ECMA – Next Step Erasmus Project

Project Title

ECMA – Next Step

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 higher education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Creativity and culture; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

Chamber music is a crucial component in the curricula for higher education in music performance all over the world. Evidence from various sources shows a shift from employment with fixed contracts to an employment situation in with musicians are self-employed and combine different professional activities in the form of a portfolio career. The partners of “ECMA Next Step” has taken this situation in, and has worked intensively for three years to raise awareness of the importance of high quality chamber music training in the higher music education institutions. The partners believe that chamber music is a vital pedagogical tool for the training of transversal skills for the musician in the 21st century as chamber music addresses team work, peer-learning and reflective practice, all of which will prepare students for future careers as all-rounded and adaptable musicians. The partners also believe that there is a lack of a high quality educational programme to educate chamber groups in Europe. Therefore, the European Chamber Music Master (ECMAster) has been developed throughout this project. The ECMAster is a statement that chamber music not only functions a tool to educate all-rounded musicians, but also as a goal in itself – to provide a master programme of excellence for chamber music groups that is looking to build their careers around their ensemble.

Objectives are: 1) the development of new content for the ECMA training programme and the music performance programmes at the higher music education institutions in terms of curriculum, mobility, assessment and pedagogical knowledge and skills of chamber music teachers. 2) The establishment of a Joint European Master Programme in Chamber Music.

The project has had ten partners. Seven HEIs with long standing collaborative relations between each other and with other higher music education institutions. All seven institutions are highly international oriented, and brought expertise in music education at the highest level in general and chamber music education in particular. Two partners have been well-established and internationally oriented music festivals with a focus on chamber music. These partners have contributed valuable professional context both in discussions about the outcomes of the project, but also in terms of being hosts for two of the IPs. The last partner is The European Association of Conservatoires (AEC), which role has been the evaluation and dissemination of the project results.

Our project organised nine Intensive Programmes, two Joint Staff Training Events and one Multiplier Event. On top of that, we had three categories transnational meeting: Steering Group (4 meetings), Working Group on teaching and learning (6 meetings) and Working Group on Joint Master (6 meetings).
*The participants for the Intensive Programmes were student chamber groups from partner institutions and the topics were workshops, lessons, master classes, rehearsals, concerts, lectures and group discussions.
*The two Joint Staff Training Events had as a primary focus to develop, review and test assessment criteria and assessment forms for chamber music, and to train teachers in using them actively in their assessment of students.
*The Multiplier Event with the topic “The role of chamber music in higher music education” was held during the AEC Congress in November 2017. 85 international participants and 12 local participants attended.
*The Steering Group met four times throughout the project period to discuss progress, direction, priorities, practical matters and budget.
*The Working Group for Teaching and Learning met six times and was tasked with developing the content for the outcome called “O1 – Teaching and Learning Manual”. The group discussed contents, pedagogical methods and organisational approaches to chamber music in the involved institutions, and assessment criteria, procedures and grading in chamber music, as well as teaching methods, and technological tools for learning and teaching.
*The Working Group for Joint Master had six meetings where they worked on the design of a programme description and a consortium agreement for a Joint European Master in Chamber Music. Possible ways of financing the programme was also discussed in these meetings.

Our number one priority as described in the application was to improve the quality and relevance of higher music education, and our project has done just that. All the partner institutions have used the information gained about chamber music and curricula in general to generate change in their own institutions. The project has also had an impact on the students, teachers and managers who participated in the project activities, and the long-term effect of institutional change will in term also benefit these people, but even more so the future students going into higher music education. We also believe that we have reached high sustainability in our project through the establishment of the ECMAster.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 338099,04 Eur

Project Coordinator

Norges musikkhøgskole & Country: NO

Project Partners

• UNIVERSITAT FUR MUSIK UND DARSTELLENDE KUNST WIEN
• FONDAZIONE SCUOLA DI MUSICA DI FIESOLE ONLUS
• LIETUVOS MUZIKOS IR TEATRO AKADEMIJA
• GRAFENEGG KULTURBETRIEBSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
• Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris
• ASSOCIATION EUROPEENNE DES CONSERVATOIRES, ACADEMIES DE MUSIQUE ET MUSIKHAOCHSCHULEN AISBL
• Association Festival Pablo Casals