I wrote a few lines again on the subject of precarious working conditions in professional music education. In a recent article for the NOIES Musikszene NRW magazine, I focus on the situation of adjunct teachers at German music universities. This part of faculty manage 40–60 percent of the overall teaching load, mostly ineligible for social welfare schemes, while taking all the entrepreneurial risks of freelancing. After summarising the origins of this academic grievance, I outline some perspectives and possible solutions to the problem.
Teaching
The Digital Music Theory Classroom
Dear colleagues and everybody involved in academic music education, I would like to share a first draft of my conception for teaching music theory on the basis of digital media, online platforms, and collaborative tools and documents. The strategies outlined here are the product of the past three years, reflecting the attempt to transfer methods and strategies from remote and hybrid teaching to in-person classes wherever convenient, and to develop an integrative model for the benefit of both students and teachers. Please feel free to comment and get in touch if you have any remarks, suggestions, or additions from your own experience.
Joint Panel on Pre-University Music Theory
I am excited to co-organise a panel discussion, jointly hosted by the Gesellschaft für Musiktheorie and Society for Music Analysis, which will be entitled »Essentials or Preliminaries? Perspectives on Pre-University Music Theory«. This will be the first collaboration of the SMA Zoom Colloquium and the GMTH International Music Theory Lectures, featuring Rebekka Albrecht, Esther Cavett, Laura Krämer, James Olsen, Mark Richards, and Kenneth Smith, who will contribute their views as lecturers at secondary schools, music schools, and universities. Really looking forward to this exchange of thoughts—if you are interested as well, please join the session on Thursday, 1 June, 19:30 CEST (18:30 BST). Further information on the speakers and the Zoom details can be found on this website and also on this website.
Being a Digital Fellow
Happy to announce that I have been awarded a fellowship for innovation in digital teaching at Robert Schumann Hochschule Düsseldorf. This means that I will be able to realise a collaborative project titled Music Theory Tutor 2.0, dedicated to the advancement of technology-based music theory teaching. With the support of a software developer, I aim to create a tool (or a set of plugins) for designing modular assignments with music scores and audio content that can be edited, solved, and evaluated via an interactive online platform. Can’t wait to move forward this exciting project!
Diversity Survey for Music Students
Dear music students, lecturers, and scholars! I am conducting a survey on diversity in music business and professional music education. If you are a student, you are cordially invited to participate. If you are teaching at a German university or conservatory, please forward the survey link to your students. Your help is much appreciated! The survey is in German language, will take around 20 minutes and is subdivided into five sections:
- General questions of diversity in music
- Composers
- Researchers and teachers
- Academic subjects and topics
- Personal information