MusicXchain Erasmus Project

Project Title

MusicXchain

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: ICT – new technologies – digital competences; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The MusicXchain project, by a network with the same name, consists of six (6) education providers from five (5) member states (Finland, Latvia, Germany, Netherlands and Slovenia) all offering upper secondary VET education in music. Based on the identified needs for development in the sector, which were also clearly defined in ‘A New Skills Agenda for Europe’ published a year before submitting the proposal, there is a shortage of basic, digital, transversal, and entrepreneurial skills. The agenda is based on the evidence of the existence of skills gap and mismatch across and within member states.

The project focused on enhancing the following key competences of learners in the music sector by creating new and innovative ways for cooperating and learning and thus enhancing their networking and digital skills as well as fostering an entrepreneurial mindset necessary for a successful career in the creative industries.

The MusicXchain project yielded a number of tangible results on completion of the project such as
– a structured model for organising learning mobility in the music sector taking into consideration the strengths and expertise of each participating college;
– 12 different mobility modules;
– a structured, open website for managing and coordinating the network activities including a calendar, descriptions of the mobility modules and other events offered within the network;
– an online platform for managing network activities and offering virtual music lab activities where masterclasses, validated technique videos and e.g. career stories of alumni can be shared or music productions can be planned;
– 24 virtual music lab activities.

On the participating VET providers level, the results are
– an exchange of knowledge, skills and experience between organizations;
– a significant increase in the number of learners in the music sector gaining an international experience through virtual communication initiatives and physical learning mobility;
– European pathways for learners – Erasmus+ provides opportunities for learners to do more than one physical mobility during their VET education which (if they so choose) will provide an opportunity for them to follow an international pathway already during their studies and with the help of the structured activities provided by the MusicXchain network;
– upskilling teachers – the project offered avenues for making changes in teaching as well as the professionalisation of staff e.g. in the area of using digital tools, managing an international classroom and teamwork;
– a sustainable network of VET providers and industry stakeholders in the music sector – the project involves international cooperation between VET colleges in five (5) EU member states whilst creating learning mobility opportunities, (virtual and physical) this project aims to further create a strong, growing and sustainable EU partnership for learning mobility and developing education;
– embedment – the project activities and results have helped to create an awareness that internationalisation provides an attractive, modern and functional context for VET curricula.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 241949 Eur

Project Coordinator

JYVASKYLAN KOULUTUSKUNTAYHTYMA & Country: FI

Project Partners

• Rijn IJssel
• Kainuun ammattiopisto
• Neue Jazzschool München e.V.
• Konservatorij za glasbo in balet Ljubljana
• Profesionalas izglitibas kompetences centrs “Nacionala Makslu vidusskola”