Master Music in Society
The master Music in Society is intended for creative musicians who want to make a positive contribution to society from their profession. You will learn how to set up and carry out musical projects that can make a difference in society.
The Study Programme
In this two-year master's programme, you will acquire the knowledge and skills you need to independently set up, perform and lead projects as a maker and musical leader for diverse target groups. Participation, inclusion and diversity are key. Based on your personal interests and artistic personality, you will immerse yourself in the musical creative process and musical leadership. You will strengthen your music-pedagogical and educational expertise.
You will learn how to develop project plans with a realistic business model and enter into structural collaborations with involved parties. In this way, you lay a solid foundation for a professional practice in which music-making and creative entrepreneurship go hand in hand and in which you can make an innovative and socially relevant contribution to the professional field.
Curriculum
Practical
Projects form the basis of the study programme. You will participate in existing projects and develop your own. Examples are:
- intergenerational choir
- telling musical stories with refugees
- musical projects with people with disabilities
- inclusive project ensembles
- music events in care institutions
- democratic music ensemble
- music projects (hip-hop, percussion, composing) with at-risk youth
- composing music for children with multiple disabilities
- educational performance around singing
- renewing classical music concerts and opera
At the same time, you will work on your personal musical development and artistic profile through a programme of subjects tailored to your needs. You will receive a lot of personal coaching.
Theory
In study groups and seminars, you will acquire knowledge on project management, music pedagogy and current topics. You will discuss the progress of your projects and your personal development in intervision sessions. Courses from the Master's elective programme will complete the programme. In the free elective space, you can devote extra attention to your personal interests.
Research
Research and the socio-musical project are closely linked. The research question arises organically from putting the project into practice and will deepen it at the same time. You will combine literature study with field research; fieldwork being both a way to gather insights and to build networks and explore the field.
An example is a project on Syrian musicians performing in public spaces. This explores how music contributes to integration and strengthens a sense of recognition and belonging. The field research consists of in-depth interviews with Syrian musicians inside and outside asylum seekers' centres, organisations involved, fellow Dutch musicians and the public. This creates a rich, multi-voiced project, supported by a mixed-method approach.
Artistic development
Artistic growth is an integral part of the socio-musical project. You can opt for weekly principal subject lessons on your instrument or focus on e.g. arranging/conducting/vocal painting. You will also have the space to broaden your artistic profile through master's electives, such as the Creative Performance Lab. We encourage hybrid forms of collaboration and interdisciplinarity.
During the execution of the project, you will constantly make artistic choices: how and with whom do you collaborate, which musical forms suit your target group, what role does your own style and sound play in the social context? These choices contribute to the development of a personal artistic signature that is visible and audible in the final project. This creates interaction between artistic expression and social commitment, with both reinforcing each other.
Practical Information
Please click here for the application deadline.
To be eligible for the Master in Musical Leadership, students must already hold a Bachelor in Music Education or a Bachelor of Music degree. Candidates should submit:
a. a motivation/cover letter explaining their reasons for wishing to take the course
b. a project proposal
c. a portfolio
The project proposal must satisfy the following requirements:
- the project proposal has and is embedded in a clear socio-musical or educational context
- it should involve a range of stakeholders
- appointing roles of the musical leader
- target groups and objectives will be clearly formulated
The entrance exam comprises the following elements:
- the candidate must make a pitch for the project proposal
- the committee will assess the portfolio. The portfolio must convincingly demonstrate artistic qualities, skills in music pedagogy and entrepreneurial qualities.
- an admission interview where motivation, the project proposal and the portfolio are all discussed
See also the guidelines for the entrance exam in the next tab.
Please click here for the date of the entrance exam.
1. Guidelines for the entrance exam
In the audition interview we will discuss:
- the contents of your project proposal. We also ask you to prepare a 3 minute pitch for the proposal;
- your motivation letter explaining the reasons for wishing to take the master;
- your digital portfolio. The portfolio must convincingly demonstrate artistic qualities, skills in music pedagogy and entrepreneurial qualities. Please keep the following structure while peparing the digitial portfolio:
- front page: name and date;
- contents overview;
- your cv;
- documentation: recommendations and personal reflections on internship experiences or professional experiences in the field, assessments and diplomas, compositions or musical arrangements, photos, etc. including: video clips demonstrating your artistic qualitites, and video clips demonstrating your pedagogical qualities
The interview will take a maximum of 1 hour. You will be assessed by an admission committee of a least 3 persons.
2. Guidelines for a project proposal for Master Musical Leadership
The master project proposal should include the following five elements:
- introduction
- project description
- research question
- quality requirements
- your role and expertise
Introduction [200-250 words]
In the introduction you describe the background of your project proposal. Where did the idea of your social-musical education project come from? What is your fascination/inspiration? What is the relevance?
Take three levels of relevance into account:
- personal relevance (What is your fascination?)
- practical relevance (How does the field benefit? How current and actual is your project? What are the socio-cultural characteristics of your project?)
- theoretical relevance (substantiate your proposal with academic literature and research outcomes)
Description of the project [400-500 words]
Here you describe concisely the content and principles of the project. Briefly describe the most important key concepts (e.g. multicultural orchestra, intergenerational music project, pop-up choir…). In the description you also mention:
- who do you want to design the project with (the stakeholders, target group, parties involved)?
- when do you want the project to take place? (a first, rough planning)
- where do you want to carry out the project?
Suggestion: use the 5 W’s and 1 H: Who is it about? What is it about? When does the project take place? Where does the project take place? Why does it take place? How does it take place?
Research question [150 words]
The research question is a question that the master project sets out to answer. For example: To what extent can an inter-generational music project between pre-schoolers and elderly people contribute to mutual empathic understanding?
Quality requirements [250 words]
When is the project successful? Take the different building blocks of musical leadership into account (artistic practice, project management, music pedagogy, socio-cultural context, research). Note: you don't have to describe all those different pillars, but only the ones that are most relevant to your project. For example: What are the artistic/musical quality requirements? What are the pedagogical requirements? Etc.
Your role and expertise [250 words]
What will be your role in the project? This can vary from e.g. the connector, the entrepeneur, the musician, the concept developer, the artistic brain. It’s possible that you will have several different roles in the project. Describe with each role the expertise and skills you want to develop in the master.
Full time study of 120 credits (2 x 60), divided across the master's programme subjects.
44739 (M Music)
Completion of this master's programme leads to the international degree of Master of Music (MMus).
Please contact Ben Hekkema for more information
Ben Hekkema project management, course leader
Carolien Hermans research, intervision
Bas Gaakeer musical coaching
Debby Korfmacher community music
vocal and instrumental teachers of the CvA
(international) guest teachers
