At the crossroads ... !
The Centre Pédagogique Romand ASMP-SSPM (CPR) is entering its eighth season with many questions on its mind. How can a structure that has proven itself over the years look to the future with serenity in a field as changing as music education? What are the expectations of the two major institutions it works for? How do private ASMP and SSPM teachers view the CPR's activities? And, at the other end of the spectrum, what are the reactions of professional ASMP-Kalaidos students or amateur SSPM pupils?
Reconciling objectives as different as professional and amateur education is no easy feat in programming. While in its early days, the CPR mixed the genres somewhat, the activities are now well separated. The number of internships and courses for professional students is increasing. These courses are also days of continuing education for ASMP and SSPM music teachers, as well as for musicians from music schools. On the teaching side, SSPM members are coming in ever greater numbers, which is gratifying.
Building a network of activities
A collective dynamic, notably through the CPR's multiple activities, is a visible platform for ASMP and SSPM, who so often regret the virtual aspect of their grouping. The ASMP, now integrated into the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, successfully accredited by the Swiss Confederation for vocational training, can embark on a clear, visible and, indeed, concrete project! Thanks to the trust and support of its many partners, the CPR offers a wide range of opportunities for training courses, seminars, concerts, symposia, etc. in the Lake Geneva region.
Now an active and integral part of the FRIM (Fédération Romande d'Improvisation Musicale), it is involved in large-scale projects that deserve a closer look. FRIM is successfully expanding and becoming a networking tool that will play an important role in French-speaking Switzerland over the coming years. With our financial capacities now in place, we can envisage large-scale international projects, such as a series of events in early 2016 dedicated to the great German composer Helmut Lachenmann, including concerts, lectures, masterclasses and more. For the 2014-15 season, some remarkable artists will be coming to Lausanne: Ken Ueno (http://www.kenueno.com), Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman (http://www.lelieuunique.com), Marc Ducret (on the theme "Improvisation, why?") or William Dongois ("Pedagogy and practice of improvisation in the Renaissance"). The icing on the cake is that FRIM courses are free for member institutions and at reduced prices for ASMP or SSPM members.
Starting next year, the CPR will further develop its collaboration with Steinway Hall Suisse romande by co-organizing (March 2015) an exclusive visit to the Steinway workshops in Hamburg, reserved for ASMP and SSPM teachers! In Bern, as the music-painting workshops at the Paul Klee Museum are becoming increasingly popular, a course will again be organized in 2015, with a slightly different and expanded formula. In Morges, graphic notation under the theme "Draw me your music" will this time be offered to young SSPM students, as well as to FRIM member institutions.
A flexible, scalable service structure
"A la carte" courses for ASMP students are organized in premises that perfectly meet the requirements of a High School of Music. Preparation for the acoustics exams is already planned, as is a concert by professional students. It is possible to respond rapidly to demand and to adapt to it without administrative red tape. It is understood that the CPR's finances are perfectly sound, thanks to the support of the ASMP, the SSPM-Centrale and the SSPM sections in French-speaking Switzerland.
Professional and amateur students alike have a right to expect a high-quality, diversified offering that does not pale in comparison with the capabilities of public or semi-public institutions. It's up to the private education sector to make the most of the advantages on offer, and to ensure that apprentice musicians don't feel isolated or left behind. The CPR is perfectly capable of filling the gaps left by a private education system that lacks the premises, concert halls and meeting facilities - in short, a form of coordination and offering equivalent to that of a traditional music school. ASMP, on the other hand, has everything to gain from getting to know its students better on a day-to-day basis, and providing them with support and guidance in their work.
Being heard, being ahead of the future...
The role of private education is often at the heart of discussions these days. In a public institution, students are regularly assessed through the multiplicity of activities they carry out, and they are driven by motivating projects that enrich their instrumental knowledge. In many regions, financial resources are on the rise, and demands are keeping pace. It's important for the ASMP and SSPM to play an active role in this development, and to show just how many good cards they can lay on the table!
Getting away from the virtual is a question of survival, and this requires a change in the concept of private education. If music studies are to continue to be of the highest quality, we need to broaden the range of options available to students, and encourage them to be mobile by taking part in collective projects. The CPR is a tool that won't wear out if the teacher concerned is aware of the opportunities it offers.
Continuing education is also a cornerstone of constantly updated, quality-conscious teaching. That's why many institutions are trying to do more in this area, sometimes with mixed success. The private teacher is no exception to these guidelines, and the CPR will only survive if it serves as a place where tomorrow's pedagogy is built, a structure that is open, welcoming, federative and innovative, thanks to an attendance rate that must rise if it is not to end up like a voice in a desert...
