foremi news Music teaching in Europe

foremi news Music teaching in Europe The pilot course The pilot course was made up of 10 training modules for violin and piano: 5 modules were compulsory for all students whereas 5 were optional and could be combined according to the personal interests. In line with its spirit, Foremi used an e- learning platform accessible via the project website http://www.foremi.eu.. The online training was completed during an international workshop organised in July 2009 in Nancy. It involved participants coming from the 5 Foremi partner countries: France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Lithuania - and saw the presence of all teachers involved in the course content development. It was an important opportunity for all involved parties to meet, exchange and practice the teaching methods studied on-line before. 10 pilot modules were developed and tested: 1. Violin teaching methodology 2. Analysis of violin/strings 3. repertoire 4. Piano teaching methodology 5. Musical analysis and contemporary music (violin and piano) 6. Analysis of piano/keyboard repertoire 7. Alliance of poetry and music What is FOREMI? Breath new life into musical instrument teaching and open it up to the use of innovative, multicultural approaches and on-line teaching. This is the objective of the European pilot project FOREMI (Formation qualifiante des Enseignants de Musique Instrumentale), partly funded by the Life Long Learning Programme. For two years FOREMI supported music teachers who wanted to up-date and strengthen their teaching knowledge, skills and competence. The idea was to nurture technical skills and advise teachers on important psychological, physiological as well performing aspects promoting personal growth and career opportunities. FOREMI wants to reach also teachers operating out of the conventional training channels. In addition to musical instrument teachers, in fact, other potential beneficiaries of the project are organizations, associations - employing music teachers - that want to offer continuous training or public as well as private music teaching institutions which intend to refine or complete their trainees training. The editorial content of each course has been prepared by experts coming from important European musical institutions - Rencontres Musicales en Lorraine (France), Foundation School of Music of Fiesole (Italy), Créations Internationales (Belgium), Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (Lithuania) and by the young piano teachers Maria Figa Vaello and Cláudio Suzin Rodríguez (Spain). They all contributed with specific know-how. The methodological part is also backed-up by Scienter Espagna (Spain) and Amitié (Italy) two centre of studies for the elaboration and management of projects in the field of education, new technologies and culture. 8. Works for piano and spoken voice and some melodramas 9. Piano teaching methods for performing arts pupils/students 10. Psychology and Psychopedagogy of students: the choice of a young pianist The modules can be requested at the following email address:admin@foremi.eu PAGE 1

Nancy day by day The meeting in Nancy represents the conclusive part of the pilot course. It completed the online learning activities and ended with an evaluation session. Here a# classes which were hosted at the Conservatoire de Nancy 1 rue Michel Ney. Tuesday, 14th July 2009 06.00 pm Hugues Lèclere welcomes the Trainees at the Conservatory. Module 1 Violin teaching methodology Teacher: Antonello Farulli Nancy 2009 Our tutor and good soul Lara Module 8 Works for spoken voice and piano, and some melodramas Wednesday, 15th July 2009 Module 4 Musical analysis and contemporary music (Violin and Piano) Teacher: Anthony Girard 9h-12h: Introduction. Listening comments on several musical extracts, focused on timbers and styles analysis. 14h-17h: Work and training on score, focused on rhythms and modes analysis. Conclusion. Module 2 Analysis of violin/strings repertoires Teachers: Marina Raimondi, Emilia Gavaruzzi Saturday, 18th July 2009 Module 5 Analysis of piano/keyboard repertoires Teacher: Claudio Suzin Thursday, 16th July 2009 Module 4 Musical analysis and contemporary music (Violin and Piano) Teacher: Anthony Girard Friday, 17th July 2009 Module 8 Works for spoken voice and piano, and some melodramas PAGE 2

