When the mentors met for group discussions it emerged that many had experienced similar challenges around the mentoring role, ethics, boundaries, “red flags”, relational awareness, artistic identity, values, reflection and reflexivity.

The nature of the mentoring sessions varied considerably depending on the student’s maturity, individual needs and year of study. Many of the students nearing the end of their studies spent a great deal of time discussing professional opportunities. The interviews demonstrated the benefit of having a mentor from a different specialism. Classical students in particular were supported in their creativity and project thinking by mentors with experience of self-employment.

About the mentoring course and role

The mentors unanimously reported that they found topics such as listening levels, active listening, open questioning and personal value analysis to be especially useful:

“It was nice to practise active listening and strategies for conducting a conversation where the other person is given more space, where you ask questions rather than voice your own opinions.”

“[I] employed active listening and personal value analysis in particular, and I’ve generally tried to be less controlling and more open to the direction of travel set by the student and the session.”

Many of the mentors said they felt unsure about their role in the beginning but began to get a grip on the structure of the conversations as they gained more experience:

“I remember I felt very unsure about how to get started, and... I felt that I was floundering a bit in the beginning.”

Many of them mentioned the balance between taking a step back and letting the student take charge and imparting something concrete or giving advice:

“I used active listening and questioning [during the sessions]. But I struck a balance between that and putting forward my own professional ideas and suggestions because they asked for them, in fact.”

“I tried to put myself in the student’s place, be open and avoid projecting my own views and attitudes.”

“[I] thought a lot about different listening modes. Waiting, listening, body language, initiative/quiet, repetition, energies – letting the subject matter/topics/‘answers’ slowly emerge from [the students] themselves.”

Some of the mentors were critical of the course tutor’s emphasis on being a listening mentor rather than offering advice:

“The best experiences I’ve had as a mentor have been when I was advising, not mentoring. And on the mentoring course I got the impression that this was wrong because you’re not really supposed to give advice, you’re supposed to bring out... what the students hold inside them, but it was very difficult... while it was very easy to give advice that had a fairly instant positive impact. They really appreciated that. So I've tried both approaches, but... I do think that most of the students, or at least everyone I've mentored, needed that more than anything else.”

“Nor did I ever feel comfortable about avoiding the master role on the one hand and somehow... I mean, when they are clearly reflecting on something, and I feel I have something to add, then it sometimes feels wrong not to make that contribution, I think.”

“It’s not always about the student working it out themselves. Sometimes it is in fact about discussing something concrete that I know something about and the student doesn't.”

There was also criticism to the effect that the course could have had an even more artistic focus:

“I think perhaps the tutor is firmly grounded in private enterprise, something which colours the themes and communication to an extent. On the one hand this is a good thing: we are being presented with and challenged on something different. On the other I would’ve liked something more specific about mentoring artistic projects and issues/specifics relating to that.”

Many mentors referred to the sense of community afforded by the mentoring group:

“The most important aspect of the course as far as I’m concerned was being able to meet colleagues and work with them on dialogue exercises. They were such a lovely and inspirational bunch, and the topic is intimate and personal enough that you become quite close. They also shared some great ideas about music education.”

“It was inspiring to be able to think about development in music education with so many talented colleagues.”

“This is professional development and should be a natural part of the paid job we do at the NMH. Maybe monthly, paid and obligatory, with different focus areas or professional input each time. This sort of thing is too arbitrary at the NMH and should be organised better. It would improve interaction at the institution as well as flexibility considering that the music/art world is undergoing huge changes.”

Artistic mentor vs. main instrument teacher

One challenge faced by the artistic mentor is how to create legitimacy if the role is not institutionalised amongst departments and teaching staff. In light of the feedback from project module 1, we wrote to the main instrument teachers at the start of the project to inform them that their student had signed up and that some of the students would want their main instrument teacher to become party to their portfolio, while others may wish to keep it between themselves and their mentor. In the letter we suggested that the student and main instrument teacher could discuss it amongst themselves. In order not to impose additional work on the main instrument teachers that they may not be able to take on, we invited them to contact the project managers if they had questions or input. The letter was sent to the main instrument teachers of the 40 participating students. We only heard back from a small number of them.

In the interviews it emerged that the students preferred their main instrument teacher not to have access to information from the artistic mentor. Many of the students said they saw the two as separate roles and that the mentoring setting was a “safe space” without performance expectations and demands and without constant assessment. Many students and mentors described how ideas that were floated during the mentoring sessions came into conflict with ideas held by the main instrument teachers.

One mentor wrote:

“[The student] had the idea … [of] improvising/composing... But when they returned for the next session, they had been told by their instrument teacher... that it was a bad idea. As I understood it, [the student] took that to be the end of that. I was careful not to create a conflict here. … because I should probably have discussed it directly with [the principal instrument teacher], maybe the teacher, me and the student together. So we may have disagreed, but we could perhaps have been able to show a united front and demonstrate to the student that there are differing views and several options and for the student to then make an independent decision.”

