1st Swiss Music Education Research Symposium
The HEP Fribourg is organizing the first Swiss symposium on music education research. This multilingual event will review research on motivation to learn music, and lay the foundations for cooperation across linguistic borders.
The music is very much a part of our society, but paradoxically, learners' commitment to and motivation for music education is more than ever a question for practitioners and researchers alike. Indeed, a number of studies in schools have shown a decline in student motivation for music education. This calls into question the relevance of teaching methods to students' interests, as well as teacher training. The fact that instrumental studies are being abandoned in conservatories and music schools is a matter of concern for teachers, and raises questions for public authorities about the validity of the investments made. In the field of amateur music, it is not uncommon to find choirs or ensembles in difficulty due to a lack of members. So, despite a positive a priori attitude towards learning music, are we still entitled to demand perseverance from learners when music seems so easy to learn? Do we need to rethink the balance between teaching resources and student interest, and change learning methods and knowledge mediation to encourage student commitment? Finally, how can we train teachers to deal with the new realities of our society, so that they have the leverage they need to motivate their students?
This first symposium suisse de recherche en éducation musicale, is open to practitioners (instrument teachers, music teachers in schools of all levels, choir or instrumental ensemble conductors, etc.), researchers and political decision-makers. It has set itself the following objectives:
- Learn about Swiss and international research on motivation to learn music;
- Share analyses of practices linking motivation and music;
- Paving the way for cooperation between music education practitioners and researchers across linguistic borders.
The symposium will take place at the Haute école pédagogique/Pädagogische Hochschule de Fribourg/Freiburg, a bilingual institution and a privileged venue for cultural exchange. It is led by the HEP-FR's Groupe de recherche en éducation musicale (GREM), made up of French- and German-speaking professors and researchers.
All interested parties by the theme of this symposium are cordially invited to participate as listeners or contributors.
Find out more: www.musique2013.ch/fr/home/
