Before I pack the car with christmas presents, one husband and one bird and leave for my hometown Västerås, I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a sincere
God Jul
och
Gott Nytt År!
Pia
Saturday, December 20, 2008
God Jul och Gott Nytt År!
Before I pack the car with christmas presents, one husband and one bird and leave for my hometown Västerås, I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a sincere
God Jul
och
Gott Nytt År!
Pia
Invitation to create and edit your own posts!
I would like to invite you all to participate to this blog by creating and editing your own posts, besides the possibility to comment. It will make the content much more interesting! It is really easy - just send me your e-mail address and I will add you as an author. Shortly thereafter you will receive an e-mail with a confirmation link. You need to have a Google Account - if you don't you will be prompted to create one. That's it!
Pia
Study visists and work exchange
Me and my colleagues at the Academy of Music and Drama have had the privilege to make some study visits in Scotland, thanks to a grant from the University of Gothenburg. We just came back from the trip, which was full of nice impressions. Before leaving Gothenburg I had read a book about the country and I can confirm the statement that the Scots are very hospital! We received a wonderful reception wherever we came. I would like to take the opportunity to say a special thank you to Karen McAuley at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and Almut Boehme, at the National Library in Edinburgh - both members of the IAML community.
This made me think of an idea Birgitta Sparre, librarian at Ingesund University College of Music, launched at the IAML conference in Oslo 2004 - namely work exchange between music libraries within IAML. I remember that we sent around a list for people to sign, but I am afraid nothing came out of it. Maybe it would be a good idea to use this blog for people to get in contact? I start by posting an open invitation to Gothenburg!
Pia Shekhter
PS: If you are living inside EU the so called Erasmus Staff Training might be something to consider
This made me think of an idea Birgitta Sparre, librarian at Ingesund University College of Music, launched at the IAML conference in Oslo 2004 - namely work exchange between music libraries within IAML. I remember that we sent around a list for people to sign, but I am afraid nothing came out of it. Maybe it would be a good idea to use this blog for people to get in contact? I start by posting an open invitation to Gothenburg!
Pia Shekhter
PS: If you are living inside EU the so called Erasmus Staff Training might be something to consider
Artistic vs Scientific
With kind permission from Ann Malm, librarian at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, I post the summary of the second group in Reykjavik* concerning the question
How can a “scientific” and “artistic” approach be combined? Can, for example, a personal
reflection on a creative process qualify as being “scientific”?
We had a long discussion about artistic exams on different levels. Should they try to copy the
science exams, especially on a higher level (dissertations)? It is very hard to compare such
different methods. In the scientific field it seems to be easier to present a result, compared to
an artistic work. Whether it is equivalent for instance to present a process diary made during
a musician's work, to a written analysis of some laboratory experiment is hard to say. It is a good idea for the students to improve their ability to express themselves, when it comes to a degree
project, but on a doctoral degree - it is much more difficult to say what is needed. We think
this issue was very difficult, and that we perhaps are not able to answer the question.
Ann Malm
* Nordic Music Academy Libraries Conference, 16th – 18th June 2008 (please, see below).
How can a “scientific” and “artistic” approach be combined? Can, for example, a personal
reflection on a creative process qualify as being “scientific”?
We had a long discussion about artistic exams on different levels. Should they try to copy the
science exams, especially on a higher level (dissertations)? It is very hard to compare such
different methods. In the scientific field it seems to be easier to present a result, compared to
an artistic work. Whether it is equivalent for instance to present a process diary made during
a musician's work, to a written analysis of some laboratory experiment is hard to say. It is a good idea for the students to improve their ability to express themselves, when it comes to a degree
project, but on a doctoral degree - it is much more difficult to say what is needed. We think
this issue was very difficult, and that we perhaps are not able to answer the question.
Ann Malm
* Nordic Music Academy Libraries Conference, 16th – 18th June 2008 (please, see below).
Friday, December 12, 2008
How can a "scientific" and "artistic" approach be combined?
Dear colleagues,
I think you agree when I claim that there is hardly a day passing without the word "Bologna" mentioned if you are working as a librarian in a music teaching institution! I predict that this will be a hot topic for our branch at IAML conferences years to come. To stimulate a discussion on various aspects of Bologna I would like to post another question and invite you to share your thoughts!
How can a "scientific" and "artistic" approach be combined? Can, for example, a personal reflection on a creative process qualify as being "scientific"?
Pia Shekhter
Saturday, November 15, 2008
What does "information literacy" mean in a music environment?
