Innovative Conservatoire Seminar 2012 6 th Seminar - Voices of the Artist in Society Dartington, UK, Saturday 19 - Tuesday 22 May SATURDAY 19 MAY Time Activity Venue 18:00 19:30 Dinner Dinner includes welcoming new participants, and we will invite each of them to say a few words about their motivation to join the seminar and a dream they have for themselves as an artist and teacher. Restaurant 19:30 21:30 Getting to know each other and sources of inspiration Speed dating Working form: The first 30 minutes will be devoted to speed dating when you will ask each other one of these three questions and then have a short discussion: How did you choose your instrument/discipline as an artist? Can you describe an example of an artist in society that has inspired you? What would you love to achieve as an artist in society. Sources of Inspiration Preparation 1: Bring a source of inspiration that is particularly relevant to you concerning the question of a changing society. It can be a quotation from a book (fiction or non-fiction), a piece of poetry, a painting or other visual image. It can also be a musical score or text that is related to the concept of a changing society. Be prepared to relate your own role as an artist and musician to your chosen inspiration. Working form: In core groups of 5-6 (see page 5), two of you will present your source of inspiration to the group. Each of the listeners in the group will then pick up on words or expressions the teller uses and asks the teller to expound on them or discuss them. Later in the seminar, participants will have the time to present their sources of inspiration. Studio 6 Gather in Studio 6 Core groups see page 5 Note: Sources of inspiration submitted in advance have been uploaded to the private area of the website under : Seminar 6 / Inspirations 21:30 Evening snack available Restaurant 1/7
SUNDAY 20 MAY Time Activity Venue 08:00- Breakfast 09:00 09:00-10:30 Giving and Receiving: One of the approaches to think about the musician in society is to realise that the balance between giving and receiving is changing in contemporary professional practice. It is not just about doing your thing, but more and more about being in giving/receiving dialogue with market, audience, partners and commissioners. Fundamentally it is perhaps a more collaborative process. Work Form: Groups - some will be musically based and others physical movement. Each participant will attend two sessions (see page 5) Various See page 5 Mixed groups - see page 5 10:30-11:00 11:00-12:30 12:30-14:00 14:00-18:00 14:00-15:30 15:30-17:00 Coffee break Optional - sign-up sheet in the Great Hall for chamber music and other activities at 8pm Giving and Receiving: continued Lunch Sources of Inspiration 2 and a making session In their core groups, participants will make or create an installation inspired by some of the inspirations, a step beyond improvisation, although improvisation may be included. We will explore a process of enlarging our existing artistic practice, whilst keeping closely connected to what is at the heart of our identity. We will work in our core groups, and will ensure that in each of these there is also some expertise in the process of making, e.g. a composer or theatre maker. Working form: In core groups, we share the remaining 4-6 sources. present the source, then an improvised response (a short piece), each moving to the next in swift succession. Then a final discussion about striking points. Note: coffee available to collect between 15:00-16:30 (screens) Making session Working form: In core groups, choose a space at Dartington and make an installation. The sources are the starting material. It can be helpful to subdivide the group into pairs and trios. Screens (off the Great Hall) Various See page 5 s See core groups on page 5 & rooms on page 6 17:00-18:00 Promenade Working form: Promenade to look at the installations, with a short curtain discussion in between. 18:00 Break 18:30 18:30 Dinner s 20:00 20:00 Optional sessions: Vocal playground (see page 7), chamber music, Various improvisation and other sessions proposed by participants. 21:30 Evening snack available 2/7
MONDAY 21 MAY Time Activity Venue 08:45 Breakfast 09:45 Check taxi schedule in the Great Hall for departures on Tuesday 22 th May 09:45 10:45 Improvisation session or sessions proposed by participants See below Working form: Improvisation sessions: small groups led by key improvisers. The session will develop practical improvisation skills. Alternatively, participants can attend the participant workshop proposed. Participants choose from one of the following: Improvisation & Participant sessions Ship Studio 1. City Musicians: Ilona Sie Dhian Ho, Royal Conservatoire of the Hague (see details on page 7) 2. Improvisation 1 (tbc at Dartington) Studio 3 3. Improvisation 2 (tbc at Dartington) Great Hall 4. Improvisation 3 (tbc at Dartington) Studio 6 5. Improvisation 4 (tbc at Dartington) Griffiths room 6. Improvisation 5 (tbc at Dartington) Studio 1 10:45 Collect Coffee from screens and move to next session Screens 11:00-12:30 12:30-14:00 14:00-16:00 Toolbox for teaching: strategies for enabling students to stay connected/reconnect