoire, their relationship with their audience, exploring historical performance practice, and interpretation or performance science. The ensemble is allocated a dedicated research coach for this purpose whose expertise in the subject of choice provides specific guidance on carrying out their research. A coach may be someone from outside the conservatoire, for instance a leading international musician or researcher. Career development The challenge for the ensemble is to develop its own artistic profile with guidance from a career development coach. Moreover, the coach can give specific help in cultivating contacts in the world of venues, concert impresarios, educative and creative entrepreneurship and can provide advice about drafting a business plan. The ensemble s development is being supported in other ways as well: Ensembles attend the Project Management and Performance & Communication Skills modules on the New Audiences and Innovative Practice (NAIP) master programme. Ensembles gain experience of the recording studio and work on compiling a digital portfolio in conjunction with sound recording students from the Art of Sound department. Ensembles are expected to give regular recitals. The Career Development Office at the conservatoire and the annual chamber music festival offer numerous opportunities for this. Ensembles are also expected to actively explore openings for giving concerts and other activities that are appropriate to their ambitions and their profile as an ensemble. The study programme links up with existing career development activities, which includes the Festival Classique in The Hague. Admission is based on an entrance examination for which ensembles will be required to prepare compositions from three different stylistic periods (classical/ romantic up to and including early 20th century/post-1950). The master presentation at the end of the first academic year and the final presentation at the end of the second year will comprise a concert or series of concerts that the ensemble has organised and will include compositions connected with the other parts of the curriculum, from the research part or from their collaboration with the student studying composition. 20

22 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music From the academic year the master specialisation in chamber music will be incorporated into the European Chamber Music Master ECMAster in cooperation with the European Chamber Music Academy ECMA. Role and impact of ECMA for the RC The Netherlands is a small country. Joining the ECMA opens a fabulous window of international exchange opportunities for our students. This exchange goes in both directions. Our students get an opportunity to travel to the other ECMA institutions and breathe in the music-making traditions of the other institutions and their students and professors, and the whole of the RC benefits enormously when we host an ECMA session and from all the inspiring lessons and concerts available to anyone who wants to listen. The exploration of our European cultural heritage through music and the ongoing search for new creative potential and innovative ways of making music captured within the ECMA spirit have a life-changing impact on everyone involved. Norges musikkhøgskole NMH Chamber music and ensemble playing are key components of the study programmes offered by NMH. Over the years the institution has worked to expand its chamber music activities and build chamber music expertise. Chamber music is an important learning activity for all aspiring musicians, not only those who wish to pursue chamber music as the focal point of their career, but also those who hope to work as orchestral musicians or soloists. As a learning activity, chamber music is quite simply a highly effective way for a musician to hone every aspect of their skill set. The chamber music programme at NMH is headed up by a dedicated professor of chamber music and a chamber music committee with members from different instrument groups. An administrator is responsible for co-ordinating the chamber music activities. Bachelor and master students on all performance courses are offered chamber music tuition in every year of study. Chamber music and ensemble playing are important activities in all genres. The specific term chamber music is used on the classical study programmes, but ensemble performance is also mandatory on the 21

23 ECMA Next Step jazz and folk music courses, although they tend to use different terminology. In the following the term chamber music is used regardless of genre. Chamber Music on the Bachelor Programme Chamber music is a compulsory subject for all bachelor students from year 1 to year 4. New chamber ensembles with new repertoire are set up every semester, but the students may also choose to sustain their existing constellations over time. Students are encouraged to propose repertoire, ensemble make-up and coaches. The majority of the students make their proposals by the given deadline, and some students wish to join multiple ensembles. Students who have not submitted their proposals are assigned to an ensemble. Each ensemble receives ten hours of tuition every semester, but the students are also expected to rehearse together without a coach. At least 20 minutes of repertoire must be performed in public every semester, usually at a concert. The students must organise the concert themselves, and it may take place at NMH or elsewhere. If the coach is unable to attend an external concert, the students must document the concert with a video or audio recording. Students are assessed in chamber music every semester with either a pass or a fail mark. In year 3 or 4 of the bachelor programme the students may take chamber music as an elective course in addition to the mandatory chamber music module. The elective module lasts one year and involves permanent ensembles. Each ensemble is assigned four different teachers: one performance / chamber music coach, one aural skills teacher, one theory/harmony teacher and one analyst/composer. The teachers meet three times a year to coach the student ensembles as a group. The rest of the year they coach the ensembles individually, and the students benefit from a wide range of impulses thanks to their different approaches. The students must also write a reflective paper, and each semester concludes with a big exam concert where the reflective paper is also presented. The subject is assessed with either a pass or a fail mark. Students may opt to include chamber music as an element in their principal instrument exam. Chamber Music on the Master Programme Students on the Master of Music Performance programme may incorporate chamber music if they so wish: Master students may take chamber music as an elective subject. The module sees the student affiliated to a permanent ensemble for one year. 22

24 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Master students may include chamber music as a component in their master project. Master students may opt to complete all or parts of their master degree as a chamber music ensemble, either as an ensemble set up in the first semester of the course or by applying to the programme as an existing ensemble. A European chamber music master programme has been planned for 2019 as a collaboration between NMH and six other European music education institutions. The programme is aimed at established ensembles wishing to focus on chamber music as the mainstay of their careers. An important event in the chamber music calendar at NMH is the annual chamber music week, which takes place every autumn. No ordinary teaching takes place that week: everyone s attention is on chamber music. The event takes the form of a festival, and student activities are at the heart of proceedings, including performances by ensembles in all kinds of formations and genres as well as masterclasses, lectures and other relevant tuition. Every year one or more top international musicians are invited to put their stamp on the event. Every winter a chamber music competition is held for the academy s student ensembles. The jury is broadly made up of NMH teachers. Norwegian concert promoters are invited to the finale and offer performance opportunities to the best ensembles. The winning ensembles also receive funding from the Academy to go on study trips abroad. Role and Impact of ECMA for NMH NMH s annual ECMA session takes place the first week after Easter every year. During the Oslo session we always seek to provide robust academic content in the form of themed lectures and a distinct profile for the week in addition to three concerts. We also invite leading European educators to give talks. A number of NMH teachers are involved in one way or another, and we want every Norwegian session to include some Norwegian specialities such as folk music and folk dancing, teaching models and research methodologies developed in Scandinavia etc. Being part of the diversity of Europe through ECMA is of the utmost importance to the chamber music programme at NMH, and we see our ECMA session as an exclusive highlight in the chamber music calendar. 23

25 ECMA Next Step Fondazione Scuola di Musica di Fiesole Onlus SMF Philosophy The present contribution is based on a profound conviction reinforced by a long history relative to the practice of chamber music both as an educational certainty (on which the Music School of Fiesole itself is founded) and as an expression of the highest professionalism demonstrated by the artistic achievements achieved over a period of sixteen years by the European Academy of the Quartet, a founding member of the ECMA. Over the last fifty years instrumental pedagogy has changed from mere instruction of a practical ability, that of playing, to an educational reality tout court. In this sense, instrumental pedagogy registers an important delay compared to pedagogy seen as a whole. Educating the human being through musical instruction appears to be an important adventure for future decades in the discovery of the infinite capabilities of human intellect. Within this framework, chamber music and its teaching see the development of a number of tools for the evolution and improvement of musical performance thanks in part to the work done by the European Chamber Music Academy. However, in our opinion not enough importance is given to a series of components that evade the educator and the tutor because they represent a truth that does not appear on paper, rather they exist in the musical text or in artistic or cultural skills. There are many, perhaps too many, ensembles, sometimes even the best, that do not have the opportunity to perform because they are troubled by internal psychological dynamics that prevent them from persisting. These group psychological dynamics are very complex and must be taken seriously. Ensembles such as the string quartet, rather than the trio with piano, impose an almost daily attendance for many hours and for many, many years. Knowing and understanding how to manage one s own and others emotions is one of the keys to the success of a group, and the ensemble is the ultimate exercise for the development and maturation of a personality. The intent of this paper is therefore to outline in a synthetic way some of the knowledge that today seems to represent the essential prerequisites of good teaching of chamber music, especially if the teaching is aimed at ensembles that have the expectation of making music their profession. 24

