Music Education Special Interest Group
Research Seminar Announcement
The Different Hearing project and classroom composing in the Czech Republic
Gabriela Vsetickova, Department of Music Education, Palacky
University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
Tuesday 28 January 2014
11.45-12.45pm
Room 541
Further details from Lucy Green, l.green2@ioe.ac.uk
All are welcome
A presentation of the key concepts, principles and objectives, the
creative means and forms of the Different Hearing project for
creativity in music education and an outline of its position in the
framework of the Czech system of music education.
The Different Hearing project is the first and still the only project
in the Czech Republic focused on making music accessible in the form
of children's elementary composing. It ensued from the endeavour to
transform music education into a subject within which creativity plays
as significant a role as reproduction, and creating music is as
crucial as performing it; and where everyone is afforded the
opportunity to develop his or her abilities and skills irrespective of
their previous musical and socio-cultural experience.
Established in 2001, the Different Hearing programme linked up to the
conceptions of the British-German Response and Austrian Klangnetze
projects. It was inspired by their methodology, emphasis on creativity
and utilisation of non-musical elements, as well as team work during
lessons. Each sound and each expression is deemed to be musical, each
item is considered a musical instrument, spontaneous interaction
between sounds is understood as improvisation, and temporal fixation
of sounds and their subsequent reproduction as musical composition.
Gabriela Vsetickova is an Assistant Professor at the Department of
Music Education, Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic. After
MA studies in music education and history she completed her PhD in
music education in 2011. Besides music history (Czech music and music
of the 20th century) her professional interest encompasses creative
activities for children, especially classroom composing. She has
participated in the organisation and development of the Different
Hearing project for creativity in music education since 2007.