16 - 18 June, 2008 librarians working in higher music education institutions met in Reykjavik. Our colleagues at Iceland Academy of the Arts, with the library director Lisa Valdimarsdóttir as head of the organizing committee, had prepared a fantastic programme for us. One session was devoted to discussions around the Bologna process. We were divided into groups - each group received one specific question. We had only about half an hour for the group discussion before we met and presented summaries for eachother! I was actually quite impressed that so much came out of this!
With kind permission I post the summary of group one below. Tone Elofsson, head librarian of The Norwegian Academy of Music, made the outline:
Group no. 1
What does “information literacy” mean in a music environment?
First of all teaching information literacy at a higher music education institution is not limited to
text. Both printed music and sound recordings must be included. One of the tasks will be to make the students aware of the importance of different editions of printed music, point out the difference between Urtext editions and later editions and also give access to digitized manuscripts when possible. Showing the need of listening to many recordings of the same composition – get to know about the change of style, different interpretations, versions played on original instruments etc. Today it is also expected that musicians should be able to communicate about the music they perform, and often they even have to write program notes. Here the library could contribute through teaching the students how to search and find suitable texts from printed sources and databases.
Tone Elofsson
With kind permission I post the summary of group one below. Tone Elofsson, head librarian of The Norwegian Academy of Music, made the outline:
Group no. 1
What does “information literacy” mean in a music environment?
First of all teaching information literacy at a higher music education institution is not limited to
text. Both printed music and sound recordings must be included. One of the tasks will be to make the students aware of the importance of different editions of printed music, point out the difference between Urtext editions and later editions and also give access to digitized manuscripts when possible. Showing the need of listening to many recordings of the same composition – get to know about the change of style, different interpretations, versions played on original instruments etc. Today it is also expected that musicians should be able to communicate about the music they perform, and often they even have to write program notes. Here the library could contribute through teaching the students how to search and find suitable texts from printed sources and databases.
Tone Elofsson
Dear Colleagues,
Sorry for not keeping in touch! The reason is a rather hectic schedule - I'm sure you are all familiar with this!
Some of you attended the second session with LIMTI in Naples. As you might remember I asked you to participate in a discussion during the year about the Bologna process. This was one of the reasons why I created this blog. The idea was that the discussion will be followed up in Amsterdam next year. I announced that I would post several questions as "food for discussion". Here comes number one - I look forward to your response!
1. What does “information literacy” mean in a music environment?
Pia Shekhter
Sorry for not keeping in touch! The reason is a rather hectic schedule - I'm sure you are all familiar with this!
Some of you attended the second session with LIMTI in Naples. As you might remember I asked you to participate in a discussion during the year about the Bologna process. This was one of the reasons why I created this blog. The idea was that the discussion will be followed up in Amsterdam next year. I announced that I would post several questions as "food for discussion". Here comes number one - I look forward to your response!
1. What does “information literacy” mean in a music environment?
Pia Shekhter
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Farewell to ELIA!
Late Friday afternoon there was a closing plenary with "observers" from outside reflecting on the content of each symposium. I think this was a very good idea, but I was quite tired and had some problems to concentrate. I was not the only one... The plenary session ended with a composition/happening by Staffan Mossenmark, Academy of Music and Drama, Gothenburg, in which we all took part - chewing hard bread, making sounds with balloons etc. The evening ended with a reception offered by the City of Gothenburg and, for people who could still stand up, a continuation "in the tradition of Pecha-Kucha".
Unfortunately I was not able to take part in the conference on Saturday. That meant that I missed the ELIA General Assembly, some so called fringe sessions and the final party.
I found the conference very stimulating and had an idea that it would be interesting to invite speakers from ELIA and AEC to a coming session with Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions. We are, so to speak, in the same boat. What do you think?
~Pia~
Unfortunately I was not able to take part in the conference on Saturday. That meant that I missed the ELIA General Assembly, some so called fringe sessions and the final party.
I found the conference very stimulating and had an idea that it would be interesting to invite speakers from ELIA and AEC to a coming session with Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions. We are, so to speak, in the same boat. What do you think?
~Pia~
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Talkin' loud and sayin' something
During the conference there were five parallell symposia running. I attended the one called "Talkin' loud and sayin' something" about artistic research. The symposium took place in Göteborg Museum of Art and had four photographic exhibitions and video installations as a starting point. Each artist made a presentation of her (all artists were female) work, which was commented by a panel and followed by questions from the audience. The discussion was not about the artistic "end product", but the process leading up to it - could it qualify as "research"? Could the art product be seen as an answer to the research question? Could the theory be visualized? The debate was quite intense. The artists themselves meant that their Ph. D. studies had opened up their minds to explore new methods and approaches while many people in the audience were quite sceptical. There seemed, however, to be a consensus that we need new books in art history and new art critics with this perspective in mind. Everybody also seemed to agree that it was important to make a distinction between "practice based research" and "research based practice"! I must admit that I felt just as confused at the end of the symposium as in the beginning - but maybe on a higher level;-)?
