The student becomes musician - a field report

This project has investigated how establishing a close collaboration between a group of music students at bachelor's level and an experienced professional ensemble can contribute to the students musical development and thus prepare them for a globalized, non-institutionalized professional life as musician. The project also looks into how a direct meeting with the music industry (that is, concert organizers, managements and venues) can act as a generator to promote knowledge that can only be gained through experience.

I have seen a certain tendency for students to worry about leaving college and starting their professional careers due to a lack of knowledge about the practical aspects of being a musician. Even if you can play, you don't necessarily have the tools manage. And although some have experience in booking, playing concerts, traveling and meeting agents, most of the students are on "bare ground". I therefore also wanted to examine their knowledge of people, culture and society and in what way the students could adapt to a new environment.

Since the hypothesis is subjective, I wanted to explore possible results through a poetic method: "Self-reflective participation".

I think it is important to be aware of the role we have as guests in another country with values, a culture and a history that may differ from our everyday life. Although it is comfortable to hold the role of a invited celebrity, one benefits from trying to understand and respect local customs and traditions. (As long as they do not come into conflict with own values.)

Within the walls of an institution, you learn harmony and theory, music practice, composition and notation, and to interact with fellow students and teachers. I believe that some learning should be experienced in practice, to be able to fully take responsibility and learn how to behave in an appropriate way.

The film documenting the journey gives an insight into the students' experiences and thoughts about this experience. Through interviews, it emerges that the students lack the tools to handle situations that must be learned through practical experience. Many of the situations came as a surprise to the students, although they are well-known events in the life of a professional musician.

From early 2016 I worked to get a group of students to play in Brazil, since I have experienced the similarities between the Norwegian and Brazilian music culture, both historically and musically. To make this happen, I used my own ensemble “Food”, via a Brazilian management. “Food” is a recognized jazz group that has been active for almost twenty years. The group has toured Europe, the USA and parts of Asia, and the ensemble has released eight records on the prestigious record company ECM Records. The Brazilian management Desmonta organized a tour with Food as headliner and the percussion ensemble as warm-up. We received support from Music Norway and the Norwegian Academy of Music to cover travel expenses and accommodation. The students were interviewed and filmed to document their observations and interpretations.

What experiences were left with us after a week of concerts and workshops in Brazil?

When it comes to the practical side of being a musician, the conservatory functions as an artificial arena. Real life is the only natural arena for experiential learning. The learning is based on a desire to master something, and external motivation is not necessary in the same way as learning theory at school. Learning in response to expected needs, is a very effective way of gaining knowledge.

I found that the most effective way to teach students about the roles and codes of music life, is to give them responsibility. The students ambitions are high, as it is clear that the skills are a must to master in order to survive as a professional musician. The group dynamic also generates a will to succeed in front of the fellow students.

The fact that they are engaging in something they love, to do motivate the students to improve themselves more than one could imagine. They not only learn from what they experience, but they also think about how they can improve their own performance. They innovate.

Their only reward is the satisfaction of acquiring new skills that will better equip them to master the career they pursue.

If you want to discover different nuances, it requires multiple attempts. This makes learning a discovery process where one explores how things look, feel and are performed. Having prepared the students in advance, the teacher's role will be to guide them to the right experiences, answer questions or ask questions.

Experiential learning uses strategies that involve communication, interpersonal relationships and reasoning. Knowledge is generated when there is a need for it, and occasionally people can explicitly express what they know.

Out in the field, it was interesting to observe how easily the students turned to the teacher (that is, me) when obstacles arose. However, the learning curve was steep and it didn't take long before they started investigating on their own, using each other and seeking outside help. Most of the situations arose due to a lack of preparation and could have been avoided by obtaining knowledge in advance. At the end of the tour, the students still had to be reminded that they should try to imagine different situations and circumstances. The narrative approach can lead to a slow process, but I think it ultimately makes them more independent.

A week on tour facing various challenges in a new cultural environment without being able to speak the language, will not prepare you for all the situations you will face as a musician. But it can help to develop the necessary tools and start the process. I believe that this type of experience is essential in preparing students to become musicians.