Module 1 Violin teaching methodology Teacher: Antonello Farulli Module 5 Analysis of piano/keyboard repertoires Teacher: Claudio Suzin Module 2 Analysis of violin/strings repertoires Teacher: Marina Raimondi, Emilia Gavaruzzi Monday, 20th July 2009 Module 10 Aspects of pedagogical psychology in young musicians training Teacher: Emilija Sakadolskienė 9h-10:45h: Music teaching and learning based on brain research 11h-12h: Differentiated instruction for varied learning styles Sunday, 19th July 2009 Module 7 Alliance of poetry and music Module 7 Alliance of poetry and music Module 6 Hispanic music repertoires Teacher: Maria Figa Module 9 Piano teaching methods for performing arts pupils/students Teacher: Alexandra Zvirblyte Module 6 Hispanic music repertoires Teacher: Maria Figa Final meeting with partners and trainees Tuesday, 21th July 2009 Module 10 Aspects of pedagogical psychology in young musicians training Teacher: Emilija Sakadolskienė 9h-10:30h: The Music learning theory of Edwin E. Gordon 10:45h-12h: Discussion of homework/practical applications of Module 10 materials Module 9 Piano teaching methods for Teacher: Alexandra Zvirblyte Wednesday, 22th July 2009 Module 3 Piano teaching methodology Teacher: Hugues Lèclere Introduction. Live teaching on different children and feed back. Module 3 Piano teaching methodology Teacher: Hugues Lèclere Conclusion PAGE 3

Let s know more about Foremi trainees! Here some first-hand experience co#ected among our students N a m e : M a r i a n n e Ru b e n s t e i n C o u n t r y : B e l g i u m Job: Piano teacher in Music Academies in Br ussels and Waterloo Project: 7. Alliance of poetry and music and 8. Works for piano and spoken voice and some melodrama Ma r i a n n e s i m p re s s i o n s about Foremi: An important thing for musicians is to keep their mind always open. We should always remember that they are things to learn, to share and to experiment. Foremi project has given me this opportunity and I am thankful for that. It was great to meet the trainees but of course, the teachers, listen to their lectures and learn interesting subjects as various as analysis, psychology, creativity, poetry and music. I wish the project a long success. Thanks!!! N a m e : E g l e A n d r e j e v a i t ė C o u n t r y : L i t h u a n i a p ro j e c t : 3. Piano teaching methodology; 4. Musical analysis and contemporary music (violin and piano); 5. Analysis of piano/ keyboard repertoire; 6. Hispanic music repertoire; Module 7. Alliance of poetry and music; Module 9. Piano teaching methods for performing arts pupils/students Job: Egle works as accompanist in the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and as a teacher in B. Dvarionas music school in Vilnius. Egle s impressions about Foremi: Few weeks passed already, when I came back to Lithuania from Nancy. Still lots of ideas in my head which came f rom people: students and teachers I met there. The most important message for me from Foremi now is: music learning and teaching is available through all kind of media is now in the world. I am full of new experience - that this is all the same: music language (teaching and performing) brings individual to the same questions everywhere in the world. I am happy about my participation in Foremi in lots of aspects, but maybe the most valuable thing (or luck) I think is: well-chosen aim,of the group: all of participants had the same experience: teaching+performing in different music systems. This commonality (belonging to the same group of musicians) really made a great effort in the success of the meeting: lots of questions were shared together, and me, personally, have much more ideas, solutions for different task I found hard in my work with pupils or as a performer before. PAGE 4

Also, ver y big success was brought by the teachers of the modules - they all are a high-level professionals which helped us to find new aspects and attitudes of the things, we thought, we know enough. I truly believe in the idea of Formi and suggest it to keep it going in the international way - I know it is much more work to do, but I think it is even more effective and valuable, then to stay only at local country-level. Thanks you, Foremi project team for all your hard work they have done. Keep it going, keep it right! N a m e : N a t a l i a B r z e w s k a C o u n t r y : Po l a n d / S p a i n p ro j e c t : Module 1 Violin teaching methodology; Module 2 Anal ysis of violin/strings repertoire; Module 10 Aspects of pedagogical psychology in young musicians training. Job: Natalia is continuing her education at the Liceu Conservatori (Barcelona) in a studio of Kai Gleusteen. She is currently a violinist in Delarc String Quartet N a m e : M a r i a C r i s t i n a M a s i C o u n t r y : I t a l y p ro j e c t : Module 1 Violin teaching methodology; Module 2 Anal ysis of violin/strings repertoire; Module 4 Musical analysis and contemporary music (Violin and Piano); Module 7 Alliance of poetry and music; Module 10 Aspects of pedagogical psychology in young musicians training Job: Since 1998, Maria Cristina is member of the Opera House Orchestra in Cagliari, as Violist. Maria Cristina s impressions about Foremi: I joined immediately the proposal to attend this course, for its topicality, but also because it is probably the first example in Europe with this purpose. To attend it, it is better to have didactic prerequisites and, above all, it is essential to know the English language, both spoken and written, because as all forms, communications with teachers and on chat with other students, are in English. The contents offered by the teachers are very good and the topics are related to the achievement of the objectives. I can say that the benefits of such a course are many, first and foremost the fact that you can actually attend it, even if you work, of course with a steadfast commitment, which is still fueled by captivating issues. The theoretical individual training is sided with frequent front checks with the teachers or common chats. In the final phase of the project it was planned a busy week in Nancy (project pilot seat), where it was realized the real meeting among all participants in the project (who, until then, were only familiar voices or virtual email addresses): teachers, students, organizers and technical staff. It was a very detailed phase in terms of frequency of all the modules covered during the 5 months. But above all the human and emotional aspects of the meeting were a startling revelation: the different origins of the participants, the creative vitality, the effective and concrete contribution in terms of constr uctive anal ysis, suggestions, ideas and debates created an extraordinary alchemy of experience and rare human warmth. I am sure that I will treasure all skills acquired at the end of this project and will apply them in my future teaching experiences, and I have certainly known extraordinar y people. PAGE 5