~Pia~
~Pia~
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Who is singing and what is the impact?
As I mentioned in my previous post from the ELIA conference the programme on Thursday ended with Open Houses at the art schools in Gothenburg. At the Academy of Music and Drama the so called Discipline Sessions were followed by food, drinks and a performance with opera, music, theatre and dance by students.
In addition the participants were offered a "bonus seminar" on Artistic Research Into Singing.
The first speaker/singer was Katarina A. Karlsson, Academy of Music and Drama, Gothenburg, who talked about her research topic - the canzonas by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620) with female protagonists. Campion composed an unusual amount of canzonas whith a female persona. One of Katarina A. Karlsson's research questions is "How does gender affect the audience's perception of the lyrics and the music of Campions's songs with female personas today?" The songs are quite humoristical and not at all decent! Karlsson started by performing a few of them with a sweet and innocent voice to a blushing audience! She wanted to make the point that the content of these songs requires something else than a nice voice and correct ornaments in the tradition of performance practice of early music. Instead she intends to make the songs come alive by highlighting aspects like folksiness and parody. She has been experimenting with different ways of presentation and has, for example, noticed that the hurdy-gurdy resulted in a completely different way of using the voice.
The second speaker/singer was Hendrik Vanden Abeele, Orpheus Research Centre in Music, Ghent. His doctoral research study "B-Gu Ms 15. What a late fifteenth century antiphoner does with a present-day performer of plainsong". He talked about how practical experience and experimenting with sources aids the understanding of performance practices. For example how the fact that a small group of singers are standing close to each other, singing into each other's ears(!) and sharing one score has an effect on the performance. Something new to me was that a lot of very specific performance instructions are included (with red text) in manuscripts from the time. Hendrik Vanden Abeele is the leader of a group called The psallentes. There are several videos with the group on YouTube, for example singing Caritas pater est.
In addition the participants were offered a "bonus seminar" on Artistic Research Into Singing.
The first speaker/singer was Katarina A. Karlsson, Academy of Music and Drama, Gothenburg, who talked about her research topic - the canzonas by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620) with female protagonists. Campion composed an unusual amount of canzonas whith a female persona. One of Katarina A. Karlsson's research questions is "How does gender affect the audience's perception of the lyrics and the music of Campions's songs with female personas today?" The songs are quite humoristical and not at all decent! Karlsson started by performing a few of them with a sweet and innocent voice to a blushing audience! She wanted to make the point that the content of these songs requires something else than a nice voice and correct ornaments in the tradition of performance practice of early music. Instead she intends to make the songs come alive by highlighting aspects like folksiness and parody. She has been experimenting with different ways of presentation and has, for example, noticed that the hurdy-gurdy resulted in a completely different way of using the voice.
The second speaker/singer was Hendrik Vanden Abeele, Orpheus Research Centre in Music, Ghent. His doctoral research study "B-Gu Ms 15. What a late fifteenth century antiphoner does with a present-day performer of plainsong". He talked about how practical experience and experimenting with sources aids the understanding of performance practices. For example how the fact that a small group of singers are standing close to each other, singing into each other's ears(!) and sharing one score has an effect on the performance. Something new to me was that a lot of very specific performance instructions are included (with red text) in manuscripts from the time. Hendrik Vanden Abeele is the leader of a group called The psallentes. There are several videos with the group on YouTube, for example singing Caritas pater est.
Quality Assurance an Accreditation in Higher Music Education
In the afternoon so called Discipline Sessions took place followed by Open Houses at the art schools in Gothenburg:
1. School of Design and Crafts/HDK
2. Valand School of Fine Arts
3. Chalmers University of Technology
4. Academy of Music and Drama/Artisten
I chose to attend the session organised by the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC). The topic for the session was "Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Music Education". First we were given a short presentation of the Association itself and its projects. "AEC is a European cultural and educational network with more than 248 member institutions for professional music training in 55 countries" (from the AEC web site) . It was founded already 1953. Among other things AEC has been focussing on the Bologna process and its implications for its members. Two keywords in the Bologna process is "learning outcomes" and "quality assurance". AEC has established that the accreditation should be made by the music institutions themselves with a so called subject specific approach. Therefore they introduced a new service with reviews by a team of "critical friends". The review results in a report with recommendations for improvements. As a help AEC has put together so called Polifonia/Dublin Descriptors. It was pointed out that it is important that the team is internationally composed to get a varied perspective. It is also important that the context is considerated. Even a very conservative school can be regarded successful if the students meet high standards. So far there has not been any evalutation of artistic research, which will be a special challenge. Since practice based research still is a very young area there is a problem with "peer reviewing".
