VMI-Vienna Music Institute

Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) "House of Europe - International Songwriting Project"

The BIP "House of Europe - International Songwriting Project" fosters collaboration between music students from six European countries and non-Western musicians with refugee backgrounds.

Objectives

Against the backdrop of the significant challenges that Europe is facing due to the increased flow of refugees, the BIP "House of Europe - International Songwriting Project" endeavors to facilitate meaningful interaction between music students from diverse European countries and guest musicians who have experience as refugees. The project's overarching goal is to break down borders and leverage the transformative potential of music, infusing a humanistic and artistic perspective into the tapestry of multicultural society. What constitutes our individual cultural backgrounds? How can we forge artistic and personal collaborations? What is our experience within the "House of Europe"? Building upon these inquiries, the BIP curriculum seamlessly integrates digital instruction and collaborative teamwork, employing state-of-the-art digital music production and communication tools. This integration is further enriched by engaging participatory songwriting workshops and the orchestration of live events.

Background

With the "House of Europe – International Songwriting Project," the VMI-Vienna Music Institute implements a Blended Learning Intensive Programme (BIP) developed in collaboration with five international partner institutions: Educational Field / Level: Music and Performing Arts / First Cycle Number of BIP Participants: 17-20 students Guest Musicians: 4 guest musicians BIP Consortium: 6 partner institutions of higher education Consortium: VMI-Vienna Music Institute, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Helsinki, HKU Utrechts Conservatorium, Conservatorio di Musica "Luisa D’Annunzio" Pescara, Centro Superior Musica Creativa Madrid, University of Tartu - Viljandi Culture Academy. A collaboration within the existing consortium is initially planned over a period of six semesters, with each semester involving a different host institution and varying thematic emphasis. So far, within the framework of the "House of Europe - International Songwriting Programme," four successful Blended Intensive Programmes have been carried out. In the summer semester of 2023, the VMI-Vienna Music Institute took on the role of project coordinator and served as the host for the intensive week in Vienna.

(Implemented) Activities

The activities of the BIP "House of Europe - International Songwriting Project" are exemplified here by the project coordinated by VMI-Vienna Music Institute in the summer semester of 2023: 1. Online Introductory Course: The initial online phase included an interactive introductory course prior to the Intensive Week, where participants were introduced to relevant aspects of international and intercultural songwriting and the music business. Additionally, they were prepared for the "Online Post Production Period" that followed the Intensive Week: The conception and implementation of the online courses were carried out in cooperation among all six partner universities, with the involvement of external experts from the international music scene. 2. Intensive Week: During the Intensive Week - the centerpiece of the project - students from six European music universities came together at the VMI-Vienna Music Institute to collaboratively create new songs and sounds with musicians from Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Ukraine who had fled their homelands and found refuge in Vienna. The thematic background revolves around personal (migration) stories, experiences, dreams, hopes, and more. New songs and sounds were created in daily co-writing sessions in which the participants shared their personal stories and musical traditions and translated them into music. A welcome event kicked off the intensive week and offered input on topics such as "team building" and "constructive feedback culture". The aim of this event was to create a positive and inclusive atmosphere so that the participants could get to know each other better and build a basis of trust for the upcoming close collaboration. A welcome dinner, a workshop with Syrian-Kurdish musician Salah Ammo who is living in Vienna, and a screening of the short film "Europe Can You See Me" followed by a discussion with filmmaker Katharina Simunic framed the presence week, providing numerous opportunities for intercultural exchange. The climax of the intensive encounter week was a public concert at the "Sargfabrik" cultural center in Vienna, where the newly created songs had their premiere. The concert was livestreamed and made available online. 3. Online Post-Production: Using digital music and communication tools, the participating students revised their songs with the aim of digitally releasing and distributing their works. This phase followed the Intensive Week and was supervised through three online sessions by specialized instructors and invited experts from the field of music production.