to their artistic identity and motivation ( reaching in to reach out ) A session to investigate the meaning of ownership and personal investment in artistic practice. How can we help our students develop and sustain a sense of meaning in their work as they learn their craft? What strategies in teaching and curriculum planning can encourage the emergence of their own voice, and an understanding of their value as a creative artist? (Please see example on page 6) Please think about examples from your own experience and be prepared to share them in discussion. For example projects undertaken in collaboration with other disciplines, or selfdirected community projects. Lunch Institutional Plans Working form: coaching technique of Visionaries, Realists and Critics. This will be preparation towards each institution making a statement of intent. A particular focus is on the idea that realising yourself as a musician in society is not a solo act. It always means finding and creating sustainable connections: with colleagues, with other disciplines, with professionals in other practices and reaching out in growing interdisciplinarity. Furthermore, successful change and innovation are always rooted in small groups that collaborate. The strategy of the innovative conservatoire is based on this concept of the dynamic power of small groups of Studio 6 Core groups 3/7
professional friends. We will work on the perspective of collaboration as a way of developing work further. Who are your and our allies? What are useful connections to make? How can dynamic momentum be generated? 16:00- Break (and free space preparation for the celebratory event) 18:00 Coffee & Tea available 18:00- Dinner 19:30 19:30- Celebratory Event: Chamber music, improv groups, perhaps some elements from the Making session. Great Hall 21:30 Evening snack Screens/Great Hall TUESDAY 22 MAY Time Activity 08:30 Breakfast (complete evaluation questionnaire), return room keys s 09:50-10:00 Taxi s depart 4/7
Core groups: Saturday & Sunday 19/20 May Group 1: Aaron Shorr, Ilona Sie Dhian Ho, Ingela Hellsten, Jo Hensel, Wolfgang Braun, Ronald de Ceuster Group 2: Celia Duffy, Danny McGrath, Eilis O Sullivan, Karst De Jong, Timora Rosler Group 3: Gemma Carey, Carlos Lopez-Real, Christoph Baumann, Eithne Willis, Robert Vermeulen Group 4: Robert Schenck, Anto Pett, Jos van der Sijde, Richard Benjafield, Xavier Barbeta, Jeroen Koster Group 5: Dinah Stabb & Tine Stolte, Alistair MacDonald, Frank Peters, Tereze Ziberte, Tet Koffeman Group 6: Gerda van Zelm, Aivi Tilk, Daniel Berg, Rik Bastiaens, Toms Ostrovskis Giving & Receiving Groups: Sunday 20 May, Session 1 (AM) Physical session: a practical, physical session exploring connection to oneself and others in our work as teachers and performers. We will explore how to stay confident and able in a performance space. Please wear comfortable clothes (please note you should be barefoot for this session). Musical session: Sessions based around improvisation. Part 1 9.30-10.30 Dinah Stabb & Danny McGrath- Studio 6 (Physical) Helena Gaunt (oboe), Carlos Lopez Real (saxophone), Robert Schenck (flute), Aivi Tilk (accordion), Daniel Berg (percussion), Eithne Willis (violin), Wolfgang Braun (composer), Ilona Sie Dhian Ho (violin), Ronald de Ceuster (artist), Karst de Jong (piano), Eilis O Sullivan (flute), Toms Ostrovskis (piano), Jos van der Sijde, Aaron Shorr (piano), Celia Duffy, Gerda van Zelm (voice), Jeroen Koster (violin) Anto Pett - Studio 1 Dmitrij Golovanov (piano), Rik Bastiaens (organ), Frank Peters (piano), Xavier Barbeta (piano) Improvisation -Great Hall *Bart to divide time between both groups Robert Vermeulen (piano) Richard Benjafield (percussion), Timora Rosler (voice), Ingella Hellsten (voice), Tereze Ziberte (violin), Jo Hensel (horn) *Christoph Baumann Ship Studio Tine Stolte (voice), Gemma Carey (piano), Alistair MacDonald (composer), Tet Koffeman (voice) Part 2 11:00 12:30 Dinah Stabb & Danny McGrath- Studio 6 / Studio 3 (Physical) Dmitrij Golovanov (piano), Rik Bastiaens (organ), Frank Peters (piano), Timora Rosler (cello/voice), Ingella Hellsten (voice), Bart van Rosmalen (cello), Xavier Barbeta (Piano), Jo Hensel (horn), Richard Benjafield (percussion), Tereze Ziberte (Violin), Tine Stolte (voice), Gemma Carey (piano), Alistair MacDonald (composer), Tet Koffeman (voice), Christoph Baumann (piano), Robert Vermeulen (piano) Anto Pett- Studio 1 Jeroen Koster (violin), Eilis O Sullivan (flute), Ilona Sie Dhian Ho (violin) Improvisation - Great Hall Helena Gaunt (oboe), Aivi Tilk (accordion) Daniel Berg (percussion), Ronald de Ceuster (artist), Toms Ostrovskis (piano), Wolfgang Braun (composer), Aaron Shorr (piano), Jos van der Sijde (percussion/conductor) Carlos Lopez-Real & Robert Schenck Ship Studio Karst de Jong (piano), Eithne Willis (violin), Celia Duffy, Gerda van Zelm (voice) 5/7
