Improvisation joins us , gives us inspiration.Professional development of music teachers with the focus on music improvisation and rhythmic topics; testing and adopting the new teaching and learning materials and tools. Erasmus Project

Project Title

Improvisation joins us , gives us inspiration.Professional development of music teachers with the focus on music improvisation and rhythmic topics; testing and adopting the new teaching and learning materials and tools.

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

This project is in a some extent, the development of ” Bluebird” project created by teachers from Gällivare Kulturskola and Pitea Music & Dance School in 1996. The main aim of that was to teach and promote music improvisation both among the teachers and pupils. For nearly 20 years a group of teachers, pupils and students from Norrbotten/the north part of Sweden used to have at least once a year three days meeting, to play – improvise with and for each other.
Thanks to Erasmus plus program this idea could developed and was continued with two others international partners in a much wider area, by establishing a schools partnership project called: “Improvisation joints us gives us inspiration”.
Our partnership consists of four schools from three countries: Sweden represents Gällivare Kulturskola and Pitea Musik och Dansskola, Poland – The Secondary Music School in Kielce, Italy – Frosinone Music Conservatory.

The main project’s objectives were:
1. Develop, test, adapt and adopt innovative practice relating to music improvisation i.e.: the new learning / teaching materials and tools for teachers and pupils; base on the Swedish & Italian experiences exchange;
2. Improve competence in teaching rhythmic by introducing the new guidance and tools of the Dalcroze Eurhythmics teaches concepts of rhythm; provides by the Polish partner.
3. Increase the music teachers skills and knowledge thanks to peer learning, exchanges experience, and implementation the new materials and tools created during the project.
4. Better understanding by all project’s participants, both pupils and teachers, the social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the present EU’s society.

The activities undertaken to achieve the project’s goals:
1) two joint staff training for teachers organized in Sweden and Italy with the aim to develop their knowledge and skills, exchanges experience, peer each other work, to create and share new materials and methods;
2) two short-term exchange of pupils with workshops running by the teachers and testing the newly creating both improvisation and rhythmic mythology.
3) two transnational project meetings;
– one in the middle of the project after two staff joint training and before the exchanging of pupils,
– the project’s summarizing meeting in Gällivare, which included 3 concerts open to public: played by one polish, one by italian teachers and a joint jam session
concert played by mixed swedish-polish- italian Superb jazz band!
4) working on tolerance and respect for others, we organized the following activities:
– visit to Ajte Same’ Museum in Jokkmokk
– visit to Anagni the ancient, historical town and the artistic center
– visit to the II WW Uprising Museum in Warsaw
– visit to F. Chopin Museum at his birthplace Zelazowa Wola
– visit to the Mount Cassino rocky hill – the place of the one of largest battle of the Second World War.

Each of the teachers participating in the project contributed to the project their most-powerful skills, experience and pedagogical values.There were two persons – the leaders in each subject: and more then 20 other teachers who were deeply involved in project’s activity. During the summing up meeting, the teachers emphasized the substantive contribution made by Sandra Fortuna, who through her own research has found common fields of action for improvisation, rhythms, expanding them even with images. Every teacher has had the opportunity to show their personal conception of improvisation, allowing to widen the boundaries of the idea of improvisation.The different musical heritage of each country has allowed to enrich a concept of improvisation, not only focused on the music aspect.

The results of project’s partnership:
– teaching /learning materials :”Dare to dive into improvisation” by T.Lakso; “Guideline of rhythmic exercises ” by Ola Lipinska ; “Booklet children improvisation” by Sandra Fortuna and Loredana Crucitti ; “Didactic Improvisation ” by Marianna Rossi and absolutely, inspired improvisations videos based on Kandinsky paintings, by Sandra Fortuna and Loredana Crucitti.
– DVDs, CDs, youtube films, project’s website, publication – two press releases in Poland and Sweden, live radio broadcasting
– disseminations materials ( project logo, posters, leaflets, gadgets, ..)
– cooperation with local and regional music/culture schools and general public schools
– improvement of english used to communicate by teachers and pupils
– better understanding the social, ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the present EU’s society.

The best summary of the project is presented in a press article written by a pupil one of the mobility participant: “..How amazing is it that we have had the chance to participate in this exchange? Now we have contacts in both Italy and Poland who will welcome us with open arms if we want to come again. It’s crazy how inspired you can get from other people. Jazz is so cool.”

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 123489 Eur

Project Coordinator

Kulturskola & Country: SE

Project Partners

• Pitea musik och dansskola
• Zespol Panstwowych Szkol Muzycznych im. Ludomira Rozyckiego Kielce
• Conservatorio di Musica “L. Refice”