26 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Along with these aspects, the profound conviction about the benefits of the practice of chamber music imposes its diffusion on society at any level of study. Music education is a sophisticated and expensive practice which belongs to a culture constantly threatened by the exiguity of its audience in every country. The communication of its emotional and cultural contents must see facilitating channels such as peer education that allow, at the same time, a wider diffusion and sharing with contained costs. The great violinist and pedagogue Ivan Galamian said: The maximum result that a teacher should obtain is to make the student self-sufficient in the shortest possible time (I. Galamian, Principles of violin playing and teaching, New Jersey, 1962). It seems clear to us that in a framework of consideration of the development of intelligence, chamber music needs further reflection on the ability of the subjects to make their own the concepts that come from the teacher. What better way to demonstrate that acquisition than to share and return it to peers? And what more true means in effectively managing communication than one s body? And certainly, the practice of chamber music, which at the school is an integral part of the training since the beginning of the study of the instrument, is an extraordinary tool for leading the student towards autonomy. Chamber music at Scuola di Musica di Fiesole Pre-academic studies Ensemble music is encouraged from the first approach to the instrument. Micromusici and Piccolissimi Musici are the first instrumental ensembles to welcome children who are new to the study of string instruments. Micromusici welcomes children from 4 years of age, and Piccolissimi Musici from 6 to 12. When the children reach a more advanced level on their instrument, they start lessons in chamber music, having already developed a sense of rhythm, intonation and the ability to listen to each other. There are five chamber music teachers. The chamber music course is a compulsory course of study. Students choose the chamber music or the quartet class. The weekly lessons last an hour and a half and take place from October to June. During the year there are numerous opportunities for performing in public. Once a year between February and March there is a chamber music weekend which involves all classes. Every semester there are in-class concerts as well as a music festival, which sees the whole school involved on 24 June each year. For the best formations 25

27 ECMA Next Step identified by the Director, participation in the production activities of the School is encouraged. Chamber music on the bachelor programme Premise The courses are divided into chamber music courses (e.g. trio with piano) and string quartets. Both courses are compulsory. Every student has the opportunity to be part of several ensembles. The lessons start in the first semester and conclude at the end of the three-year period. The weekly lessons last two hours and involve different teachers for a total duration of 27 hours per year. There are three teachers. Content The courses place particular emphasis on developing an awareness of the structure of the selected works and on the interpretation with respect to context. The teacher s choice of repertoire is made with the aim of developing the skills of playing together and encouraging students to get used to dealing with different jobs to develop more models of interpretation. The performance is considered an important moment in training. Therefore, students are offered the opportunity to play in public and participate in the production activities of the school. Assessment The admission exam is held every year in November, and the examiners are internal teachers. During the course, intermediate exams are scheduled. Once a year there is an exam where the panel consists of three internal teachers, one of which is the tutor of the ensemble. The final exam takes place at the end of the three years. The examination panel is made up of both internal and external teachers. Relations with other departments. Teachers of contemporary music collaborate with all departments both in the three-year period and in the pre-academic module. Perfezionamento / Higher Level AEQUA European Academy of the Quartet was founded in 2002 at the School of Music in Fiesole following an initiative by Piero Farulli. AEQUA consists of two parts: Annual Course and one annual ECMA-session: 26

28 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Annual Course The European Quartet Academy is the most important educational-artistic event dedicated to the string quartet in Italy. Thanks to an enduring and solid collaboration with the European Chamber Music Academy, a summer session is held every year in July and culminates every two years with the prestigious V. Rimbotti Prize. From 2015 the Academy has organised activities throughout the entire year. Lead Professor is Miguel Da Silva, the other teacher is Professor Andrea Nannoni. Antonello Farulli coordinates the course. The aim of the course is to intensely concentrate the work that the ensembles study with their professors at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole. It offers a rich array of concert and promotional opportunities as well as supporting activities. One group among those enrolled will be chosen to represent the school in the ECMA sessions, and several groups may be chosen to participate in the ECMA summer session. Concerts held at other institutions are also planned. At the professor s discretion, the best students may be chosen to give recitals during the year. There are eight intensive work sessions with lessons on Fridays and Saturdays. The course has several active groups as well as a number of auditors. The latter may be offered an opportunity to attend classes and also to receive lessons. The course is accessed through an exam. The admission panel is made up of the three teachers from the course. The organisation of the course and the teaching is based on the evaluation of the different phases of growth of the ensemble. The life of each ensemble meets different historical moments, obstacles and necessities: personal crises, differences in perspectives, different needs in life. These aspects must be identified by the teacher and used to accompany the development of the group. For this reason, the number of lessons provided is flexible and linked to the artistic and professional phase of the group. ECMA-session The project includes a summer session to be held at the Fiesole Music School. Other sessions will be held throughout the year by the various institutional partners. The main objectives of the project are: Performance styles. Future meetings between quartets and theorists are planned where the different violin school styles will be compared. There will also be collaborations between musicians and modern-day composers. In-depth study text analysis. Acquisition of materials and original scores. Performance techniques, with the possibility of performing in public concerts and then studying the audio and video recordings. 27

29 ECMA Next Step Tools Execution time. Nec manus, nisi intellectus, sibi permissus, multam valent: instrumentis et auxilibus res perficitur/la mano nuda e l intelletto abbandonato a se stesso servono poco. Per compiere le opere sono necessari strumenti e mezzi d aiuto Human hand and intelligence, alone, are powerless: what gives them power are tools and assistants provided by culture. Execution time is a tool inspired by this enlightening phrase by Francis Bacon. Proficiency can be improved only through practice. Musical interludes at Villa La Fonte (100 metres from the school) are therefore scheduled for every day of the session during which each group can ascertain the progress made during their lessons. Peer education Music is an asset to be shared (Piero Farulli). The best groups are asked to hold lessons for young ensembles of the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in order to share with them the ideas and experiences they have acquired, seeing that all are inspired by the same enthusiasm for music. Lietuvos muzikos ir teatro akademija LMTA The Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (LMTA) is an internationally recognised higher education institution which trains artists for a professional career in music, theatre, dance and film. Specialising in arts education, the Academy also offers the didactics of music disciplines, art management and art research studies, which combined with artistic and creative practice make the Academy s profile distinguished. Degree studies in Music (Music Performance, Composition, Sound Directing, Musical Folklore, Music Theory and Criticism), Theatre and Film, Dance (classical and contemporary), Pedagogy Art Studies and Music Therapy are available. Since the year 2011 the Academy has also offered an artistic doctorate (4-year third cycle studies). The institution offers a bachelor degree for solo instruments which takes four years (eight semesters). On the undergraduate (bachelor) course there are exams each semester. The dates are December/January for the first session and May/June 28

30 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music for the second session. Solo instrument students have obligatory chamber ensemble studies from the third to the eighth semester: strings/piano woodwind/piano string quartet There is a list of subjects which conclude in exams (practical and theory) with the different scores listed in the annex to the bachelor diploma. Chamber music is one of them. The sum of the scores (solo instrument, chamber exams plus interview) counts as the entrance score for the Chamber Magister degree. Upon completion the students may decide to continue their solo instrumental education or switch to the Master of Chamber Ensemble programme. Master of Chamber Ensemble is open to individual players. If the students scores from the bachelor exam (instrument and chamber music) meet the requirements for the Master of Chamber Ensemble, they just have to complete an interview based on selected questions from the study programme: analysis of the programme performed during the exam in terms of its content, form and style different editions of the works performed comparison of interpretations by famous performers, knowledge of the course literature If a candidate completed their bachelor earlier or at another higher education institution, they will be asked to perform solo, in a chamber ensemble or both in a chamber ensemble and a string quartet/wind quintet (40 45 min.). The entrance exam takes place at the end of June. The audition panel consists of LMTA teachers from all instrument groups (strings, winds, piano). The master programme takes four semesters to complete. The chamber music department employs 14 teachers who only teach chamber music. Students are able (and encouraged) to choose a teacher. Students have the opportunity to receive lessons from other teachers, and some students already request this. It is called the principle of open class. However, this arrangement occasionally falls short of its objectives due to lack of time, space and scope. In the absence of certain specialties, resident professional musicians are employed to help form a permanent ensemble or assist with the entrance exams. Students are asked to choose not only their teacher but also the formation and members of the group. Based on their requests the Head of Department forms the 29

31 ECMA Next Step groups. They stay together for as long as they are happy with the group it could be all four semesters. Changes to the group may be made after one academic year (two semesters) or, in very rare cases, after one semester. Chamber ensemble performance is an obligatory subject for solo instrument master students, but they may also choose to play in other groups, for example with chamber ensemble master degree students. Aim of the study programme To train professional and socially active musicians who meet the country s artistic demands, who nurture the continuity of cultural traditions, and who encourage regeneration and creativity. The study programme aims to educate mature and professional performers, ensemble artists, who through their work and expression of high-level artistic and other advanced ideas are able to impact on the development of art, culture and art education within the country and beyond its borders. Master students improve on the performance skills acquired during their bachelor studies, fostering their capacity for independent study, learning business communication skills, cultivating their intellect and expanding their erudition, and combining artistic practice with artistic research. Curriculum The curriculum on the master programme (four semesters) offers a wide range of subjects for developing not only performance skills but also skills such as career planning, repertoire development and rehearsal techniques. All lectures are held once a week. In total the master curriculum comprises 120 ECTS: chamber ensemble studio solo instrument music interpretation history and theory history of instrumental ensemble music foundations of the research paper research paper (a comprehensive written study of pages) training as assistant teachers arts policy and the development of professional arts LMTA has eight assessment criteria for artistic expression. 30