The Centre Pédagogique Romand ASMP-SSPM (CPR) is entering its eighth season with many questions on its mind. How can a structure that has proven itself over the years look to the future with serenity in a field as changing as music education? What are the expectations of the two major institutions it works for? How do private ASMP and SSPM teachers view the CPR's activities? And, at the other end of the spectrum, what are the reactions of professional ASMP-Kalaidos students or amateur SSPM pupils?
Reconciling objectives as different as professional and amateur education is no easy feat in programming. While in its early days, the CPR mixed the genres somewhat, the activities are now well separated. The number of internships and courses for professional students is increasing. These courses are also days of continuing education for ASMP and SSPM music teachers, as well as for musicians from music schools. On the teaching side, SSPM members are coming in ever greater numbers, which is gratifying.
Building a network of activities
A collective dynamic, notably through the CPR's multiple activities, is a visible platform for ASMP and SSPM, who so often regret the virtual aspect of their grouping. The ASMP, now integrated into the Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, successfully accredited by the Swiss Confederation for vocational training, can embark on a clear, visible and, indeed, concrete project! Thanks to the trust and support of its many partners, the CPR offers a wide range of opportunities for training courses, seminars, concerts, symposia, etc. in the Lake Geneva region.
Now an active and integral part of the FRIM (Fédération Romande d'Improvisation Musicale), it is involved in large-scale projects that deserve a closer look. FRIM is successfully expanding and becoming a networking tool that will play an important role in French-speaking Switzerland over the coming years. With our financial capacities now in place, we can envisage large-scale international projects, such as a series of events in early 2016 dedicated to the great German composer Helmut Lachenmann, including concerts, lectures, masterclasses and more. For the 2014-15 season, some remarkable artists will be coming to Lausanne: Ken Ueno (http://www.kenueno.com), Sylvie Courvoisier and Mark Feldman (http://www.lelieuunique.com), Marc Ducret (on the theme "Improvisation, why?") or William Dongois ("Pedagogy and practice of improvisation in the Renaissance"). The icing on the cake is that FRIM courses are free for member institutions and at reduced prices for ASMP or SSPM members.
Starting next year, the CPR will further develop its collaboration with Steinway Hall Suisse romande by co-organizing (March 2015) an exclusive visit to the Steinway workshops in Hamburg, reserved for ASMP and SSPM teachers! In Bern, as the music-painting workshops at the Paul Klee Museum are becoming increasingly popular, a course will again be organized in 2015, with a slightly different and expanded formula. In Morges, graphic notation under the theme "Draw me your music" will this time be offered to young SSPM students, as well as to FRIM member institutions.
A flexible, scalable service structure
"A la carte" courses for ASMP students are organized in premises that perfectly meet the requirements of a High School of Music. Preparation for the acoustics exams is already planned, as is a concert by professional students. It is possible to respond rapidly to demand and to adapt to it without administrative red tape. It is understood that the CPR's finances are perfectly sound, thanks to the support of the ASMP, the SSPM-Centrale and the SSPM sections in French-speaking Switzerland.
Professional and amateur students alike have a right to expect a high-quality, diversified offering that does not pale in comparison with the capabilities of public or semi-public institutions. It's up to the private education sector to make the most of the advantages on offer, and to ensure that apprentice musicians don't feel isolated or left behind. The CPR is perfectly capable of filling the gaps left by a private education system that lacks the premises, concert halls and meeting facilities - in short, a form of coordination and offering equivalent to that of a traditional music school. ASMP, on the other hand, has everything to gain from getting to know its students better on a day-to-day basis, and providing them with support and guidance in their work.
Being heard, being ahead of the future...
The role of private education is often at the heart of discussions these days. In a public institution, students are regularly assessed through the multiplicity of activities they carry out, and they are driven by motivating projects that enrich their instrumental knowledge. In many regions, financial resources are on the rise, and demands are keeping pace. It's important for the ASMP and SSPM to play an active role in this development, and to show just how many good cards they can lay on the table!
Getting away from the virtual is a question of survival, and this requires a change in the concept of private education. If music studies are to continue to be of the highest quality, we need to broaden the range of options available to students, and encourage them to be mobile by taking part in collective projects. The CPR is a tool that won't wear out if the teacher concerned is aware of the opportunities it offers.
Continuing education is also a cornerstone of constantly updated, quality-conscious teaching. That's why many institutions are trying to do more in this area, sometimes with mixed success. The private teacher is no exception to these guidelines, and the CPR will only survive if it serves as a place where tomorrow's pedagogy is built, a structure that is open, welcoming, federative and innovative, thanks to an attendance rate that must rise if it is not to end up like a voice in a desert...
