Research Catalogue

an international database for artistic research

• 3. Internal publication Research published in this issue are only for internal circulation within the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague.
• 2. Royal Conservatoire Investigations Royal Conservatoire Investigations
• 1. Master Research Projects All research in KC

• How Obvious is the Artistic and the Musical Expertise of the Music Teacher? (2014) author(s): Adri de Vugt published in: KC Research Portal
  Artistry is often regarded as one of the core aspects of music education. It is important, however, to realize that the concept of artistry has to be observed in many different contexts. When doing a modest research into this concept in the context of music teacher training, I became more and more aware of - on the one hand the ambiguity of the term and the ease of the use of it on the other hand. Many teacher-training programmes claim to develop the artistic and musical expertise of students on the basis of the idea that music teachers should be artists in the first place. By my research I have tried to understand why music teacher trainers and others are so convinced about the obviousness of the artistry and musical expertise of music teachers. After organizing a conference with the title "Craftsmanship and artistry" (EAS Conference 2012), I had the opportunity to compile a book on artistry in music education. When finding the authors for the book, we had in mind to find contributions from different perspectives. Ultimately the book did focus on three main areas: the concept of artistry, pupil's artistry and the artistry of music teachers. Besides editing the book with a colleague, I was a co-author of an article on the competencies of music teacher and did write and article on artistry. I offer critical remarks on the seemingly obvious idea that music teachers should be musicians. He argues that content knowledge and skills in themselves are probably not that important for teachers, emphasizing instead that musical knowledge and skills in a pedagogical context should be a priority for educators. A second topic I raise is the role of musical identity. The fact that many music teachers would like to see themselves as musicians or think they should be, may well be influenced by the way music teachers are educated and trained. The question of what the kinds of musical expertise we should expect from music teacher is related to the opinions we have on music and music education. Finally, I discuss the complex connotations of the terms ‘musical’ and ‘artistic’ and comes to the conclusion that we had better use them critically.
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• Help! A Talent! The Student-Teacher Relationship in Higher Music Education (2014) author(s): Paul Deneer, Gerda van Zelm published in: KC Research Portal
  Faculty research at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague focuses on a wide range of topics relevant to the artistic practice of its teaching staff, to the artistic develop- ment of its students and to the world of musical practice at large. Areas covered include informed performance practice, creative (artistic) research, instrument building, educational research, and music theory. One strand within the faculty research programme is directed towards the under- standing and the enhancement of the student-teacher relationship in higher music education. Two investigations within that strand – ‘Making Music: Being Heard and Seen’ by Paul Deneer, and ‘The Teacher-Student Relationship in One-to-One Teaching’ by Gerda van Zelm – were performed in close collaboration. This publica- tion brings together the outcomes of both research projects, including an appendix ‘Reciprocity: The Two Studies Combined’, which offers conclusions and recommen- dations to further enhance the student-teacher relationship in conservatoires. Help! A Talent! documents and communicates knowledge, understanding and practical recommendations, based on accumulated experiences, theoretical insights and data collection. Its empirical base is the practice of teaching and learning at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. The relevance of the findings, however, reaches beyond the confines of this institute. Other conservatoires and music departments might benefit from the insights and suggestions offered. Research into the student- teacher relationship in higher music education is gaining more and more attention lately. This publication is both a contribution to this emerging research field and an invitation to further research. Help! A Talent! is part of Royal Conservatoire Publications. With this series the Royal Conservatoire aspires to contribute insights and experiences, embedded in its higher music education culture and embodied in the professionals who study and work here. With the publication of Help! A Talent! we support the dissemination of knowledge and understanding, but we also show our commitment to research and our readiness to be in front of the development. In doing so the Conservatoire ma- nifests awareness that today’s higher music education is in constant need to refine and attune its programme to an ever-changing world.
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• Between building foundational skills and instilling self-guided learning: Solfège pedagogy in higher music education (2014) author(s): Ida Vujović published in: KC Research Portal