There are several document which can be downloaded from the AEC website, for example
1. Bologna and Music
2. Accreditation in European Professional Music Training
Pia Shekhter
1. School of Design and Crafts/HDK
2. Valand School of Fine Arts
3. Chalmers University of Technology
4. Academy of Music and Drama/Artisten
I chose to attend the session organised by the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC). The topic for the session was "Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Music Education". First we were given a short presentation of the Association itself and its projects. "AEC is a European cultural and educational network with more than 248 member institutions for professional music training in 55 countries" (from the AEC web site) . It was founded already 1953. Among other things AEC has been focussing on the Bologna process and its implications for its members. Two keywords in the Bologna process is "learning outcomes" and "quality assurance". AEC has established that the accreditation should be made by the music institutions themselves with a so called subject specific approach. Therefore they introduced a new service with reviews by a team of "critical friends". The review results in a report with recommendations for improvements. As a help AEC has put together so called Polifonia/Dublin Descriptors. It was pointed out that it is important that the team is internationally composed to get a varied perspective. It is also important that the context is considerated. Even a very conservative school can be regarded successful if the students meet high standards. So far there has not been any evalutation of artistic research, which will be a special challenge. Since practice based research still is a very young area there is a problem with "peer reviewing".
There are several document which can be downloaded from the AEC website, for example
1. Bologna and Music
2. Accreditation in European Professional Music Training
Pia Shekhter
Keynote Speaker Peter Sellars
The actual conference programme started this morning with the keynote speaker Peter Sellars, professor of World Arts and Culture at UCLA and one of the world's leading theatre directors. I found his speech absolutely brilliant! He started off by saying "Thank God I am an artist and not a banker", with the recent economical collapse in mind. Sellars predicted a "depression era art" and stressed that students have to be taught to play a useful role in society. In UCLA he is giving the courses "Art as social action" and "Art as moral action" to students from all kinds of disciplines. The audience was captured by Sellars associative presentation, which seemed improvisational but of course was very well staged. For me his firm belief in the importance, even in a practical sense, of culture was truly inspirational.
Opening of the ELIA conference in Gothenburg
Yesterday evening the opening ceremony of the 10th ELIA biennial Conference took place in the Concert Hall. Inaugural addresses were given by representatives from the University of Gothenburg, the City of Gothenburg, the European Commission and ELIA. The speakers emphasized the relationship between arts and the surrounding society, which was not surprising. I was more impressed by the focus on arts and environmental issues. The problem of climate change now seems to be on everybody's mind and I think it is a good idea that we are reminded about it in different contexts.
After the speeches there was a performance made by students from the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg and the University College of Dance in Stockholm. The performance was in the form of a happening with elements of circus included. It was the first time I heard a classical violinist playing Brahms while cycling on a one wheel bike!
Then good food and drink was served and the party continued in a tent completely built up for the conference by beer crates(!) right in the middle of Götaplatsen - Gothenburg's main cultural square. The purpose with the tent is to offer the delegates a place to meet in the evenings - maybe have a drink and exchange ideas and information. There is also a small exhibition with material from different schools. In addition presentations in the tradition of a "Pecha Kucha Night" will be given. Maybe you also come across this expression for the first time? This is a definition I found on Internet:
"Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a magazine editor. This is a† demand that seems to be global – as Pecha Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 100 cities across the world. Find a location and join the conversation."
After the speeches there was a performance made by students from the Academy of Music and Drama in Gothenburg and the University College of Dance in Stockholm. The performance was in the form of a happening with elements of circus included. It was the first time I heard a classical violinist playing Brahms while cycling on a one wheel bike!
Then good food and drink was served and the party continued in a tent completely built up for the conference by beer crates(!) right in the middle of Götaplatsen - Gothenburg's main cultural square. The purpose with the tent is to offer the delegates a place to meet in the evenings - maybe have a drink and exchange ideas and information. There is also a small exhibition with material from different schools. In addition presentations in the tradition of a "Pecha Kucha Night" will be given. Maybe you also come across this expression for the first time? This is a definition I found on Internet:
"Pecha Kucha (which is Japanese for the sound of conversation) has tapped into a demand for a forum in which creative work can be easily and informally shown, without having to rent a gallery or chat up a magazine editor. This is a† demand that seems to be global – as Pecha Kucha Night, without any pushing, has spread virally to over 100 cities across the world. Find a location and join the conversation."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
The Importance of Artistic Research and its Contribution to "New Knowledge" in a Creative Europe
As some of you may remember one of the topics for the "LIMTI" session in Göteborg 2006 was "Artistic research". I just noticed that ELIA recently has composed a strategy paper on artistic research, which is now available online, also for downloading.