Results

> Through the creative collaboration between students and musicians with refugee or migrant backgrounds, the participants developed a deeper understanding and increased sensitivity to various cultural backgrounds and traditions. The inclusion of intercultural elements in the songwriting process was experienced as highly inspiring by the participants. Differences in life experiences, stories, languages and emotions contributed to exploring new creative paths and utilizing cultural diversity in music to create moving and multi-faceted songs. > In the sense of intenationalisation@home, the online introductory course was made available not only to BIP participants, but to all music students from all six partner institutions. An increase in interest in the blended learning programme and in Erasmus+ exchanges in general within the participating BIP partner institutions has been clearly noticeable since then. > By engaging in interactive workshops and fostering personal connections with accomplished musicians who have migrant or refugee backgrounds and are living in Vienna, alongside collaborating with local music scene experts, participants gained a deeper understanding of the multifaceted and rich Austrian music scene, transcending stereotypes and clichés. > Dealing with topics that went beyond the musical collaboration, such as the presentation of the short film 'Europe, can you see me?' and the subsequent discussion with the film director, helped to promote a deeper understanding of the challenges and experiences of refugees. In general, the inclusion of ethical and socio-political topics was perceived as very beneficial by the students as noted in their written feedback. > Building upon the excellent collaboration and driven by the goal of effectively harnessing synergies, a durable partnership among the current consortium members has been established within the scope of the Blended Learning Programme. Under the umbrella of "House of Europe," a structure has been set up for a collaborative Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) involving diverse guest institutions and a range of thematic emphases or distinct learning outcomes, spanning a duration of 6 semesters. Up to this point, the mentioned consortium has successfully implemented four instances of the Blended Intensive Programme. The program's continuation and its ongoing enhancement, subsequent to the initial 6-semester cycle, are already in the planning phase.

Lessons learned

> BIP-Consortium When building a functional and active consortium and seeking the right individuals for the design and implementation of a BIP, the importance of strong personal relationships among the stakeholders cannot be emphasized enough. To successfully navigate the diverse organizational, administrative, and communicative challenges, personal commitment from consortium members is essential. The practice of involving at least one active faculty member and at least one Erasmus coordinator per university in the content planning and actual implementation of the BIP has proven highly effective in our case. Transparent communication, open flow of information, task allocation, and the understanding that all consortium members contribute to the success of the BIP characterize the collaboration within the consortium. > Intensive week Experience has shown that it is extremely worthwile to allocate enough time - in our case a whole day - for the participants to get to know each other. A welcome event as well as ice-breaker games and workshops on team building and constructive feedback culture play a key role in building trust and creating a positive and inclusive atmosphere for the intensive collaboration ahead. Especially for participants who work creatively together and contribute their individual skills to the creative process (e.g. when composing, writing lyrics and making music together), it is advisable to consider the support of specialists such as communication trainers, drama pedagogues or experienced music teachers. > Virtual Component When designing the virtual component, special attention should be paid to the competencies of teachers and coaches. It is crucial to incorporate interactivity and teamwork into online sessions, utilizing all available online tools that support these objectives. In accordance with the BIP rules, the virtual component must aim to promote collaborative online learning and teamwork, rather than relying solely on online lectures with minimal or no interaction. It is essential to make the most of the various features of online communication software, such as setting up breakout rooms or collaborative content creation. > Teachers The project offered teachers a unique opportunity to network within all six partner institutions and to further develop their skills in curriculum design. The personal presence of at least one teacher from each participating institute during the intensive week proved to be beneficial and was utilised as additional added value. The teachers were not only available as coaches for the BIP participants, but also offered workshops for VMI students who were not involved in the BIP. In addition, a separate Erasmus+ information event was organised during the intensive week, at which the guest lecturers presented their home universities. It is recommended that the participating teachers should prepare, in cooperation with the Erasmus+ coordinators, an informative presentation for this purpose in advance.

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