Up until 2005 Peter Mak was involved as pedagogy teacher in the instrumental teacher education of the Bachelor of Music of the Prince Claus Conservatoire. The programme’s pedagogy section consisted of modules developed by Peter including ‘Didactics’, ‘Learning processes’, ‘Study skills’, and ‘Exceptional learners.’ These modules, all thoroughly developed and described by Peter, formed a neatly rolled-out set of tuition for the students in the programme. The content and set-up of the modules were based on the latest developments and insights in education. All modules were underpinned by authentic sources from the field and were easy to read. During the past decade Peter’s influence and ideas for the instrumental teacher education remained of great importance. As a committed colleague he was always interested to look into issues and ideas related to the curriculum and stayed an important critical friend. But possibly most distinguished was his between-the-lines plea for all present and future teachers to approach each individual learner with respect and dignity.
A musical improvisation inspired by a beautifulsummer day or by a song by Elvis; for patientsadmitted in hospital for an operation, music canhave healing powers. With the research projectMeaningful Music in Health Care (MiMiC), thattook place from autumn 2015 until 2018, the researchgroup Lifelong Learning in Music (LLM), togetherwith the department of surgery of the UniversityMedical Center Groningen (UMCG), researched thepractice of live music for hospital patients and theirhealth care professionals. For the research groupLifelong Learning in Music the focus of the researchwas on the meaning of this musical practice formusicians and health care professionals, and onthe development of this practice.The research of UMCG concentrated on the effectsof live music on the recovery and wellbeing of patients
“In-Between” is the title of this conference. If I am right, it focuses on the role of the artist as a middle-man, or middle-woman, between art and learner. It focuses, maybe, on the way artists are capable to transfer knowledge, skills, attitudes, insights, emotions of an artistic nature. And it focuses, maybe, on the way experiences from the domain of the arts may be transferred through the mechanism inherent in the domain of education; two domains which sometimes seem to have a rather problematic relation because the arts are seen as a domain of beauty, of expressivity, of individuality, of freedom, of creativity, whereas education is seen as the domain of standardization, of group work, of compliance to rules, and of mastering the existing.
Codarts, as a University of the Arts, develops practice-oriented research to enhance artistic development, the arts practice and arts education. Performing arts, specifically dance, music and circus, enable us to communicate beyond geographical, cultural, linguistic and religious boundaries and helps us connect our common values and dreams. The performing arts are universal in their capacity to unite and inspire, providing an excellent opportunity for us to expand our research to an international level. However, the current research strategy at Codarts does not sufficiently match our European research ambitions, even though our education is inherently international and there are multiple strong connections to relevant themes in the European Research Area. Accordingly, with this project, we aim to bridge the gap between our current national research activities and our European ambitions by aligning our research focus with the European Research Area. The aim is to develop a strategy that enriches the arts practice, arts education and our research, creating a stronger connection to the European Research Area and to relevant European networks. Expanding the scope of our practice-oriented research towards European projects is essential to increase research opportunities, improve the applicability and societal impact of our research outcomes and provide more opportunities for students, teachers and researchers to learn and exchange knowledge and insights. Additionally, it is necessary to create a sustainable future for our institution. Strategic brainstorm sessions, benchmark studies, detailed action plans and viability assessments need to make sure that we become aware of our current position in the European research field, as well as identify potential partners and networks to collaborate with. This project will eventually work towards participation in a relevant European project proposal as the first step towards strengthening our position as a leading University of the Arts in Europe.