Arguing for keeping the roles separate, one mentor wrote that:

“a project like this [can] support the view that at university level the student is responsible for their own development and that they must actively use the resources available to them and maybe manage and juggle different artistic opinions in order to strengthen their own artistic integrity.”

One student wrote of the relationship between their principal instrument teacher and mentor:

“Personally, I liked the fact they were separate. That allowed me to consider both teachers’ backgrounds and mindsets. I felt that I had more control over the overall process and how I formed a picture based on everything I learnt from different people.”

Another mentor had similar take:

“I don’t necessarily think there needs to be closer contact with the principal instrument teacher – one of the positives, I felt, was precisely that the student found themselves in the middle and said they managed to avoid certain dogmas and roles. If you are working with the same student over time, it may still be essential that you know what topics the other is working on so that there aren’t too many loose ends for the poor student. This involves acknowledging the tolerance that you need to practise as you encounter professional and personal differences and the discussions and ‘clashes’ that this could lead to between the teachers.”

Another mentor wrote:

“I think close co-operation is vital here so that the student doesn’t find themselves in the middle of an arbitration or conflict arena for competing ideas. A plan should be drawn up by all parties involved to ensure a good starting point and working climate at the very least. Yes, it should also be pointed out that these are different roles and that conflicts may arise, but if a good working climate can be established, such conflicts could represent a potential for reflection and change in practice, and I see that as a good thing.”

It is interesting to note that this goes against the team principle in sports where athletes have a united team behind them. The students’ responses could suggest that a multitude of voices and maybe even dissonance in the mentoring can be fruitful and stimulate independent thinking in the arts.

Maintaining contact between the different teachers is also resource-intensive:

“It would have been a much bigger task if I’d had to sustain a dialogue about the student with their principal instrument teacher. It may also have impeded the free-flowing conversation with the student. It seemed to me that some of the students appreciated my being an outsider, and our conversations therefore taking place on neutral ground.”

One of the mentors shared the following thought about the relationship between principal instrument teacher and mentor:

“[I think] it’s hugely important that the details of the conversations remain confidential, not necessarily because it can lead to conflict with the teacher but because the topics are often highly personal, and the students have to be able to trust their mentor’s discretion if they are to open up. I therefore think it would be very little that I’d be comfortable sharing about the student. Any teamwork would therefore be limited.”

It emerged that many of the students did not trust their principal instrument teacher enough to open up to them:

“I would not have trusted my main teachers with talking about the things my mentor and I were able to touch on.”

And some felt it was a clear advantage that the principal instrument teacher and mentor did not collaborate:

“In fact, I think the upside of the project was that my mentor and my composition teacher did not collaborate. These were two different things, and I didn’t have to worry about saying something ‘wrong’ in the mentoring sessions during the project.”

“I think it’s a very good idea to have an artistic mentor as well as a principal instrument teacher. However, I also think it’s important that the principal instrument teacher and artistic mentor don't have any contact or co-ordinate with each other. Keeping it separate means the student can develop artistically without having to concern themselves with what their principal instrument teacher might think.”

Personal aspects, mental health and ethics

Since the project was looking to investigate a holistic approach to music study, the correlation between private and professional life became acute. In order for the mentoring sessions to not get sidetracked and veer towards therapy, we reviewed a set of concrete methods for conversation and reflection during the course.

One mentor wrote:

“It was challenging to have to balance between talking about [mental health issues] and about music and musicianship because they are so closely linked. We resolved it by giving [the student] concrete assignments for them to complete and think about between the sessions.”

One student wrote:

“I wasn’t used to having this much focus on just me (with no playing involved). After the first sessions in particular I was exhausted.”

Another said:

“It was really valuable to be able to talk about insecurities that you can’t always talk to your principal instrument teacher about, yet you can talk to another competent person with extensive experience of the profession and instrument.”

Many of the teachers shared how they found it difficult to set boundaries for how deeply to go into personal issues linked to musical practice.

Many of the students had problematic relationships with their principal instrument teachers, and ethical dilemmas emerged with regard to how the mentor should give advice or intervene. Since the project took place during the pandemic, many of the students were also experiencing mental health challenges and saw their focus shift. This affected many of the mentoring sessions.

Many of the students made a distinction between professional and artistic/personal issues:

“These conversations were far more personal, and it was a space for me to talk about how I felt, which problems I was facing, but related to my studies. Other courses at the NMH are focused on academic content or writing music.”

This suggests a feeling of there being a discrepancy between academic and artistic/personal development on the study programmes. Much of the music profession involves a long-standing professional tradition that the students are being socialised into. The focus is on skills and professional capabilities closely linked to mastering the instrument. The degree to which reflection and identity are given much room varies greatly from teacher to teacher.

Impact of artistic mentoring

The role and content could have been even more clearly defined, according to some of the mentors:

“Artistic identity and artistic work were at the heart of this project, and that could probably have been made clearer so that the mentors didn't end up feeling like ‘semi-coaches’ but could instead act like sparring partners, only about slightly different things and in a different way than with the principal instrument teacher.”