  While in some educational systems solfège is taught systematically from a young age (whether in specialized music schools or in classroom music), in other countries it is a compulsory discipline only in professional education. In the latter case, students start learning solfège as teenagers or young adults but by that time they have already developed some of the solfège skills through years of playing an instrument. What these skills exactly are, and what overall musical knowledge students already have, differs from one student to another. Some are already familiar with certain chord progressions, some have general knowledge about keys and intervals, some have never sung before, and some can already play by ear on their instrument. Students themselves are not always aware of the level of their skills or may have the wrong impression about them. Teachers need time to obtain an objective picture of each student’s abilities. If the teacher wants to build on the students’ pre-knowledge, it can be difficult to decide exactly where to start and which route to take towards the goal. Starting at the level of basic skills makes this much longer and might demotivate students; starting at too high a level will unavoidably leave gaps in knowledge. Many music theory pedagogues choose to start “half way,” after first having systematized all the knowledge and skills that should already have been developed—which might turn out to be both too low and too high at the same time. While there is much research in the domain of solfège issues in music psychology and there are many publications concerning classroom music, almost the only sources of information about solfège methodology for college-level students are solfège method books and textbooks. Conservatory students without previous solfège training are not problematized as a specific group of solfège-learners. In this article I am proposing that conservatory beginners are seen as a specific group of learners who are experienced and novice at the same time. I will point out and discuss several issues that are relevant to the design of the solfège method for this group, especially concerning the first months of learning where the foundation is being built. I will argue that learning solfège in general is a process with its own particularities, and that the awareness of these should be the starting point for the planning of the learning sequence. A solid foundation is seen as the requirement for any further learning, and the role of the teacher is crucial in developing or strengthening it in students. In this context the concepts such as preparation, readiness for learning, repetition, routine, challenge and independent learning are discussed. Through a comparison of methods for children and adult beginners, I aim to explain some of the problems that are encountered in the solfège pedagogy.
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• From Potential To Performance. Training Practice and Performance Preparation in Conservatoires (2014) author(s): Wieke Karsten (older account), Susan Williams published in: KC Research Portal
  Faculty research at the Royal Conservatoire The Hague focuses on a wide range of topics relevant to the artistic practice of its teaching staff, to the artistic development of its students and to the world of musical practice at large. Areas covered include informed performance practice, creative (artistic) research, instrument building, educational research, and music theory. One strand within the faculty research programme is directed towards the enhancement of the learning, practice and performing strategies of instrumentalists and vocalists. Two projects within that strand – ‘Mental Training for Performers’ by Susan Williams, and ‘Making Music, Practising and the Brain’ by Wieke Karsten – formed the occasion and motivation to organise the international conference ‘From Potential to Performance: Training Performing Musicians in Conservatoriums’ at the Royal Conservatoire, 11-13 October 2013. This publication collects knowledge, insights and practical recommendations addressed at the conference by an outstanding group of scholars and practitioners. Some contributions to this volume were published earlier as articles in their own right, some have been written for the occasion. Combined in this publication they offer a rich and thorough account of the state of the art in this emerging research field. The study of the relationship between musical practice and the physical and mental condition of its practitioners goes back to ancient Greek, to Plato’s Politeia or Artistotle’s Politika, where music, body and mind were conceived of as constitutive of ethos, i.e. of character, behaviour and morality. And throughout history that relationship between music, body and mind was thematised in ever-different ways; from the proto music psychology of the Baroque Affektenlehre to the Musico- Medizin speculations of the early 20th century. Only in recent decades the study of ‘performance science’ has advanced to the level of a serious research programme, rooted in both artistic practice and in cutting-edge scholarly and scientific work, combining insights from sport science, neuro-psychology, brain science, pedagogy and musical practice. The Royal Conservatoire does not only want to profit from this emerging field of research, but also aspires to contribute insights and experiences, embedded in its higher music education culture and embodied in the professionals who study and work here. With the publication of ‘From Potential to Performance’ we support the dissemination of knowledge and understanding, but we also show our commitment to the research programme and our readiness to be in front of the development. In doing so the Conservatoire manifests awareness that today’s higher music education is in constant need to refine and attune its programme to an ever-changing world.
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• The Slow Drip Through Institutions (last edited: 2025) author(s): Michelle Ohigginst Heilmann This exposition is in review and its share status is: visible to all.
  Thesis of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague,2025 ArtScience This thesis explores institutional infiltration through a lens of performance.
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• Writing an article on the RC: a tutorial (last edited: 2025) author(s): Casper Schipper connected to: KC Research Portal This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
  Quick start guide for the text based editor, aimed at students of the class Historical Development.
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