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Everyone has heard of the achievements of sportspeople with disabilities in the Paralympics. But when it comes to inclusion in music making, there is still a huge lack of awareness among teachers, parents, retailers and the disabled community. Several organisations in the UK are working together to change that. MUSEDU recently participated in a webinar on inclusive music making and spoke to Rachel Wolffsohn from the OHMI Trust.

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… when I’m retired!

I hear this sentence all the time. Why add another obligation to our busy lives when we are in our thirties or forties? Many people seem to believe that taking lessons and practising the piano, violin or flute takes too much time and energy. They may be afraid that it could turn out to be a lonely and frustrating activity. And yet, I chose a different path…

Curious? Read MUSEDU’s full guest article in the CrossEyedPianist blog!

Pianist Ineke Hellingman and violinist Angelina Georgiadi run the non-profit association Euphonia in Vienna. They organise inspiring house concerts as well as cultural crossover events. Before the lockdown, MUSEDU spoke to the two young musicians about their projects. Corona put their activities on hold. We hope they will be continued soon. In the meantime, read about the philosophy behind their musical events – and support them on Patreon. (The full article is available in the German version.)

Meetup groups bring people together who share a common interest. At local piano meetups worldwide, people make music and meet fellow (amateur) pianists. In times of social distancing, some of these groups organise online activities. MUSEDU spoke to hosts based in Canada, the UK and the US about their experiences with this format.

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Before the lockdown in March 2020, we enjoyed a last backstage tour at the Wiener Konzerthaus, the famous concert hall in Vienna. Small concerts have become possible at this venue again from June onwards. Guided tours will probably only be resumed in autumn. Read our report of this fascinating location in the German version.

(Photo credit: www.lukasbeck.com)

During the summer holidays, many amateur musicians spend extra time with their instruments. Some book a music holiday: lessons by excellent teachers, set in a beautiful landscape, together with like-minded people… A wonderful experience! But this year, everything is different. Providers of piano summer schools like Pianoweek, Chetham’s Piano Summer School and the Summer School for Pianists have moved their programmes for 2020 online. Read the full article in the German version.

Recently, MUSEDU looked at the experiences of various music teachers with online lessons. But what do amateur music students – children and adults – think about the current situation? Do they enjoy taking online music lessons – or are they frustrated? Find out about the experiences of a choirboy, a violinist, a flutist and two pianists in the German version of this blog article.

Most aspects of our daily lives have been moved to the virtual space – this includes music lessons. While some music teachers have been offering virtual lessons already for a while, this is new territory for most of them. MUSEDU has spoken to teachers for saxophone, piano, drums and vocals. What are their experiences with online teaching so far? Which difficulties did they encounter? What are the advantages and opportunities? Are they planning to continue this form of teaching in the future – or do they see it only as a temporary solution? Read the full article in the German version.

Most musicians will agree that it is nearly impossible to learn an instrument simply with the help of online tutorials. However, we are currently in a special situation – so let’s find ways of staying motivated as hobby musicians, using all available channels. We could use the time without regular music lessons to evaluate the way we practise – instead of trying to learn new pieces by ourselves. For pianists, Graham Fitch and Josh Wright offer excellent videos with practise tips on their channels. Both of them have made a lot of content available free-of-charge (full access is subscription-based). Useful videos including practise tips, at least partially, are available for other instruments as well. Find MUSEDU’s selection of resources in the German version.