32 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Mastery and artistry with regard to: understanding the artistic idea appropriate performance of the selected repertoire in terms of the text artistic sound quality sense of style sense of the genre and form; virtuosic and artistic skills at an appropriate level repertoire conforming to the requirements of the study programme with regard to individual skills 10-grade assessment system where every score point has a specific verbal explanation. Assessment Motivation of assessment Excellent. Mastery and artistry. Exceptionally artistic and masterful performance of the repertoire in terms of the music text, demonstrating virtuosity and a clear understanding of the style, genre and form. Very good. Mastery. Clear and masterful performance of the repertoire in terms of the music text, demonstrating essential virtuosity and a clear understanding of the style, genre and form. Good. Basic skills of music performance. Orderly performance of the selected repertoire in terms of the text, but lacking one or several outlined skills: virtuosity or an understanding of style, genre and form. Highly satisfactory. Average skills of music performance. Formal performance of the repertoire with occasional mistakes, demonstrating average artistic skills. Satisfactory. Satisfactory skills of music performance. Disorderly performance of the repertoire, demonstrating satisfactory artistic skills related to virtuosity and understanding of style, genre and form. Sufficient. Poor skills of music performance. Poor performance of the music repertoire in terms of artistry, virtuosity and understanding of style, genre and form, with numerous mistakes. Insufficient. Insufficient performance of the music repertoire with regard to the established assessment criteria. 31

33 ECMA Next Step Distinctive features of the study programme The emphasis is on students acquiring international experience by choosing to conduct part of their studies abroad as part of an exchange programme. Improvement of the students profession-based competencies is encouraged in an informal manner (via participation in masterclasses, concert activities and competitions). Collaboration with artists from other fields such as participation in interdisciplinary art industry projects and international activities is also encouraged. The final assessment of students profession-based and general competencies takes place during the final exam period, as competencies are taught according to the principle of continuity. The final exam (artistic project) During their studies the students participate in the following ensembles: String players: chamber ensemble, string quartet and early music ensemble. Woodwind players: chamber ensemble, wind quintet and early music ensemble. Pianists: two different chamber ensembles and early music ensemble. The final exam (artistic project) is a recital programme lasting minutes and consisting of three complete chamber music works in all of the aforementioned ensemble constellations (e.g. chamber ensemble, string quartet and early music (optional) for string players). The examination panel consists of LMTA teachers from all instrument groups (strings, winds, piano) headed by an external examiner (most often international). Students receive their professional qualification upon completion of their Master of Chamber Ensemble degree. Master graduates holding a degree from the music performance programme (specialisation chamber ensemble) have the opportunity to further their studies by undertaking a PhD. LMTA has been an active member of ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) since For a small country like Lithuania, participation in this organisation is a major and invaluable experience. The first Lithuanian ensemble to be part of ECMA the FortVio piano trio says: Ever since we first heard of ECMA, it was our dream to become a member. ECMA allows you not only to expand your horizons in terms of musical perception, but also to enhance your communication skills and didactic knowledge while having a chance to immerse yourself in the cultures of other countries. For our lives and our 32

34 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music career together, we view ECMA as being of inestimable value, and we re very glad that we can be part of it. Royal Northern College of Music RNCM During their time at the RNCM students will benefit from a thriving and energetic programme of chamber music coaching, delivered within the RNCM International Chamber Music Studio, led by pianist Jeremy Young. Chamber music on the undergraduate programme Chamber music (or ensemble activities) is a compulsory part of the first and second year undergraduate course. During induction week students will be assisted in forming an ensemble that they will work with over the course of the year. They will receive a minimum of 10 hours of chamber music coaching over the course of the year and be expected to take part in chamber music performance classes, targeted lectures and optional chamber competitions. In the first year the module aims to develop and refine interpretative, collaborative and rehearsal skills under expert tuition. Students will develop the ability to explore ensemble repertoire in a variety of historical styles and with varying technical demands and develop skills in teamwork and group management. In years 1 and 2 the ensemble will be assessed by a tutor report written by the ensemble s principal chamber music tutor. The tutor gives continuous assessment throughout the year, and students are required to produce written self-evaluations at the end of the academic year. Students may choose to continue their chamber music activities in years 3 and 4 as a credit-based module and will similarly receive 10 hours of coaching. They will be expected to be more accomplished communicators as part of an ensemble, feel secure in developing nuanced and refined interpretations and to demonstrate mature individual problem-solving skills as part of a collaborative group. Students in years 3 and 4 will be expected to additionally participate in public masterclasses and to show excellent commitment to their ensembles. In years 3 and 4 students are assessed on a performance lasting between 20 and 30 minutes. In year 4 the student ensembles are additionally expected to collaborate with RNCM student composers and other instrumentalists as part of their recital programme. 33

35 ECMA Next Step Chamber music in the Postgraduate Masters/Diploma programme At postgraduate master/diploma level, admission to the chamber music module is through prior experience of ensemble playing either by way of a brief portfolio, audition or list of prior achievements. Ensembles will receive 15 hours of expert chamber music tuition throughout the year in which they will be expected to broaden their core knowledge and skills by consolidating and developing their ability to perform as part of a chamber ensemble. They will learn through the experience of rehearsing and performing with their peers and receive training at an advanced level. All students have access to chamber music masterclasses, performance classes and internal competitions. They will be assessed on a performance lasting minutes and a viva voce in which they must demonstrate a high degree of technical assurance, interpretative insight and excellent ensemble communication skills. They should demonstrate advanced knowledge of their particular genre and an awareness of their roles in a chamber music setting. Chamber ensembles are self-motivating groups fostering initiative, teamwork and commitment. At all levels at the RNCM students may choose to build on their skills by pursuing some of the many exciting and varied options on offer, including the annual International Chamber Music Festival and the European Chamber Music Academy session. Key features which demonstrate the strength of the RNCM s chamber music programme include: An international dedicated chamber music staff. The annual International Chamber Music Festival which consists of visiting artist recitals, high-profile performance opportunities for current students, masterclasses and lectures. Close links with some of the most important international chamber music centres and organisations. Recent exchanges include groups from France, Austria, Finland, Italy, Singapore and Australia. Since 2007 the RNCM has been the sole UK partner institution of the European Chamber Music Academy, linking up with and offering teaching experience at conservatoires in Vienna, Helsinki, Paris, Hannover, Vilnius, Fiesole, Oslo and The Hague. 34

36 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 3. Teaching methodologies case studies The background for collecting teaching methods from first-hand experiences, helpful advice and new strategies from the members of the working group is an attempt to start the creation of a knowledge pool for chamber music education from a practical perspective. The pool will never be complete, and it should always be open to further adjustments or additions. The collection as presented here includes methods for improving sound production, articulation, ensemble skills and development of personal expression. Furthermore, the collection highlights the values of intense analysis of the score and offers exercises for improvisation training, breathing and relaxation techniques. Some of the topics will also be featured through visual examples in the project videos. These videos can be found on the ECMA web-page: The described methods might be helpful at all levels in chamber music education, but they do not represent a certain philosophy or unified teaching method. Rather it is a collection of important values to boost effectiveness in chamber music teaching in general. No 1 Using a text to understand phrases and rhetorical aspects in music The idea of understanding music as a kind of conversation has its roots in the use of rhetorical figures in ancient Greece and resolutely found its way into music in 18th-century France. JS Bach also used many rhetorical elements in his works, but the strongest advocate in chamber music focusing on conversational aspects was Joseph Haydn. Following this trail leads us to a practical way of combining language and music which might be used in chamber music coaching. In order to achieve clear articulation and various kinds of intensities within a phrase, it is helpful to find a text for musical motives. 35

37 ECMA Next Step One of the particular qualities of speech is that the words never stretch the intensity until the very end of each syllable, and the meaning is built through a longer context between the words. The same happens in music: the context of single notes is building a phrase which rises to a peak before relaxing again, although this does not necessarily happen continuously on each note. Finding a suitable text and then singing (or at least speaking) it can serve as a great tool for experiencing the natural flow within a phrase. As soon as the students try to follow the text on their instruments, the understanding of the phrase becomes more obvious, and less theoretical explanation is required by the teacher. It helps to shape single notes in terms of sound production and proper use of vibrato as it supports the natural flow within a phrase and melodic line. If you understand the message and content of the music, it is easier to find your personal way of expressing it. At the end are the rhetorical elements such as exclamatio, interrogatio, suspiratio etc.; the composer s code which allow us to understand and present the meaning of the musical gestures even without words. No 2 Conducting can improve sound, phrasing and clear musical gestures (strings) Some players in chamber music groups are suffering from a complete absence of personal expression both on their instrument and in the communication process within the ensemble. If they are unable to find a way to remove their physical (and emotional?) blocks during playing and never reach a minimum level of personal expression, it may be worth giving it a try and letting them conduct the music instead of playing their instruments. The ability to shape natural phrases and make clear musical gestures requires natural and very relaxed breathing to enable musical excitement and relaxation. A high energy level and intensity during a performance are essential to making a convincing musical statement. In other words: it needs the involvement of the whole body, not just the brain. 36