One mentor reflected on whether there was indeed a need for a uniform set of artistic competencies:

“If the mentoring is to be about career planning, personal value analysis, new ideas and directions initiated by the student, for example, then it may be a good idea to meet someone with a different mindset from a different field. If the mentoring is meant to be more specifically about developing an artistic project, then I think it works best if there were some overlapping competencies between student and mentor so that reflection and opinion-sharing can take place based on specific artistic issues.”

Many mentors also stressed the need to provide support for such personal artistic development:

“I feel that the repertoire focus on the study programmes (especially classical principal instruments) is too limited, something which does not help strengthen and develop individual, personal musicianship. The core portfolio can drill down into topics and themes that the students are interested in and bring out what each of them holds within.”

“I don’t think she’d ever come across the term artistic identity... [or] even had any desire as to what she wants to play. All her life she’s been told what to play... so it was probably a rather steep learning curve.”

“It’s high time that reflection around the student’s own musicianship is embodied in the study programmes.”

One mentor wrote about the merits of the reflective exercises:

“I find that the writing [in the reflective exercises] is really useful. All of my students have said that it helped them clarify which artistic projects interest them, what they envisage for the future, and how the curriculum can be used more actively to identify opportunities to bring about the sort of development they want.”

Another mentor wrote of the benefits of the course and the mentoring:

“Awareness around being a self-employed musician. Teaching at the NMH is too genre-specific and locked into one kind of career path. ... Actively listening to the students means the students get to see how their opinions and ideas lead to action and make things happen, including amongst the teachers. This is good learning culture that we need a lot more of.”

The students’ perception of the learning process

Many of the students revealed that they had gained more awareness and professional confidence after participating in the project and that it brought in elements that are otherwise absent from the current curriculum:

“Understanding that there is a whole other word out there related to the art I’m working on.”

“It has definitely given me more self-confidence and awareness of myself as a musician. It also feels as though I’m more in control of my studies than I was before the project.”

“Thoughts about the future and greater awareness of the sort of musician I want to be.”

“In fact, I find that I dare to trust myself more and do what I want to do/write.”

“I know my values a little bit better and that I am very result oriented. I have gotten some interesting input for my project in the beginning. The writing has shown me that I have achieved a lot that I can be proud of.”

“I’m surprised at how meaningful the conversations with my mentor were and how much they opened my mind. I’m very happy that I signed up and am left with some brilliant reflections and ideas which I feel are important considering how ‘few’ (but not too few!) hours we’ve spent together. I can see this having a great impact on the students. I think 5 mentoring sessions could be more beneficial than, say, 5 of the many composition/instrument lessons [we have] over the course of the year.”

“I haven’t experienced anything quite like these conversations before (in my 9 years of studying at music academies). One part of this was that I felt like my mentor was equally interested in what I had to say as I was interested in what they had to say. Another thing is that it was very refreshing and helpful to have a conversation space that exists outside of the ‘prestasjonskultur’ [performance culture].”

“I have been living a reflection-less path for many years, but this has shown me a way of working that is much more mindful, that gives sense to everything I do, and that helps me see the way in which I can achieve things. It also made me more aware of the things I have done, which has fed my confidence.”

“...it was very positive, I started more to think about my musical work and how I can develop it. I think a bit broader now and try to take more initiative.”

“There was much more focus on the thoughts behind what we do than there is in other subjects. Less focus on how to do something, and more focus on why.”

“He asked about questions I never asked myself.”

“I remember thinking on several occasions during the project that it’s strange the project not a mandatory part of the curriculum. It felt so relevant, and I noticed that I’d not been given any stimulation whatsoever in the areas we covered.”

“For me it was amazing having someone to talk to and discuss things with. It was good to be able to think more about what I want to do after my studies. I think this course could be highly relevant to many, but maybe not everyone. For my part, it was really useful to do this in my final year – I would not have wanted to do it earlier in my studies.”

Several mentors tended to divide classical students into two categories, like this mentor:

“It’s striking how there are two particular categories of classical students. I feel that the same story keep repeating itself... that someone has this orchestral thinking, and that it’s a bit difficult... that thing about artistic goals, they also have a goal of getting a job... and then there is another category, and that’s the people who want to compose. I’ve heard many of them talk about it, I also had two students who both wanted to compose, but they’re on a classical course so they can’t, or they do it in secret. ... They really are two conspicuous categories that crop up again and again.”

Developing the mentoring role over the two project modules

The CPAM project provided an opportunity to trial the artistic mentoring role over time. Both project modules generated valuable experience when it comes to the scope of the role.

One teacher wrote:

“I think this was a highly successful identity project from a purely artistic perspective. Time and space for those big and important questions, great to be able to take part as a mentor. The absence of any stress was also delightful (the fact that as a main instrument teacher, there are often many other things you must and should cover, it makes you feel you need to be ‘efficient’?)”

Time pressure was something alluded to by many main instrument teachers: the fact that there is no time for the bigger questions and conversations because there is so much they need to teach. This shows that it may be more appropriate to have a dedicated mentor help tackle those broader artistic questions. Before discussing the overall findings from the project, we will use the next chapter to sum up our observations on the digital portfolio platforms.