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EU SMART Composer – LTTA Matera (Italy)

It is always a pleasure to see that a project is successfully moving forward, but to measure such success we have to put into practice all the theory that we have been developing in the last years from EU SMART Composer.

From September 12th to 17th we held our LTTA in the impressive city of Matera (Italy). Materahub welcomed us with open arms and the city became one more element of our project, because of its vibrant activity, the hospitality of its people and the wonderful heritage that surrounded us.

As you know, EU SMART Composer is a biannual Erasmus + project that is developing a practical tool to facilitate knowledge transfer between music teachers and their students to improve their employability.

The international consortium behind EU SMART Composer consists of Coompanion Göteborg ek. för (Sweden), the coordinating entity, Consorzio Materahub Industrie Culturali e Creative (Italy), Abbaye aux Dames – La cite musicale-Saintes (France), Le Laba (France), RESEO– European Network for Opera and Dance Education (Belgium) and Wazo Coop -Social cooperative (Spain).

This time it was not only an internal meeting of the project partners, but from each organization we had the pleasure to invite several people from our different countries to receive the training that we had finished developing and defining in our previous Transnational meeting, held in Saintes (France).

Our guests (trainees) were going to become a fundamental element of our project, since their relationship with musical composition, their professional background and their different points of view, would be decisive to improve our methodology.

On Monday the 12th, we welcomed all the trainees who were going to share 5 days of training and discussion. We met informally at dinner to talk about the activities of the following days, as well as to get in touch with the city of Matera.

On Tuesday 13th, the activities started in the morning with Coompanion & Reseo and we had the opportunity to get an overview of the EU SMART Composer method of vocational education and training (VET).

Coompanion welcomed all participants to the working week.

We also started with the experiential learning process devised for contemporary composition students in Europe.

Module 1 («Introduction & Approach») by RESEO served to put the participants in context with the reality of contemporary composers and familiarize them with the EU SMART Composer Competence Framework through the analysis of composer case studies.

We were able to de- and re-construct the concepts of entrepreneurship, marketing and branding for composers.

At this point, participants were given the basic theoretical principles and introduced to social economic models that can provide composers with more appropriate ways to build their business in line with their values.

During the afternoon we continued with Module 2 («Empowerment & Leadership») by Coompanion, a very inspiring and interactive module. We learned about the importance of empowerment and awareness when developing a solid project.

Wednesday 14th was the day dedicated to exploring cases and experience. We developed this through practical activities, useful tools to develop a more balanced and socially relevant entrepreneurial project such as a more gender balance in one’s organisation or working with others and techniques for collaboration.

This led the participants to Module 3 (“Cooperative entrepreneurship”) by Wazo Coop and Matera Hub , which after an introduction to social economy, focused on entrepreneurial and business tools to stimulate a more entrepreneurial and cooperative approach to music business.

During this module we were able to develop practical tools that clarified many concepts, in addition to being able to debate and of course, have fun learning.

We arrived on Thursday 15th full of energy to face the second part of module 3, more focused on the business model and the tool «Social model Canvas», where trainees could clarify their ideas, their projects and their goals.

In the afternoon it was the turn to introduce the last module, Module 4 (“Branding & Marketing)” by Abbaye aux Dames and Le Laba, which, building on the previous days, concluded the training course by making the trainees reflect on their own personal and business narrative.

The last day of the LTTA, Friday the 16th was a special and emotional day for many reasons.

We dedicated the morning to explore the tools to elaborate a communication plan for each participant/brand with the help of RESEO.

We wanted to dedicate Friday afternoon to a general recapitulation and discussion on the quality of the training and on the real possibility of implementation of our project.

This day turned out to be a unique experience where all the participants expressed themselves about their learning acquired during the week. But not only that, it was also a special moment, full of emotional testimonies that filled us with energy and gave us strength to face the last part of our EU SMART Composer project.

See you soon!

News

EUSMARTComposer Webinars for young composers

EU SMART Composer is an Erasmus+ programme to develop a methodology to support VET Music Educators in their teaching to music students who compose new music.

EU SMART Composer practical tool will facilitate VET Music Educator-Music Students knowledge transfer to improve their employability.

Smart Composer is a two-year strategic partnership project funded by the Erasmus+ programme that brings together six European partners to explore music education and composition methodologies for educators as well as the branding, digital marketing and entrepreneurship skills that are necessary for young composers today.