38 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music A good conductor motivates the orchestra and initiates the right pulse with clear gestures and body language. To stimulate these qualities in our students, we could motivate them to breathe on upbeats and lift their arms while conducting in the same way they should feel when playing their instruments. Especially with strings, the similarity in the use of the bow and the use of a baton is obvious. The upbeat (upbow) prepares for the initial start of the bar where the most energy is necessary, and the side motion(s) in conducting means a relaxation in the bow until the upbeat again connects to the new first beat with different intensities within a longer phrase. In other words, the initial start of the sound production with the bow is followed by a phase of relaxed flow before the preparation for the next bow change brings in new energy while continuing the energy flow at the same time. Repeated attempts to show/conduct the various intensities in the music may lead to a more natural and relaxed way of performing on the instrument and handling the bow. No 3 Flow and performance The ideal condition for a performance, both in music and sports, generally occurs in what we could call a state of grace. At the beginning of the 1970 s Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, an American psychologist of Hungarian origin, became interested in this phenomenon and made available to the scientific world a work in which he explored the creative processes of painters and sculptors. In a large-scale study he interviewed a multitude of people from the world of sports and the arts, many of whom described their experiences as a continuous flow. This is the way in which he came to define them as flow experiences. The flow represents a stage of mental operation in which a person is absolutely and fully immersed in what he is doing, characterised by a feeling of full, concentrated participation, and success in conducting the activity. Seven elements make up the flow experience. The first three are the necessary prerequisites for the flow experience to originate, while the next four describe what the person experiences subjectively during the flow: 1) Awareness of successes and feedback. 2) High levels of concentration relative to a specific field: this allows the consciousness to go into the depths of the activity without becoming distracted. 37

39 ECMA Next Step 3) Balance between skills and goals: a task, of a given level of difficulty, must correspond to the appropriate goal; a challenge too great causes tension, anxiety and frustration; a challenge that is too easy leads to a non-stimulating situation and a feeling of boredom. 4) Sensation of total control: be careful not to misinterpret the term control ; it can be associated with compulsive domination and nervous attention. Control within the flow does not possess any of these characteristics; it is a state of relaxation with the complete absence of concern that refers to the known paradox in Zen Buddhism as control without control. 5) Action in the absence of effort: the flow includes ease, flexibility and naturalness; the different parts must work harmoniously, without effort. 6) Altered perception of time: in a state of deep flow, the perception of time is altered. Two hours seem like ten minutes; this is because the right brain hemisphere, mainly a deputy for creative activities, is activated, and both hemispheres work according to a pattern of great synchronisation. Therefore every analytical capacity, relative to the left hemisphere, moves on a background dimension. 7) Merging actions and consciousness: a state of total concentration leaves no room for worry, fear or distraction. The performers should no longer feel separated from their actions: they must be at one with their performance. The musician arrives on stage and feels that the tension inside gradually melts away, transforming into calm and concentration: the breath is regularised and becomes deep, the room becomes dark and he enters into a kind of trance where there is nothing but the expression of music for those who perform it and those who listen to it, in a tight, intense dialogue. Time flows quickly, small imperfections are not even considered because there is something more important, a magic, an atmosphere which must not be disturbed. In this very particular condition the performer is at one with himself and every movement, every idea follows an absolute inner coherence that is not minimally distracted by external events. No 4 Flow and practice There is a real flow exercise that can be done both individually and, even more successfully, in a group. In the string quartet one particular way is to start playing with freedom of bowing in a very simple score, for example a Bach chorale. Immediately afterwards, without losing the sensation of the free flow of the bow, we try to coordinate the bows until we have the profound impression that the sounds are completely grounded and increase in richness of harmonics and in 38

40 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music quantity. This feeling of freedom is not easy to achieve when you play together. Perhaps it can be for a first violin, but for the second violin, viola and cello it is always a matter of coordinating one s own feelings with those of others. To let music flow in us as a simple expression of what we feel is an experience to cultivate. This is certainly a sensation more common to the concert than it is in competitive situations such as auditions and competitions. The invitation of Kató Havas to always return at the moment of execution to the fundamental concept of giving and receiving musical emotions is, in such cases, more difficult to apply. As far as one can know one s own emotional experiences, experience teaches that every context is different. It is very important to enter a state of full concentration to promote good communication between body and mind. If the mind takes up too much space, it is very important to compensate with daily exercises and study practices that bring balance. Contact with the instrument belongs to a particularly important tactile intelligence. The coordination and the connection between the various parts of the body as well as between the bow and the instrument belong to a holistic vision of the human being whose development undoubtedly passes through the experience of the movement as well as that of the manipulation of the instrument even in non-traditional forms (G. Kurtag, Jatekok, Editio Musica Budapest). Burzik s studies relating to the lack of effort in musical performance refer to Paul Rolland s experience in the early 1970 s. The violinist and educator of Hungarian origin emphasised the need to counter the rigor mortis so widespread among instrumentalists in favour of a naturalness of movement whose base resides in the kinaesthesia where this term indicated the perception of self. If we want to imagine a synthetic list of experiences that an ensemble should be able to assume as a study activity, at least four points should be listed: 1) Singing and moving An ensemble sings the work to be studied, moving in time and making movements with the arms outstretched to lengthen the muscles and internalise the rhythm. (exemplification taken from Havas, Katò, A new approach, Kato Havas and Lakeland Home music, 1991). 2) Dancing Activities carried out by Steven Player, the well-known choreographer and dancer, during the 2016 and 2017 ECMA-sessions held at the Music School of 39

41 ECMA Next Step Fiesole, led the members of the ensembles on to an extraordinary path, through the practice of some of the most important baroque dances. This led to a greater awareness and perception of their bodies. These perceptions made them physically more effective; embodying the rhythmic pulsation made them more logical and spontaneous and coordinated with the sound. 3) Body percussion experience Body percussion is used extensively in music education, because of its accessibility: the human body is the original musical instrument and the only instrument that every student possesses. Using the body in this manner gives students a direct experience of musical elements such as beat, rhythm, and metre and helps a student internalise rhythmic skills. 4) Theatrical improvisation exercises Each member of the group imagines being a wax statue, and in turn the teammates make him assume a different position and then exchange roles. Again, all the members of the group pass an imaginary ball, changing direction abruptly and increasing the speed to develop their reflexes, their ability to listen, and their perception of the intentions of the partner. No 5 Reading, understanding and realising the score Musicians consider score-reading to be crucial to learning a chamber music work. Yet many conservatoires provide little structured training in this key skill. Theory and instrumental teaching generally tend to be taught entirely separately, and there is often minimal contact between the teachers in the different subjects. This is problematic, since students may find it difficult to identify the correlations between theory and performance. One solution is to enable music theory teachers to work directly with the chamber ensembles on the pieces they are currently rehearsing. This is already happening at some institutions, but it is something everyone should aim for eventually. Score-reading practice should also be more systematically integrated in ordinary chamber music tuition, i.e. the teachers should make time for it. 1) Listening actively to the music as a whole whilst playing is a key skill that students must learn. They must be able to hear the score while playing. Stopping to consult the score to see what the others are playing is a sign of poor listening skills. Swapping parts in selected passages may help with perception. This is a highly effective exercise that rejuvenates the interaction between the performers and helps them see the bigger picture. 40

42 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 2) Playing straight from the score can give the performers an instant idea of all the different parts. In practice this involves photocopying, shrinking, cutting and pasting to be able to play an entire movement without having to stop to turn the page. Always having the score, and therefore also the complete music, in front of you has obvious advantages in that it speeds up the teaching and learning process and makes it more effective. One minor weakness is that it can be easy to focus on the details you see in the score at any given moment instead of really listening. Another is that the print is very small and you have to spend energy on the actual reading activity. 3a) Carefully analysing the score is without doubt the best way of preparing a work. During the first lesson with a new group the teacher should introduce them to the analytical tools. They must be given an introduction on how to annotate phrase lengths, chord symbols (function) and degree of exposure (first/second parts) in the score. Everyone should have their own score. A rudimentary analysis of the score should be set as homework, and before the second lesson the teacher should check the students analyses. The students play from their respective parts during the chamber music lesson but should have the full score in their heads and keep it to hand. 3b) It is highly recommended to discuss the interpretation of the score together. Time should be set aside for this on a regular basis. Fundamental stylistic elements such as melodic/harmonic (rhetorical) figures, articulation, tempo, dynamics and musical terms (usually Italian) that describe the musical expression should be reviewed. The teacher should ask trigger questions and stimulate the students collective imagination: What was the composer s intention behind this notation? How are the phrases structured; what about the instrumentation? What kind of character can you glean from the score? Which tonal qualities do you feel could realise the nature of the music? No 6 Connecting to the dramatic aspect of performing chamber music When a student chamber music group is confronted with a complex work they often struggle to find a way to perform it convincingly. By the time they have managed to find a way of playing it at a technically acceptable level and with reasonably good ensemble they quite often run out of ideas in terms of how to bring the music to life. Even with their best effort and very good coaching they can 41

