exchange die kunst, musik zu vermitteln - Kunstdervermittlung.at

gogical skills and their ability to communicate.
In big orchestras there are still
musicians who ridicule music education
efforts and who put up active and passive
resistance against expanding such projects
– their numbers are, however, negligible.
On the other hand, there is an increasing
number of dedicated musicians who want
to play an active role in the creative planning
of music education projects. They are
also interested in professional development
in this field and their ideas and
thoughts are invaluable contributions
when developing new projects.
In the USA, big orchestras have recently
developed a new form of cooperation
with artists commonly known as
‘teaching artists’. They supervise the education
departments’ comprehensive
long term music education projects with
local schools. They work as independent
contractors and are selected by the orchestra
in an audition process. They are
prepared for their assignments with indepth
training.
Educational aspects – process quality
Subject matter
Science of musical instruments is a
central subject within all music education
workshops which precede concerts.
Orchestral musicians who visit schools almost
always introduce their own instrument
and explain design, technique, origin,
instrument family and charac -
teristics of timbre.
Musical Theory i.e. theory of musical
forms, rhythm and theory of harmony is
the basis of most creative workshops
that deal with one particular work of one
composer to encourage children and
adolescents to compose and create
music. In most cases, no explicit reference
to theory is made.
Biographies of musicians are less
prevalent in music education workshops
than in concerts for children, where they
are used to introduce a narrative element.
There are numerous concerts that
concentrate on fascinating aspects of the
lives of composers such as Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian
Bach or Johann Strauss II. The composers’
experiences are linked to the
children’s personal experiences to raise
interest in the composers’ work.
Vocal and instrumental skills are less
central to music education projects than
they are to singing and music classes.
They are, however, relevant in long-term
projects, where instruments and voice are
used and when children and adolescents
are supposed to improve their skills either
through professional voice coaching or
experimental vocal forms of expression.
In such workshops, children and adolescents
can also improve their level of technical
expertise on simple instruments
such as a mallet or rhythm instruments
or on their own instruments, if they are
used in the course of the project.
Musical Creativity is a most important
subject matter in long-term music
education projects, where children and
adolescents are encouraged to create
their own music, referencing a selection
of musical parameters taken from important
works of classical or modern music.
Cooperation with other art forms
When developing projects, which incorporate
several art forms, silent power
struggles about which art form ‘reigns
supreme’ can result in tensions. In projects
using dance or drama and even
131
WIE GELINGT
MUSIKVERMITTLUNG?
„We are trying
to develop that well-grounded
critical thinking adult.
That would be my success.“
more when using visual arts such as
films or paintings, there is a risk that the
music and its emotional impact are
pushed into a subordinate role. ‚Mehr -
spartenhäusern’ (theatres in German
speaking countries that show opera, ballet
and drama) usually prefer to develop
projects that make use of the abilities of
their own staff.
Cooperation with schools
Schools are generally very open to working
with orchestras and concert organisers.
How difficult it is to plan and incorporate
music education projects into the
curriculum, depends on the type of
school (primary, secondary, college, etc),
the organisational structure of the
school, the availability of substitute
teachers, the possibility of rescheduling
classes and the general attitude towards
cultural projects. Another decisive factor
is the availability of financial support for
long-term artistic projects from the education
authorities. Teachers react very
differently to extra-curriculum projects.
Some prefer a type of cooperation where
they contribute their own ideas, methods
and approaches. The majority expects
to be provided with a finished concept
where they take on the role of a facilitator,
who gives invaluable support as
an expert of the local conditions and the
distinctive characteristics of the pupils.
Most of our interviewees view it as a sign
of good quality, when they don’t just
offer a project to be executed but develop
an idea with a teacher. At the early
stage of planning content and procedures,
both sides usually benefit from
their different cultural backgrounds.