Nordic Network for Music Education 2018

The Nordic Network for Music Education (NNME) has just completed its latest planning meeting in Copenhagen, and everything is looking positive for another intensive course - in Finland this time - with all 15 partner institutions that offer music education Master degrees in Northern Europe: located in the nations of Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

The network has a 20-year history of sponsorship from Northern European governments (Nordplus program), and has been managed for these two decades by its founder Torunn Bakken Hauge, who asked me to become its new manager in 2018. Nordplus sponsorship enables an annual joint intensive course as well as international exchange of teachers and students, which across time has contributed profoundly to the field of music education in this region.   

We will soon complete the finishing touches to a unique book entitled Advancing Music Education in Northern Europe for publication by Routledge / Taylor & Francis later in 2018, a multi-author book developed through collaboration in this network, and in the future we intend to also produce multimedia resources and joint programs. I am especially interested in exploring how NNME might cooperate directly with similar initiatives in other parts of the world.

Here is the current website for NNME:

http://www.hib.no/en/realations/partners/international-relations/nordic-network-for-music-education/

Music of Norwegian Composers

I am currently giving music lectures in Bergen as part of a course for international students from seven countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Greece, and Spain), all of whom are visiting Norway for this Spring 2018 semester.

On Monday I give a recital affiliated with the class in collaboration with pianist Mai Goto. Click HERE for a link to the recital program.

For this recital, we are performing music by notable Norwegian composers: EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907), GEIR TVEITT (1908-1981), HARALD SAEVERUD (1897-1992), and ROLF WALLIN (b.1957).

It is impressive to see how many interesting musicians were born in Bergen, and a major project that I am developing for the near future is an open access online course (MOOC) that demonstrates the Bergen music scene with lots of original interviews and documentary video, supplemented with engaging lectures and fun quizzes to help participants retain the information provided. I am convinced this MOOC will be interesting for people worldwide and increase global interest in music, and music education, in Norway.

(Geirr Tveitt image from Wikipedia)

Arts Policy Course at Chinese Law School

I eagerly look forward to teaching an intensive course on Arts Policy in summer 2018 for China’s distinguished law faculty, at the China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing.

China has one of the world’s oldest traditions of law and literacy, and has shown great respect for the arts since the time of Confucius. It is a nation that is rapidly changing, with noticeable new developments, and increasing international cooperation, every year.

Here are links for more information about China University of Political Science and Law:

http://www.lawschoolchina.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_University_of_Political_Science_and_Law

IFLMI Deadline

The deadline for paper submissions to the fourth International Forum for Leadership of Music Institutions (IFLMI) is February 7, 2018.

Here is a link to download this announcement as a PDF file:

https://app.box.com/s/zviz3340l1qr5tj8q46cg60ju7mds8os

A link will be provided HERE when a dedicated website for IFLMI is launched in 2018.

Below is an updated announcement of the Call for Papers. 

Call for Papers

International Forum for Leadership of Music Institutions

IFLMI-2018 Theme: Online International Cooperation

The organizing committee welcomes proposals for presentations at the Fourth International Forum for Leadership of Music Institutions (IFLMI, formerly IMILF), to be held at Zhejiang Normal University, in Jinhua, China, on May 19-21, 2018.

The International Forum for Leadership of Music Institutions (IFLMI) is a unique biennial event that attracts Deans and Directors of music conservatories and university schools of music worldwide for discussion of the latest issues impacting higher education leadership in the field of music. IFLMI’s participants come from Europe, North America, South America, Oceania, and across Asia for keynote speeches, presentations, and panel discussions concerning new approaches in this field. Previous meetings have been held in Beijing, China, and Brisbane, Australia.

The conference theme for IFLMI-2018 is Online International Cooperation, and we especially seek participation from leaders of music institutions that are developing MOOCs or other online education projects and interested in international cooperation. We will consider proposals for both research-based and practical presentations from music institution leaders, particularly those developing innovative forms of Internet-based music collaboration. Presentations may be offered in either English or Chinese, with simultaneous translation provided. Space is limited, and only strong proposals from highly-qualified applicants will be accepted. Ground transportation from Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport, hotel accommodation, and meals for the full three days will be provided for speakers whose papers are accepted at the conference.

PARTIAL LIST OF KEYNOTES AND INVITED SPEAKERS:

Gary McPherson (University of Melbourne), Jiaxing Xie (China Conservatory), Margaret Barrett (University of Queensland), Steven Morrison (University of Washington), Eva Saether (Lund University), David Hebert (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences), Yuening Liu (Central Conservatory, Beijing), Randall Allsup (Columbia University), Alex Ruthmann (NYU), Patrick Schmidt (Western University, Canada), Boh-wah Leung (Hong Kong University of Education), Clint Randles (University of South Florida), and Janice Waldron (University of Windsor). 

PRESENTATION FORMATS:

·         Paper Presentation: 20 minutes (including translation), with 5 minutes Q&A.

·         Panel Discussion: Organized group for 35 minutes, with 20 minutes Q&A.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Email indicating presentation format and title, 200-word abstract (summary), and 200-word biography of each participating speaker.

CONFERENCE TIMELINE:

Proposal Submission Deadline:   February 7, 2018

Speakers Notified:                          March 7, 2018

Registration Opens:                        March 20, 2018

*Remember, we hope to see you in China on May 19-21, 2018, at the International Forum for Leadership of Music Institutions, hosted by Zhejiang Normal University in Jinhua.  

Contact email for proposal submissions and further information: IFLMI2018Beijing@yahoo.com

Here is a link to download this announcement as a PDF file:
https://app.box.com/s/zviz3340l1qr5tj8q46cg60ju7mds8os

A link will be provided HERE when a dedicated website for IFLMI is launched in 2018.

Link for information on previous IFLMI events:

http://sociomusicology.blogspot.no/2014/07/international-music-institutes.html

National Music Education Conference in Poland

For the past few days I have been in Warsaw, where I gave the opening keynote speech for Poland's national music education organization. Warsaw is a fascinating place, and this is a great event with many interesting practical and theoretical discussions regarding research findings and possible new directions for music education in Poland and elsewhere.

The conference features debate regarding planning of the “Playing Music in Schools” pilot project with 83 schools in Poland. This national project features programs with popular music, symphony orchestras, regional folk and traditional music, etc. Representatives from several universities and schools, the Polish Music Council, and national ministries of education and culture are participating in this event. In addition to participants from throughout Poland, the international Invited Speakers are from Norway, Iceland, the UK and Sweden. 

The conference is continuing for a few more days. Here is a link to the program:  

http://grajmywszkole.pl/2017/12/01/program-konferencji/

Christmas Concert 2017 with Tabula Rasa

Recently I have been singing with a new professional vocal ensemble in Bergen, Norway, that is led by composer Tord Kalvenes. We have a Christmas concert in Bergen on December 15 that includes music by Benjamin Britten and Francis Poulenc, as well as premieres of some new compositions. There are excellent singers in this group, and it is exciting to have the opportunity to sing with them.

Speeches in East Asia and Eastern Europe

Over the next few months I will have keynote speeches for the national music education conferences in both Poland and Estonia, as well as lectures for some universities in East Asia: China Conservatory (Beijing), Tokyo University, Yokohama National University, and others. More information will be posted here shortly.