43 ECMA Next Step still sound mechanical and uninteresting and find it hard to take their performance to the next level. If this happens, it can be very helpful to draw a parallel to what actors need to do when they are tasked with interpreting a text. They are challenged with a string of words that could in fact mean quite different things depending on how they are read out loud. Actors need to understand the deepest content of the story and find a way to deliver it convincingly to the audience. They are finely tuned into their co-actors every move and need to be totally flexible and spontaneous in case one of their team does something unexpected. They need to unify their interpretation and be meticulous about every nuance and turn of phrase. They need to know how to develop their material and how to perform it in such a way that the audience in the back row on the upper balcony can hear them and understand what they are saying. We musicians have a musical text in front of us; a row of notes that can evoke quite different emotions depending on how they are interpreted. The description above might just as well be about musicians as about actors. Our challenge is in fact very much the same. We need to bring our musical text to life and find a way to interpret it; to translate the story hidden in the music in such a way that it evokes feelings in the listener and touches them in a palpable way. This is of course more abstract than speaking actual words, which makes it all the more challenging. Therefore, it can be very helpful when the student is having trouble finding a way to play a theme convincingly to get them to think about the music in terms of a theatrical play. What sort of a character would the first theme be? What emotion(s) would they associate with this character, and what does this character experience as they develop through the piece. If the second theme were a character, who would they be and how would they relate to the first theme? And so on.. The parallels in terms of ensemble playing are of course also very obvious and very useful. Such as asking a question and giving an answer; catching a phrase thrown to you and passing it on to the next colleague or back; supporting whoever is performing the main role at any given moment and helping them shape their line; knowing when to pause and catch the tension created in a moment of suspense and when to break the silence. The term timing is everything is just as applicable to music as it is to drama, but the magic of music is that with it we can convey emotions that most of us are unable to express in words. 42

44 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music No 7 Embodying the music Students in a chamber music group often have trouble finding a common pulse and making complicated rhythms feel organic. Feeling the pulse and the rhythm physically in the body can be very helpful with rhythmic challenges. It is quite easy to play correctly with the metronome, but it is much more difficult to find the agogic swing in the music as a group. Ask the students to put their instruments down, stand up and link arms. Get them to walk this way in the pulse of the music and either say the rhythms or sing their parts. This will help them find a common general pulse and give them a deeper understanding of the complexity of their rhythms. This can be very helpful for something as simple as a minuet in a classical work when they do not understand the agogic element of the dance and any rhythms that are not completely metronomic such as a waltz or a Hungarian folk music theme in Bartók. They can of course do more or less the same by clapping their hands and saying the rhythms, but linking arms and physically moving together gives them a deeper understanding of how to actually breathe and play completely in synch with each other. Physically moving with the natural flow of the music with linked arms puts the music in our bodies and helps us feel it together; ensemble will be easier and more natural. Younger students often have trouble understanding how to play even simple syncopated rhythms together and how to be flexible and elastic. This exercise can be very helpful for that; with linked arms they can alternate putting the main beat in their feet and saying or singing the syncopation and the other way around. They can speed up and slow down to understand how to respond and develop flexibility when playing the syncopation as it moves with the flow of the music. No 8 Articulating musical opinions Usually, having attended a concert or listened to a music recording, students tend to express a subjective and highly generalised opinion enjoyed/didn t enjoy. One of the most significant elements of student education is the formation of their tastes, positions and opinions as well as the ability to express such opinion precisely in words. Suggested teaching method Ask the students to listen to 3 4 different interpretations of the piece they are working on (audio or video recordings) and to analyse these interpretations during 43

45 ECMA Next Step the next lesson. They should be asked to compare the performance styles and discuss technical, ensemble and communication aspects as well as the energy level, sound balance and various other performing subtleties. The students should be able to indicate which recordings they liked more and which less by offering their valid arguments. This way, the students learn how to formulate their opinion, express it in a constructive way and defend it during a discussion. During a semester (e.g. after two months) it is highly recommended to listen to the same recordings one more time and to discuss them once again. No 9 Improvisation Performers of classical music are, in a way, squeezed into the framework of musical text, i.e. they have to perform precisely and qualitatively the material expressed in notes. As a result, the line between text performance and creativity becomes very blurred. If one concentrates only on the quality performance of the written material, there is a danger of losing touch with space, time and ensemble colleagues. One very valuable method that helps liberate the hearing, sensitivity and creativity of ensemble members is improvisation. Qualified teachers who have developed their own methodology should conduct such improvisation sessions. It would be highly useful if an ensemble attends at least one or two improvisation lessons during a semester. However, simple improvisation exercises can be performed during a chamber ensemble or string quartet lesson or rehearsal. Exercises can be created both by the ensemble coaches and the members of each group. Suggested exercises 1) Following a discussion on mood, sound quality, sound range and tempo development, an ensemble improvises by playing a single note for 2 minutes (e.g. in the tonic of the key). The timbre, length, attack, pitch and dynamics of the note should be selected in relation to ensemble partners. Such an improvisation exercise must embrace the beginning, elaboration, climax and ending. This exercise helps to develop hearing sensitivity to the sound of ensemble colleagues and to enhance reaction and the feeling of time. When an ensemble returns to the piece they have been working on, ensemble members should be able to hear the general sound better, respond to the dynamic development by their colleagues and concentrate less on just their own part. 2) Another exercise is intended to develop the feeling of ensemble pulse and is played from sheet music using improvisation methods. A piece can be started either by all ensemble members or just one of them with the others joining in gradually, as they see fit. At the beginning of the exercise, not all notes are 44

46 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music played; just one note per bar or per two bars is played and then held. The main point of this exercise is to feel the general pulse of a piece. Even though not all notes are played, the tempo and time should flow at normal pace. Gradually, more and more notes are added until a piece regains its original form. During this exercise, it becomes obvious who tends to hurry and who is inclined to slow the pace. Often, after several bars it is possible to hear that the pulse of ensemble members is different, and by adding more and more notes it turns out that ensemble members get lost in time completely. No 10 Breathing The emotional condition experienced by all performers before going on the stage can be referred to as stressful. Stress management does not necessarily imply stress reduction. When stress reaches a certain limit, the results actually become better. The human body mobilises in stressful situations. Problems arise when stress levels are too high or when dealing with long-term stress. It has been proved that musicians are similar athletes in terms of the levels of stress they experience. Doctors and sport psychologists recommend that performers should employ the same approaches to body awareness, body relaxation and body alertness as athletes employ before competitions. Breathing exercises are an important part of relaxation techniques. Both chamber ensemble members and their teachers should pay particular attention to breathing, not only as an inseparable part of their physical activity, but also as a means of controlling their emotional status. Breathing is vitally important when feeling under stress. Irregular breathing can only increase anxiety, muscle tension, headaches and fatigue. All of the aforementioned phenomena are well known to musicians, and only when they learn how to understand and control their breathing will they be able to calm down more easily and to relax when it is most needed. Breathing exercises (done either together with other relaxation techniques or separately) can improve both physical and psychological well-being. The following are only some of many breathing exercises: Counting exhalations 1) Sit or lie down comfortably. Make sure that your hands and legs are not crossed. Keep your back straight. 2) Inhale deeply and hold your breath for a while before exhaling. 3) When exhaling, start counting, one. Keep breathing and continue counting with every exhalation, two three four 4) Continue doing the exercise count from one to five for 5-10 minutes. 45

47 ECMA Next Step 5) Observe how your breathing gradually slows down, the body relaxes and tension in your head decreases. Relaxation sighing A human being yawns and sighs numerous times per day. Usually, this is how our body signals that it needs more oxygen. Every sigh is accompanied by a certain tension reduction. The following reaction of the organism can be employed purposefully to reduce tension. 1) Sit down or stand up straight. 2) Sigh deeply produce the sound that occurs naturally when you feel relieved. 3) Do not think about exhalation. Let the air out naturally. 4) Perform 8 12 of such sighs and feel how your body starts relaxing. 5) Repeat the exercise as many times as you need. Exhaling tension 1) Sit down comfortably on a chair with your legs firmly on the floor. 2) Inhale deeply. While inhaling, think to yourself, I m inhaling relaxation. Hold your breath for a moment before exhaling. 3) When exhaling from your abdomen, think to yourself, I m exhaling tension. Wait a moment before inhaling again. 4) Feel the tension in your body with every breath you take. 5) With every exhalation, let part of your tension go. Certain exercises that are performed through one or two inhalations or exhalations are best when you have just a few seconds to relax and concentrate. For example, basketball players employ the technique of sudden exhalation before taking a free throw. Such exhalation (especially in combination with slower and deeper breathing than normal) helps reduce tension effectively and also activates the body, creating a momentary sensation of readiness. This is a perfect exercise just before the beginning of the performance, when you are already on the stage. No 11 Developing a deeper sense of communication within the chamber group So much about playing chamber music well depends on using our sixth sense. We communicate on a deep level with our fellow musicians, and our musical antennae need to be in overdrive! There are many ways of developing this feeling of playing as a group, not as individuals, and one way is to practise with your eyes closed. Firstly, practise 46

