I. Abstract

The WDR Brahms Project is an educational project focusing on an orchestra concert performance that not only requires pupils to undertake in-depth study of each of the works featured in the concert programme but at the same time gives them the opportunity to experience directly a range of practical aspects of several different music-related professions. The project is run in cooperation with the broadcasting company Westdeutscher Rundfunk and lasts one week (approx. 40 hours).

Coordination

Klaus Riedel teaches as the Humboldt secondary school in Cologne, is head of the music department and head of teacher training for academic secondary schools and comprehensive schools Cologne II and lectures at the Cologne music academy. In addition he is involved in numerous artistic activities.

Susanne Ockelmann (“WDR Jugendkonzerte”) works as editor for dramatisations in the orchestra and choir department at the WDR and is in charge of projects for young people there.

II. Introduction

The project was carried out in 2005 by an academic secondary school in Cologne that has a music department (offering the option of more intensive music education). The music class taking part in the project consisted of 12 pupils aged 17 or 18 and of both sexes.

One of the defining characteristics of the project presented here is the opening of the school to the outside world, in this case to the world of local orchestra concerts. This practice is in keeping with a general trend that has been followed in Germany for some years now. What is unusual about this project, however, is that it does not restrict itself to matters relating to music as a discipline but also offers the chance to gain personal experience of associated professional fields (editor, teacher of concert music).

The project as a whole offers a wide range of learning possibilities:

· A variety of interrelated approaches provides pupils with the opportunity to become thoroughly familiar with the music.

· Extended periods of unsupervised work and group work based on task allocation give the pupils the chance to learn independently and from each other as well as opportunities for experimentation.

· Both the group work and the “end products” (press conference, concert introduction) geared towards interaction promote communication skills, the critical faculty and other social skills.

· The public appearances in which the project culminates give the pupils the chance to present themselves and their results to a large audience.

III. The Example

The opportunity to carry out this project came from an offer made by the editorial staff responsible for the “WDR Jugendkonzerte” (youth concerts): the pupils who were taking music as a specialist subject were given the opportunity to take on a variety of jobs in the field of music journalism for the radio station WDR for one week in preparation for a concert series that was soon to take place. These tasks were the organisation of a press conference, an introduction to the concert and a radio feature.

Main didactic and methodological focus

The project’s didactic and methodological focus is on combining familiarisation with the composer and the work from a musical perspective with experience of the practical aspects of associated professional fields. To work successfully in these fields it is precisely the specialist knowledge and skills acquired in the course of the project that are essential prerequisites. The pupils’ own personal learning of the academic discipline thereby gains greater significance. Taking on tasks in the field of broadcasting requires a great level of responsibility. In addition, the work also provides opportunities to gain experience of editing and recording techniques. For this, the ability to solve problems is required, as are social skills.

The three project tasks

· The press conference, to which representatives of local and national media were invited, was held to announce the radio station’s new series of youth concerts.

· The aim of the introduction to the concert was to introduce young audience members, who came from other schools, to the programme before the concert began. The programme consisted of Brahms’ 1^st Symphony (op. 68) and his concerto in D major for violin and orchestra (op. 77).

· The pupils then had to put together a 20-minute feature with information on the two works that would be broadcast on the radio the following day.

Project execution

In preparation for the project week the two above-mentioned compositions were studied in music lessons: the pupils listened to the works, analysed and interpreted them. A CD-ROM produced by the radio station and containing educational material was used in combination with supporting specialist literature to enable the pupils to explore the subject matter largely on their own (this method of introduction to a topic using a CD-ROM is standard practice in the teaching of concert music).

In the first half of the project week the pupils familiarised themselves with the project tasks allotted to them in groups and under professional supervision.

A tour of a studio provided them with first insights into the work of the radio station. In addition the pupils attended a number of rehearsals of the two above-mentioned works that were to be performed at the concert by the radio symphony orchestra. These visits also gave them the chance to meet the musicians.

On the third day one of the groups of pupils held the press conference. Afterwards all the pupils had the opportunity of one-to-one discussions with the journalists in attendance.

The radio report and concert introduction were then completed. Interviews were transcribed, texts written and edited and one of the pupils rehearsed sections of the solo violin part with a view to demonstrating some of the distinctive characteristics of the playing technique. The pupils also took responsibility for narrating and recording parts of the report themselves. The concert introduction took place on the evening of the fourth day, while the report was completed and broadcast on the fifth and final day of the project.

IV. Commentary

The project results show that the pupils attained great familiarity with Brahms’ compositions, not only as regards music as an academic and artistic discipline but also on a personal level. A highly competent examination of the works took place that included analytical aspects, a look at the history of the works’ creation and reception and their place in a historical and stylistic context. At the same time, personal listening experiences were also discussed. In this way the pupils never lost sight of the different target groups they had to reach and succeeded in arousing these people’s interest in the subject matter.

One of the project’s main strengths is the combination of classroom learning with job experience. The challenge of having to hold one’s own in a professional environment is highly motivating and results in close identification of the learners with their own work. Another factor that should be emphasised is the stimulation of thinking as a team which is encouraged by the complexity of the tasks to be performed.

The cooperation with the radio station provides the learners with additional collaborators and material resources and the partner organisation can also profit from working with the youngsters who can be seen as potential agents.

What might make it difficult to carry out projects of this type more often is the time constraints imposed by the current school system which offers only limited scope for project work outside the regular curriculum.

Feedback on the project has been extremely positive. Klaus Riedel reports that all those involved in the project – the management of the radio station, the conductor, the orchestra musicians etc. – were unanimous in their praise and delighted with the results.

V. Contact

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