Artistic, General Music and Non-formal Music Education: Different Roles of Composition Pedagogy

Music education in the Czech Republic is based on three pillars: artistic education, general education, and non-formal education. Composing and composition pedagogy are embodied in different ways in all of them. In each pillar, however, composing has a different role and status; it is aimed at different groups of pupils, students, and clients. It has other objectives, goals, and outcomes and it is otherwise designed and organized.

Artistic Education.Artistic education in music is focused on talented students and on the development of future music professionals. They are selected by admission tests and the teaching process is based on teacher-student one-to-one interaction over years. Composition programs and individual composition pedagogy are focused on the all-round sharpening and deepening composition skills and knowledge. Talented students strengthen their competences to create their compositions in written, audio or multimedia forms. Composition programs are provided at all levels of the artistic educational system from aged six to 21+ at some basic art and music schools, conservatoires and art and music universities.

Art and music basic schools are designed for talented pupils aged 6 to 19 who want to develop their instrumental, singing, or composition skills, and dance, and art talents too. It is a formal leisure education. More than 160 basic art schools supported by municipalities or private entities are providing programs in music, art, dance, and drama. The basic arts and music education is divided in two levels. The majority of all pupils (aged 6 to 14) are educated at the first level. Some pupils aged 15 to 19 are joining the second level. Basic art and music schools are also open to pre-school education for children from 4 to 6 as well as to adults in lifelong learning. Composition and Electroacoustic Music programs are provided only by a few schools. These programs are regulated by the Framework Education Program for Basic Art and Music Schools (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2010b). It is implemented by school educational plans in every institution.

Only five of the nineteen conservatories in the Czech Republic provide composition programs, two in Prague, others in Brno, Ostrava, and Plzen. They train talented students from ages 14 to 19, sometimes 21. The composition programs are designed as individual and they are aimed to develop abilities of future composers. The basic prerequisites are composition portfolio, basic knowledge of music theory and instrumental skills, which the candidates demonstrate in the entrance talent tests. The study is based on one-to-one teacher-student interaction and takes mostly four or six years. Composition programs are regulated by the National Framework Education Program for Education in Music (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2010a). At the institutional level they are followed by School Education Plans.

Only two Czech universities provide composition programs: The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. They offer composition programs and specializations including electroacoustic music and film music in the undergraduate (BA and MA) and postgraduate (PhD) levels. The study of composition at both universities is focused only on teaching future music professionals. Here, too, the teaching is designed as individual (one-to- one) and necessary prerequisites are knowledge in music theory and composition skills including a composition portfolio. The undergraduate curriculum of the composition program also includes courses of pedagogical propaedeutic and methodology of teaching composition. These courses are primarily focused on teaching music theory and individual composing pedagogy. However, students are also familiar with the principles and methods of composing in the classroom and the use of music technologies for composing within general music education.

General Music Education.General music education focuses on education of all children. They are educated without any selections or distinctions. Music education courses are mandatory for the compulsory general education at basic (6-10) and lower secondary (11-15) level. Some grammar schools (16-19) are providing elective music courses. Lessons are based on teacher-class interaction. Music education courses deepen mostly vocal and listening skills and knowledge in elementary music theory and history. Pupils and students are motivated to actively participate in group vocal, instrumental, and listening activities. All courses are regulated by the national curriculum in music education, the Framework Education Program for Primary Education (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2005, 2017, 2021) and the Framework Education Program for Secondary General Education (Grammar Schools) (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2007). These are followed by school education plans implementing national regulations at institutional level.

Composing is not defined as a separate activity in these frameworks. Some vocal and instrumental sub-activities, focused on the general development of musical creativity, are defined there (Medek et al., 2014; Synek, 2008). But composing is not systematically developed in general music. It is up to teachers, as to how far they use the methodology and didactic principles of group composition pedagogy in their classes.

General music group composition pedagogy is based mostly on principles of experiential pedagogy (Kaschub & Smith, 2009; Mills & Paynter, 2008; Paynter & Aston, 1970; Synek, 2008) and post-indeterminacy composition approaches (Schafer, 1986; Zouhar, 2005; Zouhar & Medek, 2010) in the Czech Republic. Composition activities are focused on the pupils’ and students’ experience with creating sounds, with the process of group composing and performing (Synek, 2008). The education is focused on stimulation and development of wide range ofmusicality and creating experiences for group composing and performance. In this concept of general music education, composition is a tool to acquire new competencies and to develop musicality in a broadest sense. It is therefore not a systematized training for the acquisition of composing skills and knowledge, but to sharpen creative skills through music games and sound experiments. (Medek et al., 2014). Most of these activities are inspired, triggered, and based on the Different Hearing Program and its methodology and the context of the “barrier-free music education” (Medek et al., 2014, p. 67).

Future general music education teachers of primary and secondary schools are studying in bachelor’s and follow-up master’s degree programs at the pedagogical faculties of eight universities. Curricular materials mostly do not include regular courses on composition pedagogy. Only Palacky University Olomouc and the Faculty of Education offer creativity courses in which students become familiar with composition pedagogy, following the compositional educational program Different Hearing (Medek et al., 2014; Synek, 2008, 2012).

Non-Formal Music Education.Parallel to artistic and general music education some institutions provide non-formal music workshops and courses for young people and adults, using group composition pedagogy. These courses play a key role as motivation for young people to create their musical ideas and perform their own compositions, when formal general music education does not offer composing activities in the classroom. They build conditions for the development of creativity and diverse skills for adults, and they get an experience that they did not have in music education in their youth. For teachers, these courses and workshops were and are also an inspiration and methodological support for how to use composition pedagogy in classrooms and inspire their own pupils to compose and to be creative. And how to use compositional pedagogy to meet the goals of general music education set out in the framework education programs. In addition, courses offer educational tools how to introduce clients to existing music, using composition activities.

Non-formal music education is provided by music institutions and festivals (Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic, National Theatre in Prague, National Theatre in Brno, Berg Orchestra, Exposition ofNew Music Festival, Brno, The Leos Janacek International Music Festival etc.), educational institutions (Palacky University Olomouc, Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts Brno, Jan Neruda Grammar School, Prague, etc.), societies, and non-profit organizations (Society for Music Education, OrffSociety, Association Q, etc.).

Educators and composers apply group composing methodology mentioned in the context of general music education. They use it for free composing activities and for workshops introducing and accessing existing compositions (Bakla, 2005; Flasar & Kyas, 2005; Synek, 2012). 2011 Hradec Kralove Philharmonic Orchestra realized eight weeks Different Hearing course for primary and secondary schools focused on introduction for existing compositions. Students composed their own group compositions based on principles of existing works. They learned to know these pieces only by their own composing and performing activities. At the closing concert students’ compositions and these original works were performed together. From 2015 to 2019, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra provided composition workshops as part of a large educational program.

Horinka and Kyjovsky led 90-minute workshops for children Composing on Demand (Horinka, 2019). During 2016-2019, the Different Hearing team of Synek, Coufalova, Vsetickova, and the author of this chapter realized workshops for teachers and their pupils entitled: Do you want to hear differently? Within a few weeks, the pupils composed their compositions during their music education lessons under the guidance of their teachers as well as members of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Together they performed their compositions as part of the Czech Phil educational concerts. In 2015, the Brno Philharmonic held a four-week workshop led by Vsetickova, Medek, Medkova, Pachova and the author of this text. The workshop focused on animations of existing compositions. Other institutions such the National Theatre Brno, Exposition of New Music Festival, Janacek Brno Festival, The Leos Janacek International Music Festival and others organized composition workshops for schools too.