48 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music coming in together on one note. Do not nominate a leader, but rather all members of the group should start the note together when the time is right just try to sense when it will happen. Try the following: 1) Relax and close eyes, with instruments in playing position 2) Experience the group silence, and wait until it feels like it is time to play 3) Someone/all breathe on the upbeat, then play together Discuss, repeat. You could develop this exercise by repeating the above steps, but this time playing a very short unison phrase. Be aware of the rise and fall of the phrases and the exact moment when your colleagues are ready to change the note. This can be quite a special experience and can help to develop a deeper level of understanding and trust within the group. Hopefully you will experience an element of surprise, as you hear the most together note your group has ever played! Another way of developing this deep level of listening is to turn the chairs in an outward circle and play a passage from your piece. At first it can seem rather daunting and isolating not to be able to communicate visually, but with a little time the musicians themselves soon realise that they have started listening on a totally different level. The challenge is then to return to playing in a normal seating position, but now with deeper listening skills and more awareness of the other musical parts. Both the above methods can be used not only to practise sections of your repertoire, but also diminuendi, crescendi, colour changes, vibrato etc. It is easy to deceive ourselves that we are making these musical expressions and dynamic changes as a group, but when we really listen deeply, maybe this is not always the case. No 12 How to shape a musical phrase and add expression where necessary Another important aspect of music-making is learning how to shape a phrase whilst at the same time making sense of the expression and vibrato. Exactly how much expression and vibrato does the music need, or are we just adding vibrato because it s what we do? 47

49 ECMA Next Step Here is an exercise which will hopefully give you the opportunity to really think about, and question, your vibrato and ensure that the shape of the musical phrase is always clear. 1) Choose a complete phrase from your chosen piece it could be a section where you all have the same music, but it could also be a passage with melody and accompaniment, or even a fugue passage. 2) Play through as you normally would, being aware of the different lines within the music. 3) Play through again with very good sound and musical line/direction, but this time take out all the phrase shapes and all the expression. 4) Play through again as in Point 3, but this time add shape/rise and fall to your phrases. There should still be NO expression. 5) The final version! Play through again, but this time add musical phrasing/shape AND expression/vibrato where you feel it is necessary with the intention of making the musical lines clearer and enhancing the music with appropriate expression. It is important to play each version with your most beautiful tone and a real sense of line, even when playing with no shape or expression. Believe in what you are playing, and deliver it with musical intent. If you are playing a section where all players have similar music, try to play with the same shapes and expression; if the parts differ, bring out the individual shapes of each voice. In this case, Point 4 will be particularly interesting. You should start to hear phrases and shapes in the music which you had never noticed before, without the confusion of vibrato, and hopefully this will help you to think more about the amount of vibrato/expression which you would now like to add in order to enhance the music. 48

50 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 4. Assessment of chamber music The search for assessment criteria was one of the requirements within the expected output of the Working Group for Teaching and Learning Assessment in general is a sensitive field which should allow for considerable individuality for the student being assessed as well as for the person giving the assessment. A clear conception of what you want to assess is necessary, followed by a decision on how you want to establish the assessment procedures. Is verbal assessment enough, or does it require a more detailed list of criteria that all jury members can easily approve? Does the written assessment make enough room for individuality? The working group is of the opinion that individual feedback is of great value when circumstances allow it. But we also emphasise that a description of the expected learning outcomes must serve as a basis for all grading systems, whether these are uniform across several institutions or individual in various schools and levels. It may not be possible to find assessment criteria which are completely suitable for all situations and levels, but we have tried to create an assessment form that meets the main requirements in the field of chamber music and in instrumental performance in general. During the search for this assessment form our working group selected parameters which allow us to evaluate the principles of instrumental and ensemble playing as well as the competencies for an artistic concept and stage presence generally. During the Joint Staff Training Event in The Hague in March 2017 we had a kick-off for a selection process where the working group members started to identify qualities which are needed for a convincing performance. The result was a long list of ideas which then needed to be articulated to create an assessment form. We used the first edition of those results on internal worksheets to comment on the performances we heard as jury members during the Chamber Music Festival organised by KC. Usually the students get verbal feedback, but it was helpful for us to try out a written format as well. After three days we met again to evaluate the results and revise the definitions for a more practical use. 49

51 ECMA Next Step The outcome was the first version of an assessment form which may be suitable for auditions and exams. This version was clearly more streamlined than the first draft, and we used it for another trial during the ECMA session s performances in May 2017 in Grafenegg. The performances there were of a semi-professional standard, and we made just minor adjustments to the definitions of the criteria. The juries at the Lithuanian Academy for Music and Theatre and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna subsequently used the finalised assessment criteria in their chamber music auditions and exams after the Grafenegg session, and that final version of our suggested assessment form was introduced at the Multiplier Event during the AEC Congress in November We believe that the use of such an assessment form will guarantee a more objective assessment for all candidates and will also help to simplify the integration of external examiners into the local panels or via live streaming in the future. Because of the usual shortage of time during auditions, we would seek to avoid too extensive or complex assessment procedures. Another important issue in the assessment process is the composition of the panel. In order to get a more objective view in the assessment of the presented performances, we strongly recommend inviting external examiners onto the panels. The focus on the performance in general, the personality and the originality will strongly benefit from the expertise of external artists who will be less inclined to focus too much on instrumental or ensemble skills as the main requirements. Furthermore, the invitation of students to participate in the panels may also serve as a future tool to make the assessment more student-centred. Alongside these strategies we need to communicate the expected outcomes of the exams as clearly as possible during the educational process and integrate helpful aspects such as mental training, physical relaxation, breathing techniques etc. in the curricula of our institutions. The strongest personalities need to be able to develop without being held back by physical or mental blocks. Whatever the assessment criteria, grading system or feedback process, having open-minded and experienced panel members is ultimately the strongest asset when evaluating artistic performances in our institutions. 50

52 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music ECMA Next Step WG 1 Assessment criteria Jury member: Date: Location: Performers (fill in names) Technical skills (intonation; quality, variety and clarity of sound) Adherence to the score and the style of composition (rhythm and articulation, phrasing, dynamics, tempo) Communication and energy level within the group Balance and homogeneity of sound as an ensemble. Applies only to ensemble assessment Awareness of the performance situation (communication with the audience, stage behaviour, authenticity of performance) Total Interview (self-reflection, selection of repertoire, historical context etc.) for optional use Comments: 51

53 ECMA Next Step The ECMAster and (International) External Examiners One important point of discussion during the development of the European Chamber Music Master ECMAster as part of the ECMA Next Step project was a common approach to assessment. This discussion resulted in the development of two important outcomes, which will become an integrated part of the joint programme in the future: a set of common assessment criteria for chamber music and an approach towards the exchange of (international) external examiners. The Working Group suggests that these criteria will be used in the assessments taking place on the ECMAster programme but could also be used by the institutions for chamber music assessment on other programmes. Furthermore, in order to maintain a common approach to the assessment criteria, it is also suggested that the ECMAster makes use of (international) external examiners from the other consortium partners, who will be members of the assessment panels for the ensembles studying for the ECMAster but possibly also on other study programmes. This approach is described in section 14 of the ECMAster Consortium Agreement. This section describes exactly what is meant by the term International External Examiner (IEE), the relevance to the institutions of using such examiners, how the use of IEE relates to the assessment criteria that have been developed, and which practical details should be considered when operating a system that uses IEE. What exactly do we mean by the term International External Examiner? In the document International External Examiners in Higher Music Education: Role, Purpose and Case Studies published by the ERASMUS Network for Music Polifonia, information is provided on the various types of external examiners. As has been identified through research in the Polifonia project, there are many different practices as regards the use of IEEs and their role(s) in relation to the assessment of student performances. In order to avoid confusion with the terminology used in some countries where a tradition of external examiners/evaluators/assessors exists (e.g. in the UK), it is important to be clear about the different roles and types of external examiners: 1) In the context of the ECMAster, an IEE is normally a specialist on chamber music tasked with serving on assessment panels for formative and/or summative performance assessments. 52

54 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 2) In some countries another practice exists in which an external expert (often called an overall external examiner or a programme external examiner ) oversees final examinations in different departments as a generalist in order to examine the overall comparability of standards and procedures between departments within one single degree. 3) The meaning of the word external only refers to the fact that the external examiner comes from another institution. Whereas the overall external examiner can be seen more as a quality assurance tool to review the institution s internal standards and procedures for assessment, the specialist external examiner will be more directly involved with the actual assessment of individual students. Therefore, the profile of such a specialist external examiner will be more connected to the actual content of the study programme and its curriculum, and it is this type of external examiner that will be active within the framework of the ECMAster. Purpose: why International External Examiners? The presence of IEEs will be important to ensure that the assessment criteria will be applied in the same way across the joint programme. At the same time, the presence of the IEEs will also facilitate the exchange of expertise between teachers and can play a role in the continuing professional development of teachers with regard to assessment and feedback. This way, international collaboration on assessment is an effective way of enhancing teachers expertise through engaging with colleagues at an international level and gaining an understanding of other assessment systems. Teachers gain experience of different pedagogic approaches but above all learn to develop their own idea of what standards are required internationally. There are also other more general benefits to be gained from the use of the IEE: Music is a highly specialised discipline, and there may be only a small number of instrumental practitioners in a particular country. It is therefore possible that cross-institutional assessments at institutions within one country will have only limited benefits in terms of objectivity. The engagement of an IEE enlarges the number of practitioners and thus enhances objectivity. Higher music education is very much an international discipline. To ensure that the programmes are continually updated in line with the requirements of international professional practice, it is not only important that there are foreign students and teachers present at the institution but also that the study programmes are continuously benchmarked at an international level. International 53