Pia
Pia
ELIA Biennial Conference in Gothenburg
Dear Colleagues,
Today the 10:th ELIA Biennial Conference opened in Artisten, Göteborg (the same venue as the IAML-IAMIC-IMS Conference 2006). There are about 500 delegates from 39 countries. Again the Artisten foyer is full of people speaking foreign languages, which brings back nice memories!
"The European League of Institutes of the Arts, ELIA , founded in 1990, is an independent network of approximately 315 Arts Education Institutes covering all the disciplines of the Arts - Dance, Design, Theatre, Fine Art, Music, Media Arts and Architecture - from 47 countries." (from the web site of ELIA)
I will attend as much as I can during these days and keep you informed on the blog!
Pia Shekhter
Today the 10:th ELIA Biennial Conference opened in Artisten, Göteborg (the same venue as the IAML-IAMIC-IMS Conference 2006). There are about 500 delegates from 39 countries. Again the Artisten foyer is full of people speaking foreign languages, which brings back nice memories!
"The European League of Institutes of the Arts, ELIA , founded in 1990, is an independent network of approximately 315 Arts Education Institutes covering all the disciplines of the Arts - Dance, Design, Theatre, Fine Art, Music, Media Arts and Architecture - from 47 countries." (from the web site of ELIA)
I will attend as much as I can during these days and keep you informed on the blog!
Pia Shekhter
Open Access to University Music - the Challenge of YouTube and Ning
Peter Berry, Faculty librarian at the Malmö faculty of performing arts/Lund university, has written a paper on Open Access in connection with music, which he kindly shares with us:
"Open Access to University Music - the Challenge of YouTube and Ning"
Peter Berry
through Pia Shekhter
"Open Access to University Music - the Challenge of YouTube and Ning"
Peter Berry
through Pia Shekhter
Sunday, October 26, 2008
"LIMTI"
I just realized that I should point out that the abbreviation"LIMTI" is not "official". I have taken the liberty to use it on our blog for simplicity.
~Pia~
~Pia~
Programme for LIMTI in Amsterdam 2009
Hello everybody!
I hope to see many of you at the IAML conference in Amsterdam next year (5 - 10 July 2009)! Maybe you are already interested in the programme for our branch?
Our branch has been invited to have a joint session with Public Libraries Branch by the chair Hanneke Kuiper, which I gladly accepted.
The second session will be "our own" and have the theme "The Music Librarian as a Pedagogical Resource". I am very happy that the following speakers have accepted my invitation:
* Steven K. Gerber; George Mason University USA
"Drive-By, Drop-In Musicology"
* Jane Gottlieb, The Juilliard School, New York USA
“Libraries and the Universe of Information About Music: Keeping Our Books, Preserving our Values.”
* Dorothea Baumann, Secretary General of the International Musicological Society
Bibliography and Internet - Teaching Search and Valuation Strategies".
Kind regards,
Pia Shekhter
PS: I write this with the reservation that the programme may change.
I hope to see many of you at the IAML conference in Amsterdam next year (5 - 10 July 2009)! Maybe you are already interested in the programme for our branch?
Our branch has been invited to have a joint session with Public Libraries Branch by the chair Hanneke Kuiper, which I gladly accepted.
The second session will be "our own" and have the theme "The Music Librarian as a Pedagogical Resource". I am very happy that the following speakers have accepted my invitation:
* Steven K. Gerber; George Mason University USA
"Drive-By, Drop-In Musicology"
* Jane Gottlieb, The Juilliard School, New York USA
“Libraries and the Universe of Information About Music: Keeping Our Books, Preserving our Values.”
* Dorothea Baumann, Secretary General of the International Musicological Society
Bibliography and Internet - Teaching Search and Valuation Strategies".
Kind regards,
Pia Shekhter
PS: I write this with the reservation that the programme may change.
Welcome to our new blog!
Dear colleagues in Libraries in Music Teaching Institutions - welcome to our new blog!
I have created this blog as a forum for discussions for our branch in between the annual conferences of IAML. I am very much looking forward to meeting you here!
Kind regards,
Pia Shekhter
I have created this blog as a forum for discussions for our branch in between the annual conferences of IAML. I am very much looking forward to meeting you here!
Kind regards,
Pia Shekhter
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