Society has changed significantly over the past decade. Music students study harmony and creative techniques to compose new music during their studies at music institutions, while composers are expected to meet with orchestras and ensembles etc interested in commissioning a piece of music.

The Smart Composer project aims to help composers upskill in order to foster their employability and the sustainability of their projects.

The Entrepreneurial Mindset

Wednesday 8 June 14:00 – 15:30 CET

The first webinar in the EU SMART Composer series, hosted by RESEO (Belgium) and Wazo Coop (Spain), will examine the concept of composer entrepreneurs and their motivation. Participants will hear composer and activist Marta Lozano Molano share her experience of pioneering composer entrepreneurship in Spain, and will examine how the Social Economy Model of enterprise could revolutionise our industry to become both more profitable and more sustainable. (Language: English)

Cross-cutting issues: Gender, Inclusion and Climate Change

Wednesday 15th June 14:00 – 15:30 CET

The second webinar in the EU SMART Composer series, presented by MateraHub (Italy) and Coompanion (Sweden), will explore the relationship between entrepreneurship and cross-cutting issues such as inclusion and climate change. Guest speakers Dr. Michelle Phillips from the Royal Northern College of Music (UK) and composer and intendant Bernard Foccroulle (France) will share their experiences of how artist entrepreneurs can engage with these issues, giving participants insight into the opportunities and influences to be sought in a challenging industry. (Language: English)

Networking for Composers

Wednesday 22 June 14:00 – 15:30 CET

The third webinar in the EU SMART Composer series, presented by Le LABA (France) and l’Abbaye aux Dames (France), will highlight networking and its value for contemporary classical composers. In examining cutting-edge theory alongside the practical experiences of composer entrepreneurs, participants will better understand how, where and – crucially – why to network for better opportunities. (Language: English)

Register here: https://cutt.ly/VJzwrNV

News

EU SMART Composer in Wazo magazine

The EU SMART Composer project is featured in the latest issue of Wazo Magazine. The magazine’s 32nd issue focuses on projects that promote sustainable development through music and the professionals who make it possible.
One article of the digital magazine is dedicated to EU SMART Composer and it talks about the project, the consortium and the goals it aims to achieve.

Wazo Magazine is the free collaborative magazine of Wazo Coop ISSN 2444-1201.

About Wazo Magazine:

It is a social publication that gives access to professionals from all over the world who contribute on a voluntary basis to its production by contributing articles, in Spanish and English, on Creative and Cultural Industries and on Social and Solidarity Economy.

Wazo Magazine is published quarterly in digital format to reduce the environmental impact and carbon footprint.

You can find out more at this link: https://www.wazogate.com/

News

Take part in the research of the Erasmus+ project EU SMART COMPOSER

Are you a Project Manager or Education Manager employed by music institutions, universities, conservatoires, festivals, orchestras, opera companies, ensembles or composer residencies who either a) work with adult student and/or professional composers, and/or b) develop training for student and/or professional composers of contemporary classical music?

If so please make your contribution to the research of EU SMART Composer and take the survey.

(Please note, those working with composers of jazz, pop, film/theatre/TV and game music are outside of the scope of this research, as are projects outside of Europe.)


What Is This Survey About

The survey comprises 24 questions that seek to identify:

  • Entrepreneurial skills that composers need to make them more employable for Project Managers/Education Managers;
  • Specific needs as seen by Project Managers/Education managers that will help composers develop an entrepreneurial spirit, a sense of initiative and active approach towards their cultural action, and an understanding of their business potential and economic viability.

All survey responses will be anonymous.

The outcomes of this study will be made available through the publication of a European Report by the EU Smart Composer Project. They will also be used to create a training and a handbook. Information about all of these outputs is available online at Eusmartcomposer.eu

TAKE THE SURVEY!

Research – EU SMART Composer eusmartcomposer.eu

News

S.M.A.R.T.

S.M.A.R.T.
The Methodology
Based in the S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic with Timelines) Model to Define Career Goals and Tried-and-true goal-setting model for music education, EU SMART Composer methodology supports VET Music Educators in their teaching to music students who compose new music and it is designed to face the new labor market requirements.

EU SMART Composer methodology is graduated and adapted to the different backgrounds and contexts of Europe (big cities, rural areas, conservatories, schools…) of Music Students.