55 ECMA Next Step cross-institutional assessment can provide valuable information as to a programme s outcomes in relation to international standards. Lastly, this international approach can make a positive contribution to the accreditation and programme or institutional review procedures institutions will have to undergo as part of their national quality assurance systems. Not only can this approach identify stronger links between the assessment, quality assurance and internationalisation policies of the institutions involved but also provide a useful tool for comparing standards of student achievement at an international level. International external examiners and the ECMAster Assessment Criteria A crucial requirement is careful preparation of a visit by an IEE. It is important that the IEE is fully informed of the assessment procedure and the grading system in advance of the examinations. Even when the agreed ECMAster Assessment Criteria are being used, additional marking/grading criteria provided by the host institution may be essential tools for the IEE. It is expected that over time teachers will learn about the assessment practices at other ECMAster institutions, but even then there may be changes or developments that he/she should be informed of. When using the ECMAster Assessment Criteria, it may be useful to adopt a common methodology with regard to the actual assessment process. There are two ways in which the criteria can be used: As a tool for feedback only. In this case, the form listing the Assessment Criteria (see above) will be filled in for each student in the ensemble according to each criterion. These forms will then be used as a basis for written or verbal feedback to the student ensembles. Copies of the forms could also be given to the students. This would be the most transparent way of giving feedback, although it also may inhibit teachers from writing critical comments. As a tool for feedback and grading. Apart from using the form to collect feedback, there may be situations in which the performance of the student ensemble needs to be graded. This will then be done using the grading scale of that particular institution. It is recommended to relate the institutional grading scale to the ECTS Grading Scale when the conversion of grades is required. To get the most objective result possible, blind marking is highly recommended. The final assessment and grading should always be related to the assessment criteria so that if a student asks for further clarification, a reference to the assessment criteria can always be made. 54

56 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Practical considerations It is anticipated that the Programme Board of the ECMAster will discuss the exchange of IEEs once the programme is up and running. Nevertheless, there may be concerns amongst the institutions regarding the high cost of using IEEs. In the Consortium Agreement it is mentioned that the cost of external admission panel members will be shared between the host and home institutions, unless otherwise agreed by the institutions. If possible, it should be combined with Erasmus+ teacher mobility in which Erasmus+ rules and regulations apply. Here are some further thoughts on this issue: 1) The use of the regular teaching staff exchanges in ERASMUS+ can be considered for this purpose on the basis that the visiting teacher is carrying out a role in the evaluation of teaching. At the moment there are no regulations that would contradict this assumption, as the regulations usually only stipulate limits in terms of time to be spent at the host institution. It is prudent to check this with the ERASMUS+ National Agency beforehand. A solution could be to combine the role of the teacher as an IEE with a few hours of actual teaching at the host institution. If ERASMUS+ can cover the cost of the IEE, then using an IEE could even be more financially attractive than employing one from within the same country. 2) Another financial arrangement could be to use the principle of closed purses. This means that the home institution pays the travel costs, while the host institution covers local costs (hotel and meals). 3) In some countries it is standard practice to pay external examiners a fee. If this is the case, the IEE should be treated in the same way. It is important to agree very precisely on such details beforehand. Further experiments with assessment and feedback in chamber music teaching During the second Joint Staff Training of the project, which took place in The Hague on April 2018, the discussions about assessment and feedback in chamber music teaching were continued. This Joint Staff Training took place, similarly to the first edition of this activity, during the Chamber Music Festival of the Royal Conservatoire. This festival is actually a long weekend of assessments for chamber music ensembles consisting of Bachelor of Music students from the Classical Music 55

57 ECMA Next Step Department of the Royal Conservatoire. During the festival between 40 and 50 chamber ensembles perform for assessment panels and the general public in a series of public concerts in various venues around the city. This provided a perfect setting for the experiments the project wanted to execute. The experiments addressed the following aspects with regards to assessment and feedback. 4) Testing different compositions of the assessment panel with three types of situations: One situation took place in which the assessment of an ensemble was done in parallel both by a local assessment panel and an external ECMA panel consisting of chamber music teachers from ECMA partner institutions participating in the Joint Staff Training. Both panels used the same criteria, after which the results were compared. In another situation one overall assessment panel was put together with the ECMA teachers joining the local assessment panels as external examiners. In both of these situations, the presence of students in the assessment panels was also tested. The students were from higher years in the bachelor programme and would not be members of the same class as the students to be assessed. Furthermore, the students were not asked to grade but only provide feedback during the discussion of the assessment panel following the performances. 5) Testing two different approaches to giving feedback following the performances of the students: One approach consisted of a discussion of the assessment panel on its own to decide on the grading to be immediately followed by a feedback session with the students. In this open forum approach all teachers were asked to give feedback, explain the grade and engage in a discussion with the students. In another approach the committee discussed grading and feedback, and the results of this discussion was then reported back by the chair of the panel in a summarised way to the students. An opportunity was given to students to ask questions, which sometimes led to a discussion but not always. 6) The Joint Staff Training also provided an excellent opportunity once again to use, discuss and fine-tune the ECMA assessment criteria developed in this project. With regards to the situation with the two parallel assessment panels, it was interesting to notice there was a slight difference in grading between the local and the ECMA panels, mostly with the ECMA panels giving higher grades compared to 56

58 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music the local panel. Because the ECMA panel consisted of teachers from different institutions, it referred in its discussion more to the ECMA Assessment Criteria than the local panel, which seemed to show an approach to grading that was much more based on previous experience than on the use of the written assessment criteria. In the situation with one overall panel with both local and ECMA teachers acting as external examiners, the assessment criteria were again important for the discussion on grading and standards because of the presence of the external examiners. An interesting debate emerged about product and process, which showed that the local teachers (having heard the ensembles before) were more inclined to take into account the progress of the ensembles in the assessment, whereas the external teachers could only assess the performance of the ensemble at the time of the concert. This debate demonstrates the benefit of having external examiners in the panels for such chamber music assessments, as they typically address both formative and summative aspects and therefore seek to find a balance between assessing process and product. As to the presence of students in the assessment panels, several observations were made. The students having had the opportunity to be members of the panel stressed the benefits of this experience, as it gave them a clear view of the assessment procedure with regards to process, criteria, grading and fairness. The students also contributed actively to the discussions in the panel and it was clear they were giving a different and highly valuable perspective as peers. This gave their presence an added value, which was also confirmed by the teachers. Furthermore, it was mentioned by the students they learned a lot from having to motivate and express their opinion clearly in the panel. Interestingly, they felt more at ease in the external ECMA panels than in the local panels, probably because they knew the local teachers well. This showed that the presence of students in assessment panels must be very well communicated to teachers beforehand and facilitated well by the panel chair during the assessment process so that awkward last-minute surprises can be avoided. With regards to the different ways of giving feedback, a preference emerged over the weekend towards the open forum approach, with all teachers giving feedback in an open way to the students and the chair of the panel facilitating the discussion. As the feedback differed in some cases, it was interesting for the students to hear different perspectives directly from the teachers. The open forum feedback also appeared to be more oriented towards helping the students develop, while the summarized feedback by the chairs seemed to be more assessment oriented. In the panels where the feedback was given as a summary by the chair, the advantage was 57

59 ECMA Next Step that panel members were inclined to speak freely about their personal impressions with the students not being present. However, this also showed that the strength of the open forum approach is that panel members learn to translate their impressions into feedback that is useful for the students. The use of the open forum approach therefore resonates with the development-oriented nature of the assessment. Ideally, in the open forum, the role of the chair is to monitor the discussion, ensure all panel members get the chance to speak, and to possibly query the students on how they will handle the feedback. Panel members in open forums also learn from the way other members interact with students. Overall, the teachers having gone through the experience reported being happy with the atmosphere in the open forum feedback sessions. The open forum approach also appeared to be a great time saver as things only need to be said once. As to the use of the ECMA assessment criteria, it was observed that, as mentioned in the beginning of this chapter, they can play an important role in the assessment of chamber music performance. Not only will they increase objectivity, but the use of the criteria will also force panels to keep an eye on the overall picture and avoid panel members being carried away by good performance on one criterion. With regards to grading, it was mentioned that the procedure with the blind marking (e.g. grades being given first before a discussion in the panel) worked well and enhanced objectivity and fairness. Finally, it was mentioned by the teachers involved in this Joint Staff Training that the activity gave them an excellent opportunity to revisit their perception and understanding of assessment, and the great importance of giving good feedback to students. They also mentioned it was highly valuable to be able to benchmark their own qualitative standards with teachers coming from different institutions. 58