Groups: Sunday 20 May, Session 2 (PM) Sources of Inspiration 2 and a making session Core Group 1 Aaron Shorr Studio 1 Core Group 2 Celia Duffy Griffith Studio Core Group 3 Gemma Carey Ship Studio Core Group 4 Robert Schenck Studio 3 Core Group 5 Dinah Stabb & Tine Stolte Studio 6 Core Group 6 Gerda van Zelm Great Hall Monday 21 May Toolbox for teaching (AM) Toolbox session ~ Example In the book The Art of Possibility Transforming Professional and Personal Life Benjamin Zander describes a tool for the following problem. In class after class he found his students to be in a chronic state of anxiety over the measurement of their performance so that they would be reluctant to take risks with their playing. At the beginning of a new semester of his interpretation class he announced: each student will get an A for this course. However, there is one requirement that you must fulfil to earn this grade: Sometime during the next two weeks, you must write me a letter dated next May, which begins with the words: Dear Mr. Zander, I got my A because.. and in the letter you are to tell, in as much detail as you can, the story of what will have happened to you by next May that is in line with this extraordinary grade. In writing their letters the students are to place themselves in the future, looking back, and to report on all the insight they acquired and milestones they attained during the year as if those accomplishments were already in the past. Everything must be written in the past tense. Phrases such I hope, I intend or I will must not appear. The students may, if they wish, mention specific goals reached or competitions won. But Zender makes it clear that he is especially interested in the person the students will have become by next May. He is interested in the attitude, feelings and worldview of that person who will have done all she wished to do or become everything he wanted to be. He tells them he wants them to fall passionately in love with the person they are describing in their letter. The Art of Possibility, Transforming Professional and Personal Life, Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander. Monday 21 May Workshop proposed by participants (AM) City Musicians Ilona Sie Dhian Ho, Royal Conservatoire of the Hague To be successful in attempts to engage people in classical music I think we have to focus on the strong abilities music has. One of them is to generate a sense of bonding in emotional events. Music used to play an important role in ritual moments of individuals (funerals, weddings) and communities (coronations). The meaning of music at these moments was clear: comfort (requiem), contemplation (church related). This is also a tradition in many cultures outside the western world. Apparently there is a human need for music at these events. In a practice based research project I want to investigate whether this could be re-introduced in society now. A group of musicians (Master students of the Royal Conservatoire, supervised and selected by professor of violin) will offer a variety of repertoire to be played at ritual moments. The City Musicians will be connected to two different neighborhoods in The Hague, Laakkwartier and Vogelwijk. They will do research on the population and perform at various locations to make the group known locally. There will be personal interaction between musicians and clients without intervention of a manager. The research questions I will focus on is: How do musicians and customers interact in this project? What kind of and how many performances develop? 6/7
Institutional Plans Groups: Monday 21 May Institutional Plans (PM) Core Group 1 Aaron Shorr Studio 1 Core Group 2 Celia Duffy Griffith Studio Core Group 3 Gemma Carey Ship Studio Core Group 4 Robert Schenck Studio 3 Core Group 5 Dinah Stabb & Tine Stolte Studio 6 Core Group 6 Gerda van Zelm s group to be led by Helena Great Hall Gaunt & Bart van Rosmalen on this day Sunday, 20 May Vocal Playground Tet Koffeman, Utrecht Conservatory Additional Activities offered by participants As a workhop leader and vocal coach, Tet Koffeman has developed a workshop series on improvisation and communication called: Vocal Playground, which she is performing with both amateur and professional (jazz & classical) singers and instrumentalists. Letting go is the keyword. More than working on shaping the voice, in these sessions we re mostly looking for freeing the voice, together with creativity and expression. Our body knows perfectly well what to do, we can rely on it more and control it less. And being curious! Surprising yourself while playing is the most beautiful gift. In each new group all participants bring in their own musical luggage, experience and creativity. Together we look for a set of rules that make the playground a safe and inspiring place. Physical awareness, ear training and playfullness are anchors in these sessions. At the Utrechts Conservatorium she s now performing this class with all students from the new Bmus Musician 3.0, students of Music and Education and students of Bmus classical voice. Feedback: Thijs (guitarist): It s really challenging to express my ideas without hiding behind my guitar.. Charlotte: (classical singer): I m always focussed on doing the best I can. I ve learned that there are no mistakes. And people accept you acting crazy, as long as you re not embarrased yourself. Louis (amateur composer): A whole day of singing and movement in my body. Surprised by the sound coming out of my small chest! Beautiful encounters! 7/7