The two year strategic partnership “NAIP: Innovation in Higher Music Education” , which ended in end of August has published its project results. The strategic partnership, funded by the Erasmus+ programme, aimed at the modernisation of curricula, and teaching and learning approaches in higher music education through a further development of the European Music Master for New Audiences and Innovative Practice (NAIP).
The aim of the working group which focused on online learning was to explore this field in the setting of music education. The group developed and organised the course Connected Improvisation which focused on collaborative improvisation in an online setting. Students and staff from five institutions participated in this project, which entailed a short intensive course in The Hague in January 2016 and six online sessions following the intensive course throughout the spring semester. The working group produced an online resource which presents the process of the course. The resource includes text, videos, sound examples and pictures, to give the reader an overview and feeling for how the course was implemented, what worked and what did not work, as well as how staff and students experienced this experiment.
Enter the resource on online learning.
The working group on research served as a platform to discuss the role of research within the NAIP programme or NAIP-style courses. The aim of the working group was to further develop the research component in the NAIP programmes or NAIP-style courses, provide valuable information for NAIP teaching staff as well as food for thought for further curriculum development. The output of the group is varied and ranges from reflective documents to hands-on tools.
Enter the resource on research.
The project’s working group on curriculum development focused on the joint NAIP module, Leading & Guiding, by producing a handbook that can serve as a springboard for creative learning. It describes the existing practice of leading creative workshops as an important educational instrument. This was done through an introduction into the philosophy, examples of the practice and approaches as implemented by various conservatoires, as well as a bank of exercises, presented in a series of short clips published on the NAIP website. To offer a context in which the exercises can be applied, the short documentary Pass the Sound has been made by British filmmaker Lainey Richardson. A feature length documentary will be made during the year 2017.
Enter the resource on creative workshop leadership.
The project’s working group on curriculum development also focused on joint development of the NAIP institutions. The group worked towards presenting the core NAIP modules with joint module descriptions that present the modules in all the institutions, on the NAIP website. The module descriptions are supported by text that gives insight into the overall idea and structure of the programme, and how the modules complement each other. Writing the joint module descriptions was a good opportunity for the NAIP institutions to further develop the programme, collaboratively working on the learning outcomes and aims of the NAIP modules, within the framework of AEC/Polifonia Learning Outcomes and the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area.
Enter the resource on Joint NAIP Modules.
At the end of this two-year project we would like to thank everyone who participated and contributed to the project, leading to the project outcomes which will hopefully be a valuable to not only the participating institutions, but all higher educational institutions offering studies in music, as well as music schools on all educational levels. We do hope the NAIP bank of resources can be useful as a tool for institutions who would like to develop their curriculum, further train staff members as well as students who would like to get acquainted with approaches to creative collaborative learning.