N a m e : C é s a r Je s ú s V á z q u e z L u p i ó n C o u n t r y : S p a i n Could you make a shortly presentation of yourself? 25 years old, I ve spent the last 14 years studying violin at Granada s conservatories, and I m about to finish the degree. I ve always been ver y interested in everything related to the learning process, the effect on the student s mind, rather than education itself. For the same reason, I found particularly striking the levels laid down in the project, which were directed to try and improve the teaching process. Why did you decided to focus yo u r m u s i c a l s t u d i e s o n violin? At first, I wanted to start with the oboe, while it is true that because of the economic cost my parents ruled out that option. The violin was another instrument that I liked, but actually I realize that was a complete stranger to me. Furthermore, music usually begins in most cases to an age when you can not objectively raise your future, so at first I didn t know that would be my choice. I am not quite sure why the violin when I started to learn music. The only thing I know is I didn t regret having focused entirely on it after the Selectivity. It requires a great sacrifice, even sometimes the reward is not perceived, but when it is found, it is fully rewarded. Do you think that it will be p o s s i b l e t o g i v e m u s i c education partially online? Maybe my opinion is affected by my nature, but I need a personal relationship (human) with the teacher or student, as this happens. I believe that if the project FOREMI does not contemplate that, as it has fortunately done once (though I think very little), wouldn t have had greater interest for students. I think so because learning something without personal contact with a teacher is already invented. We can go to any bookshop and buy hundreds of manuals on music pedagogy; we can study and apply them. It is onl y possible in the more theoretical subjects. The problem is that music education is essentially practical. If it doesn t achieve a continuous and almost instantaneous treatment between teacher and student, I can t find it possible or at least productive. D o yo u c o n s i d e r t h a t materials are produced in F O R E M I a re u s e f u l f o r music teachers? Yes, at least those I have known. Complete guides on specific topics. In general, how do you value your experience in Nancy? If I had not shared the experience of the meeting, I think that my opinion about the project would be practically opposite. But the experience, both school and, above all, human, turn the project into something that I won t fall into oblivion. Has it fulfilled your previous expectations? Classes with Antonello Farulli have opened a new and unknown window to me, a s well a s psychology and educational psychology classes by Professor Emilija Sakadolskiené. The approach based on analysis module was not to my liking, as well as classes, of which I had the feeling that they were trying to convince the students about the supremacy of a certain philosophy of teaching. What is your valuation about t h e s e l e c te d te a c h e rs to participate in this innovative experience? In general, I thought it was incredible, and I feel lucky because I have met great people with this level of knowledge and teaching experience. What do you think about the organization of the event? There is no reason to object. It would be a good idea if the project continues that the meetings would offer arranged places for accommodation and meals. Comment us what have been the best and the worst of your stay On the positive side, I ll take the human factor and the things I have learnt. The worst, that chaos at meals time. If the student doesn t draw up a plan, he can be seen in an unpleasant situation, economically talked. It d be solved with the idea which I pointed out in the previous section. O t h e r o b s e r v a t i o n s o r suggestions I just wanted to thank for enabling the project to everyone who has had something to do with it, both ideologically and logistically. Italy 2009 PAGE 6