FOLK MUSIC AT KMH A presentation of the Folk Music Department at the Royal College of Music, Stockholm (KMH) 1
Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Royal College of Music, Stockholm) Founded 1771 The largest music university college in Sweden (600 full-time students) Departments: Performance: Classical (including early music), Jazz, Folk, Composition & Conducting, Music and Media technology Music teaching: Music teaching (including Music Therapy, Music History, Music pedagogical research, instrumental and general music teaching) Degrees: Bachelor, Master, PhD (in cooperation with Stockholm university), DMus (in cooperation with Sib Academy) 2
Folk Music department at Royal College of Music in Stockholm (KMH) Folk Music education at KMH since 1976, separate department since 1994 Highest level of Folk Music education in Sweden (bachelor, master/diploma and doctoral degrees) 1 professor, 1 senior lecturer, 8 adjunct lecturers, more than 30 part-time teachers on more regular basis + guest lecturers 1976 = 4 students, 1993 = 6 students 2008 = 41 students 36 BA students within performance programs (9 with pedagogical profile) + 2 associated students from other departments 3 MA students within performance program, 1 DMA/PhD student (in collaboration with the Sibelius-Academy) 2 MA Nordic Master in Folk music (KMH, Odense, Sib Ak) External courses 3
two musical profiles - two professional profiles - unlimited individual profiles - Swedish tradition (60-70%) - Norwegian - Estonian - French - Finnish Swedish Folk Music from Music other cultures - Congolese - Iranian - Balkan - Brittany - Mozambique - Klezmer - Arabic - Chilean/ Bolivian - West africa: Senegal, Gambia - Iraqi Kurdish - Tango 4
two musical profiles - two professional profiles - unlimited individual profiles - We accept students with a profile in music from other cultures if we can arrange teaching on the appropriate level - two categories: those who are experienced musicians without formal music education and those who need to develop within their own style Swedish Folk Music from Music other cultures - It s all right to specialize in your own repertoire and style - but you have to learn how to make music over cultural boundaries - You have to have some knowledge of a folk music tradition - and individual artistic expression - to be accepted. Shallow but broad is not enough! - We don t teach world music - but are happy when it happens! 5
two musical profiles - two professional profiles - unlimited individual profiles PERFORMANCE PROFILE - Both categories work after studies usually at least to some degree both pedagogically and artistically Swedish Folk Music - free-lance (few positions as music ped.) Music from other cultures - Very high rate of professional activity after examination (> 80 %) - Some come back for the other profile! PEDAGOGIC AND PERFORMANCE PROFILE 6
two musical profiles - two professional profiles - unlimited individual profiles PERFORMANCE PROFILE Individual profile - Students are encouraged to develop their own artistic and professional profile Swedish Folk Music Music from other cultures - Broad or specialized? World/tradfolk/classical- pop or jazz crossover - Many PEDAGOGIC possible extensions AND and PERFORMANCE combinations, e.g. archive work, music production, theatre, story-telling, research, dance... PROFILE 7
the aim promote individual musicianship give deep knowledge of the tradition to be able to do your own thing 8
Folk Music department at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (KMH) STUDENTS: 11 fiddle, 1 viola, 2 cello, 10 voice 5 nyckelharpa 3 percussion 2 accordion 2 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 sax. 1 guitar, 1 lute, 1 kora, 1 mandolin 1 quanon All regular lecturers are performers within folk music and have degrees in higher music education LECTURER/ teachers within the following subjects: fiddle/viola (4) voice (2) theory (2) arranging/composition (3) ensemble (3) piano (1) voice method (1) fiddle method (2) all other instrument and subjects regular visiting teachers 9
General pedagogical ideas: Folk music as the starting-point Stimulate deep enough learning Stimulate a creative relationship to music performance Stimulate broadening of musical perspectives and competence Stimulate the development of musical consciousness 10
Folk music as the pedagogical foundation LEARNING BY EAR FOLK MUSIC EXISTS AS PERFORMANCE THERE IS NO ORIGINAL- ONLY VARIANTS TRADITION IMPLIES CHANGE AND CONTINUITY 11
A conceptual ground LEARNING BY EAR FOLK MUSIC EXISTS AS PERFORMANCE THERE IS NO ORIGINAL- ONLY VARIANTS NO BOUNDARIES BETWEEN FUNCTION AND ART TRADITION REQUIRES COMPETENCE TRADITION IMPLIES CHANGE AND CONTINUITY 12
Pedagogical consequences A folk musical profile in all courses/subjects Learning by ear The instrumental training focuses on musical competence rather than instrumental skill in a limited sense Studying style and instrumental skill is intimately linked. Copying, listening, interpreting and recreating teachers performances, recordings and notations A common supporting educational material - field recordings, films, notation - digitized archive which can be accessed through the network A common folk music style-specific music theoretical toolbox for all subjects/ courses Close connection between folk music theory - ensemble/arranging - main instrument studies - dance and dance music - improvisation Common methods of working with ensemble/arranging and composition based on arranging-by-ear principle 13
Typical curriculum BA program Main subject courses (67%) Main instrument Ensemble Arranging Concert training/practice Examination work (incl. Concert and thesis) Supportive courses (20%) Folk music theory Music technology Music in society (musicology) Folk dance / ergonomy Piano Voice/folk singing Eligible courses (12,5% tot. 25%) 14
Our idea - a folk music department as place for a living folk music tradition Musical development comes from music making Music does not develop in isolation An arena for musical development within folk music Musical development needs to be recognized International cooperation is the future: Folk music is both local and global 15
WHY NOT IN BELGIUM? 16