CEMPE has aimed to increase and deepen student involvement and partnership in higher music education and empower students with agency to act as makers of their education.

Throughout CEMPE's period, students have been at the heart of the centre's initiatives. In the initial centre period, numerous projects focused on providing students with more agency in performance lessons and fostering a greater sense of ownership over their education. Still, in the first period, it was staff members who led the projects, while students took part in projects through their teachers.

-> Hear the episode on Student involvement from Konservatoriumspodden (in Norwegian)

A significant change took place in 2018 when CEMPE hired the two first student partners as part of the management team. At the same time, the first students were appointed as project leaders for the «Work Shadowing project», which was CEMPE's first out of many to come student-led projects. The choice of having students in paid positions proved to be a pivotal move. This not only raised our expectations of the students but also instilled in them a sense of commitment and seriousness, along with a strong desire to contribute in meaningful ways to the centre activities. By compensating students for their valuable contributions, it allows for the participation of all students, not just those who can afford to engage in voluntary work or choose to dedicate their time to unpaid efforts.

Students as project leaders

From 2018 onwards, students could apply every year for funding for student-led projects. Since then, student involvement at NMH has expanded, and several successful student projects have been realised. Many student project leaders have completed the elective course «CEMPE20 Student-Project» that we set up to provide students with a peer group and a mentor, as well as provide them with knowledge and experience in managing an artistic project. Students have gained project management skills, they have created value for the student body as a whole by filling gaps or adding something they felt was missing from the programme, and many have gained experiences that will be relevant to their careers after graduation. The elective course and the funding scheme for student-led projects will continue after CEMPE’s period.

Many of the projects started through the funding scheme of student-led projects went on after CEMPE's funding ceased. Examples of such projects include Ensemble3030, started by Anna Berg, composition student at the time. In this project, performance students collaborated with composers on newly written works, led by conducting students. In another project, Bare Spell, started by the vocal students Daniela Reyes Holmsen, Elise Sandvik Olsen and Marie Firing Lemme, songwriters gained hands-on experience in conveying artistic ideas to a band. A third example is the Music Student Conference, initiated by Siri Storheim and Anna Rødevand, both classical performance students, which has brought Norway's music students together in 2020, 2022, and 2023 and put burning topics on the agenda. The Music Student Conference also sparked the idea of a national music student network. This was funded towards the end of 2022 and includes two students from all higher music performance education institutions in Norway. FUM, the national committee for leaders of music performance education institutions, will fund the network meetings. Student partners in CreaTeMe, the Centre for Excellence on creative use of music technology in education located in Agder, are invested in both the network and the seminar.

Undoubtedly, the student-initiated projects and growing student involvement have been of great value to NMH and the student body both at the Academy and nationally. However, perhaps the most important thing is that CEMPE has had the opportunity to give students greater ownership and agency in their education and, through the power of example, shown other students that it is possible to make a difference, realise one's ideas and thus contribute something of value to oneself, fellow students and the surrounding community.