Elemental Music & Dance Education

The aim of the study programme is to go beyond the bachelor's degree and to deepen the subject-specific, artistic, theoretical and didactic knowledge in the field of elemental music and dance education. Subject-specific and interdisciplinary topics are dealt with in a variety of artistic and academic formats, with all participants appreciating how interdisciplinary cooperation can be enriching for all involved. As part of this process, students experience diverse encounters with a contemporary, innovative and future-oriented artistic and pedagogical practice.

The research-based approaches introduced to students ensure that their future work is based upon reflected pedagogical practice in their area of artistic expertise as well as being underscored by sound theoretical knowledge. Students will choose either a performance artistic or a pedagogical and scholarly specialism, which informs their development of independent artistic projects and research questions respectively. During the course of their studies, students will build an individual academic profile by developing and diversifying their Individual competences. Particular emphasis is placed on further expansion and professionalisation in the following fields:

• The ability to teach general musical competences as well as instrumental/vocal and dance skills.
• The ability to diversify artistic competences, especially in improvisation and composition, independently and when working with diverse target groups.
• The ability to plan, implement and document artistic and pedagogical projects.
  The ability to act in a pedagogically responsible way with regard to diversity, on the basis of current scientific knowledge.
• The ability to shape creative processes in a cooperative and collaborative way.
• The ability to develop research-based approaches.
• The ability to look discursively, self-critically and reflexively at one's own artistic, pedagogical and scholarly work.
• The ability to present artistic projects to the public in a way reflective of contemporary aesthetics.
• The ability to apply strategies in order to proactively organise and implement further learning and development processes after completion of the degree programme (lifelong learning).

This four-semester course of study is modular in structure. Each module comprises teaching and learning content that has been combined to form thematically and didactically meaningful units of study. The names and content descriptions (study objectives) of the individual modules, the number of ECTS credits to be achieved for each module, and the type of performance assessment are specified in the curriculum. The module descriptions refer to the corresponding learning outcomes and competencies.

Bachelor's program is a face-to-face program and cannot be offered - not even in part - as a distance learning program. The courses from the Main Artistic Study, as well as in other One-to-One Tuition, are designed to build upon each other. Prerequisite for enrolment in courses from the Main Artistic Study or One-to-One Tutition is a positive evaluation of the previous semester (from the second semester onwards). The same applies to the subject Musical Coaching. Musical Coaching can only be taken in combination with the Main Artistic Study.

Link to the curriculum

Students of the Master's programme are encouraged to complete a semester abroad. Semesters 2 and 3 of the degree programme are particularly suitable for this. In addition to subject-specific competences, a study period abroad can also lead to the acquisition and deepening of:

• Subject-specific foreign language skills
• General foreign-language skills (language comprehension, conversation, etc.)
• Organisational skills, through independent planning of everyday student life in international administrative and university structures
• Knowledge about international study systems, as well as broadening one's own subject perspective
• Intercultural competences

Examinations and assessments taken during studies abroad can be approved by the Director of Studies as equivalents to compulsory subjects, elective subjects or free elective subjects required by the Mozarteum University for your degree course. The documents required for the approval procedure are to be submitted by the applicant immediately after their exchange semester.

Details at International Affairs

Within the entrance examination, the following partial examinations must be passed:

A - Artistic audition (Music and Dance)

Requirements (music): Two moderately advanced pieces of different periods and characters must be performed (instrument or voice). The total performing time should be 5-10 minutes. The candidate will also be provided with an improvisation task by the examination panel, for which they will be given approx. 10min time to prepare before presenting their improvisation. This is followed by a short reflection on the artistic presentation, before the candidate is invited to give an oral statement about how they intend to shape their master's degree (e.g. setting a focus, project ideas) with regard to their musical studies and in the pedagogical and transdisciplinary context.

Requirements (dance): Participation in a dance technique class (contemporary), assessement in the group under the guidance of a teacher. Some elements of the assessment include: Guided warm up, realisation of movement material in a fixed position and moving through the room, rhythmic exercises, contact and spatial orientation exercises, variation and interpretation of movement material and improvisation. (Duration approx. 45-60 minutes.)

Performance of a prepared, individually designed movement/dance study on a topic of the candidate's choice, e.g. presentation of a movement-exploration or dance movement scene, with movement material to be chosen by the candidate. The study can be designed with or without music and/or include other elements supporting the performance (text, image, object, etc.). Duration: minimum 3 to maximum 5 minutes. This will be followed by a short interview with the examination panel, in which the candidate refelcts in their performance and the intention, process and sources of the movement material, its stylistic location will be discussed. The candidate should be prepared to perform a follow-up task if requested by the panel. The examination will conclude with the candidate giving an oral statement about how they intend to shape their master's degree (e.g. setting a focus, project ideas) with regard to their dance studies and in the pedagogical and transdisciplinary context.

B - Academic entrance examination

Upon arrival at the examination, candidates will be provided with selected text excerpts on theory formation in elemental music and dance education as well as related fields. Based on this, they should develop ideas for a possible research project (questions, theoretical contextualisation, relevance for EMTP), present them in writing and explain them orally (e.g. in the context of a discussion) (approx. 10-15 minutes).

C - Demonstration of pedagogical aptitude

Interdisciplinary teaching practice in the form of a teaching demonstration (approx. 15 minutes) followed by a reflection and discussion (approx. 10-15 minutes). Based on an impulse material (e.g. text) provided upon arrival at the examination, candidates are to design an interdisciplinary process (focus on music, dance, language) ad hoc with a group (students or applicants) and outline a plan for a further teaching unit.

D - German language skills

• Required language level: at least B2 (Common European Framework of Reference CEFR 2001)
• Information on the German examination as well as the recognised certificates can be found HERE

After passing Partial Examination A, candidates will be admitted to Partial Examinations B-D (possibly in a different order). The repetition of the sub-examinations A-C in case of failure is not permitted. The admission examination can only be repeated in its entirety and only in the next academic year. The admission examination can be repeated an unlimited number of times.