General objective:

Making and commiting to a long time partnership between the university and different institutions from the music industry, as possible employers, by assuring the necessary practice students need during their studies

Specific Objectives:

1. Instructing students, through different practice sessions, in order to live up to the requirements needed in the music industry and for the proper conducting of different specific musical repertoires(simphonic, vocal-symphonic works and opera).
2. The correct application of theoretical elements learned in the courses and other fundamental disciplines related to music in the activity of conducting an orchestra, in relation to a choir or instrumental assembly.
3. The development of specific abilities like: working efficiently with a choir or an instrumental assembly, a deeper understanding of symphonic/choir musical score, aquiring a critical perspective regarding the activity of conducting an orchestra/choir, developing distributive attention and verbal and non-verbal means of communicating.
4. The development of communication competences in relation to the public of a music hall..
5. A better correlation between artistic practice and academic requirements.

The project is included in Prioritary Axis 2, the main domain for intervention 2.1. Making the transition from school to an active life by developing the conducting competences of students and, thus, making a smoother transition towards the labour market.

This project is offering young orchestra conductors the possibility of both assisting and working with real choirs and orchestras along with other, more experenced, conductors; in this way making their way into the labour market. The experienced conductors involved will provide valuable information regarding this practice and will pinpoint the correct way towards success. This project is providing the opportunities for entering a modern and dynamic labour market in the musical industry, and, at the same time, achieving a POS DRU objective: human development  and competitiveness through the correlation of the academic environment with the labour market.

This project is aimed at students, in different stages of educational and professional development, and as a result this will reform the educational system and it will correlate it with the requirements of the labour market, at the same time increasing artisitic competitiveness. These matters make this project relevant in relation with the Prioritary Axis 2, „Applying knowledge to the labour market.”

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION JUSTIFICATIONS

Through the practice of conducting orchestras students will be more involved in musical activities which regard real and professional orchestras/choirs, determining, in this way, increased chances for entering the labour market, a goal which is addressed in the revised version of the Lisbon Treaty.

This european policy is focusing on investing in education and human resources for a better economic growth.Starting from this, the project is aiming at instructing young conductors in order to aquire the necessary qualities for entering the labour market. In this way there is better investment in human resources by accessing different instructing stages, assuring attractiveness and openess to artistic needs, reinforcing the values promoted by the European Union in the Integrated paths towards economic growth 2005-2008.

Also, in accordance to european values, this project will contribute to increasing the chances of young conductors to enter the labour market, will balance the relation between requirements and competences, on the long run, determining a better correlation between educational competences and the requirements of different employers.

Implementing this project will lead to a more active participation from the youths in the educational process, the experience of a musician’s life, the smooth transition from school to the labour market.

This project has the goal of improving human resources through better practice sessions, in accordance to the national priorities for the 2007-2013 period, in the National Development Plan, as with the priorities presented in the National refference Strategy  2007-2013. The project is also complying with the POS DRU 2007-2013 priorities (prioritary axis 2), the project will ensure the training of the young labour force.

The implementation of the project „Conducting an Orchestra, from Aprenticehood to Mastery” is in accordance with the 3955 order from 09/05/2008 with regard to the approving of practice sessions for universitary studies and the Convention regarding practice sessions through the promotion of different organising activities, implementation, and ranking of the practice sessions with regard to students.  The collaboration between universities and profile institutions, through this Convention,is in accordance to a real need of young orchestra conductors to enter the labour market.

The target group of this project is made up out of 30 students from the choir/orchestra conducting, with a proportional gender distribution,studying for either a bachelor or master’s degree. The selection will be made according to academic performance, motivation and year of study. Our partners in the instruction of the students are major musical institutions and possible employers from Bucharest or other developing region.

The main problem with instructing Orchestra conducting students is the insufficient, or total lack, of working with their main instrument, the orchestra, this being the only way to exercise the competences aquired during classes and working with a piano with their teachers. Orchestra conducting students do not have the opportunity to come in contact with real assemblies, orchestras, in their music halls. This partnership is reglemented by the Romanian legislation and needs to be implemented by the organizers, partners and beneficiaries.

In order to be competitive on the market, students need both practical and theoretical training. Learning music is a great vocational coordonance, this aspect being present in the university’s curriculum, the seminars and the practical sessions. The practice sessions will offer the students the opportunity to work with real professionals, this being the way towards a succesful integration in the work force.