Expanding Reflexivity of Professional Education in Music in Times of Crises

The multidisciplinary and multi-methods research addresses the dramatic effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the entire classical music industry and educational field.

An image of a clef on Covid-19 virus.

Introduction

This multidisciplinary and multi-methods research understands the pandemic as a unique pedagogical ‘interruption’ that can and should inform Higher Music Education (HME) pedagogy, curriculum development, and policy work to strengthen the professional development and careers of a variety of music professionals. Pursuant to that goal, the research responds to global discourses that advocate for a transformation of HME and music professionalism in response to our rapidly changing societies and their ecosystems; in particular, the main objective is to inform and reconstruct HME so as to enable it to creatively prepare future music professionals for the uncertainty, rapid changes, and crises they will surely encounter beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Within this context, special attention is paid to the sudden changes and demands experienced by HME agents and many stakeholders within the Finnish context before and during the pandemic. Additionally, sub-studies framed at the European and international levels in cooperation with a variety of research collaborators, representative of a wide scope of artistic and academic fields, are also included.

Results to date

Refereed journal articles

Other scholarly outputs

Invited keynotes

  • López-Íñiguez, G.(2022, April 2). “Well-being, Careers, and Professional Education of Young Artists in Times of Crises”. Opening Keynote at The Young Musicians and Dancers of Europe Speak about Culture!, event organized by the European Union Youth Orchestra (EUYO), the University of the Arts Helsinki, and the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Paavo Hall, Music Centre, Helsinki (Finland).

Refereed conference paper presentations

  • López-Íñiguez, G., &Westerlund, H. (2021, December). Finnish composers’ pathways and livelihoods in a changing professional ecosystem. Paper presented at the 1st International Music Livelihoods Symposium. Brisbane (Australia).

Contact information for the project

Project name

Expanding Reflexivity of Professional Education in Music in Times of Crises

Time

01/2022-12/2022

Funder

Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation

Team

The Principal Investigator of this research is Dr. Guadalupe López-Íñiguez.

Co-researchers at Uniarts Helsinki
-Prof. Heidi Westerlund
-Prof. Mieko Kanno

Other co-researchers
-Prof. Gary McPherson
-Prof. J. Ignacio Pozo
-Assoc. Prof. F. Javier Zarza Alzugaray
-Dr. Rolando Angel-Alvarado