60 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music 5. Resources The teaching of chamber music is a complex and fascinating practice. The teaching strategies that have been described are not only good practices but the result of profound reflection on general and innovative pedagogical principles. The suggested texts in the bibliography are linked to different areas of knowledge: psychology, pedagogy, philosophy. But all are based on a concept of learning as a relationship between subjects and as processes that are not mechanical. According to the Multiple Intelligence Theory (MIT) proposed by Gardner, the leading American psychologist, it is wrong to believe that there is only one intelligence, a single capacity, inviolable and given at birth, that can be measured. Instead Gardner defines intelligence as a problem-solving skill in a specific environment and context. He says that a human intellectual competence must involve a set of problem solving abilities, allowing the individual to solve problems or difficulties he has encountered and, if necessary, to create an effective product (H. Gardner (1983), Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Basic Books, New York, p. 80). Learning and teaching are not processes that only work through cognitive channels. Goleman, a psychologist, writer and journalist from the United States, defines the concept of emotional intelligence as the ability to persist in pursuing a goal in spite of frustrations, to control impulses and postpone gratification, to modulate one s moods, not allowing our suffering to prevent us from thinking, being empathetic. and hoping. (D. Goleman (1997), Emotional Intelligence, Milan, Rizzoli p. 47). Bibliography Arnold, R. (2003, October). Empathetic intelligence: The phenomenon of intersubjective engagement. Paper presented at the First International Conference on Pedagogies and Learning, University of Southern Queensland. 59

61 ECMA Next Step Arnold, R. (2004). Empathic intelligence: Relating, educating, transforming. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press Blum, D. (1986). The art of quartet playing: The Guarneri Quartet in conversation with David Blum. New York: Cornell University Press. Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women s psychology and girls development, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Butterworth, T. (1990). Detroit String Quartet. In J. R. Hackman (Ed.), Groups that work (and those that don t) (pp ). San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Carlozzi, A. F., Bull, K. S., Eells, G. T., & Hurlburt, J. D. (1995). Empathy as related to creativity, dogmatism and expressiveness, The Journal of Psychology, 129, (pp ) Clayton, M. (2005). Communication in Indian raga performance. In D. Miell et al. (Eds.), Musical communication (pp ). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Cohen, A. J. (2005). Music cognition: Defining constraints on musical communication. In D. Miell et al. (Eds.), Musical communication (pp ). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Cohen, M. (1999). Commentary on the Organization Science special issue on complexity. Organization Science, 10, (pp ) Davidson, J. W. (2005). Bodily communication in musical performance. In D. Miell et al. (Eds.), Musical communication (pp ). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Davidson, J. W., & Good, J. M. M. (2002). Social and musical co-ordination between members of a string quartet: An exploratory study. Psychology of Music, 30, (pp ) Fabian, J. (1990). Creative thinking and problem solving. Chelsea, MI: Lewis. Firestien, R. L. (1990). Effects of creative problem-solving training on communication behaviors in small groups. Small Group Research, 21, (pp ) Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Chicago: Aldine. 60

62 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Hoogsteder, M., Maier, R. & Elbers, E. (1998). Adult-child interaction, joint problem solving and the structure of cooperation. In M. Woodhead et al. (Eds.), Cultural worlds of early childhood (pp ). Routledge: London. Jarboe, S. (1999). Group communication and creativity processes. In L. R. Frey, D. S. Gouran, and M. S. Poole (Eds.), The handbook of group communication theory and research (pp ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. King, E. C. (2006). The roles of student musicians in quartet rehearsals. Psychology of Music, 34, (pp ) Lewin, R. (1992). Complexity: Life at the edge of chaos. New York: MacMillan. Lincoln, Y., & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic enquiry. Beverly Hills, CA, Sage. McLeod, J. (1994). Doing counselling research. London: Sage. Murnighan, J. K., & Conlon, D. E. (1991). The dynamics of intense work groups: A study of British string quartets. Administrative Science Quarterly, 36, (pp ) Punch, K. F. (1998). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. London: Sage. Rounds, D. (1999). The four and the one: In praise of string quartets. Fort Bragg, CA: Lost Coast Press. Salazar, A. (2002). Self-organizing and complexity perspectives of group creativity: Implications for group communication. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), New directions in group communication (pp ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Sawyer, K. (2006). Group creativity: Musical performance and collaboration, Psychology of Music, 34, (pp ) Seddon, F. A. (2005). Modes of communication during jazz improvisation. British Journal of Music Education, 22, (pp ) Seddon, F. A., & O Neill, S. A. (2003). Creative thinking processes in adolescent computer-based composition: An analysis of strategies adopted and the influence of formal instrumental training. Music Education Research, 5, (pp ) 61

63 ECMA Next Step Sherman, H., & Schultz, R. (1998). Open boundaries: Creating business innovation through complexity. Reading, MA: Perseus. Stacey, R. D. (1996). Complexity and creativity in organizations. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Sunwolf. (2002). Getting to group-aha : Provoking creative processes in task groups. In L. R. Frey (Ed.), New directions in group communication (pp ). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Tovstiga, G., Odenthal, S., & Goerner, S. (2004). Sense making and learning in complex organisations: The string quartet revisited. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy, 1, (pp ) Underwood, J., & Underwood, G. (1999). Task effects on cooperative and collaborative learning with computers. In K. Littleton & P. Light (Eds.), Learning with computers: Analysing productive interaction (pp.10 23). Routledge: London Young, V. M., & Coleman, A. M. (1979). Some psychological processes in string quartets. Psychology of Music, 7, (pp ) Performance practice Bach, Carl Philip Emanuel. Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen. 1. und 2. Teil. Reprint der 1. Auflage Berlin 1753 und 1762 (mit Ergänzungen 1787 und 1797), Bärenreiter Boyden, David D. The History of Violin Playing from its Origins to 1761, Oxford University Press, 1990 Galeazzi, Francesco. Elementi tecnico-pratici di musica, con un saggio sopra l arte di suonare il violino, Roma, Pilucchi-Cracas Geminiani, Francesco. Regole per suonare con buon gusto (1748), Trattato sul Buon Gusto (1749), L arte di suonare il Violino (1751), Rugginenti, Milano, 1993 Harnoncourt, Nikolaus. Der musikalische Dialog: Gedanken zu Monteverdi, Bach und Mozart, Bärenreiter Mattheson, Johann. Der vollkommene Capellmeister (1739), Bärenreiter Mozart, Leopold. Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule, Bärenreiter 62

64 Teaching and Learning Chamber Music Prelleur, Peter. The Modern Music Master or the Universal Musician, London, Printing Office in Bow Church Yard Quantz Johann Joachim. Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte traversiere zu spielen, Berlino, Johann Friedrich Voß, rist. Kassel, Bärenreiter, 1997 Türk, Daniel Gottlob. Klavierschule, oder Anweisung zum Klavierspielen für Lehrer und Lernende: mit kritischen Anmerkungen, Leipzig, Schwickert u.a., 1802 Music and rhetoric Schering. Die Lehre von den musikalischen Figuren. In Kirchenmusikalisches Jahrbuch 1908, pp H.-H. Unger. Die Beziehungen zw. Musik und Rh. im Jh. 1941; Triltsch Verlag, tr. Italiana di Elisabetta Zoni, Alinea ed. Firenze, 2003 D. Bartel. Hb. der musikalischen Figurenlehre, Laaber, 1982 Liebert. Die Bedeutung des Wertesystems der Rh. für das dt. Musikdenken im 18. und 19. Jh. 1993; MGG 6 (1996) [Musik und Rh.] H. Krones. In G. Ueding (Hg.), Historisches Wörterbuch der Rh. 4 (1998) [Humanismus] u. 5 (2001) [Musik; Musikalische Figurenlehre] E-documents Heman, Christine. Intonation auf Saiteninstrumenten (Bärenreiter 1964) openlibrary.org/books/ol m/intonation_auf_streichinstrumenten Schubart, Christian Friedrich Daniel. Ideen zu einer Ästhetik der Tonkunst 1806 (Bayerische StaatsBibliothek Digital/Münchener Digitalisierungs Zentrum Digitale Bibliothek) download. pl?vers=e&id= &ersteseite=1&letzteseite=410&nr=&x=12&y=4 63

65 This manual has been developed with an aim to increase focus on the role of chamber music in higher music education. It is an outcome of the ECMA Next Step Strategic Partnership and provides information about the state of chamber music at the participating higher education institutions, teaching methods and ideas for practical use in chamber music education, and ideas for assessment of chamber music. One of the main goals of this three-year project has been to ensure the utmost quality of chamber music training and proactively meet the challenges and opportunities that the increasing demand for chamber music entails. ECMA Next Step is funded under the European Union s Erasmus+ programme. The project aims to develop new content for the ECMA training programme in terms of curriculum, mobility and recognition and to further develop existing chamber music expertise. Particular focus is given to the pedagogical knowledge and skills of chamber music instructors with a view to strengthening chamber music s position on regular training programmes. Norwegian Academy of Music Slemdalsveien 11 P.O. Box 5190 Majorstua NO-0302 OSLO nmh.no ISBN (print) ISBN (pdf)