Sentiamoci a Parma 2025. Eartraining Workshop & Forum – from 9 to 12 April 2025
SENTIAMOCI A PARMA 2025
connecting ears!
Eartraining Workshop e Forum
X edition
Parma, Conservatorio “Arrigo Boito”
9-10-11-12 APRIL 2025
Erik Albjerg
ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE – DEN HAAG (NL)
Anne Katrine Bergby
NORWEGIAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC – OSLO (NO)
Per Bundgård
THE ROYAL DANISH ACADEMY OF MUSIC – COPENHAGEN (DK)
Kaja Daugaard Christensen
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC – AARHUS (DK)
Erik Højsgaard
professor emeritus – COPENHAGEN (DK)
Victoria Jakhelln
NORWEGIAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC – OSLO (NO)
Urszula Koza
KAROL LIPINSKI ACADEMY OF MUSIC – WROCLAW (PL)
Malwina Marciniak
NOWOWIEJSKI ACADEMY OF MUSIC – BYDGOSZCZ (PL)
Maria Medby Tollefsen
ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY – TROMSØ (NO)
Alberto Odone
CONSERVATORIO “GIUSEPPE VERDI” – MILANO (IT)
Klara Rylander
UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS – STOCKHOLM (SE)
Synnøve Sætre Hveem
NORWEGIAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC – OSLO (NO)
Gro Shetelig
professor emeritus NORWEGIAN ACADEMY OF MUSIC – OSLO (NO)
Mari Skogly
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC - Kristiania – OSLO (NO)
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INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP AND FORUM
Since 2015, Ear Training teachers and students from different European countries convene every year in Parma for a four days meeting, to hold and receive Ear training lessons, for mutual observation and discussion. Teachers can participate under the frame of the Erasmus+ Programme and both mobilities for teaching and training are possible, depending on the teachers’ activities during the meeting and their nationality. Italian teachers can benefit of a contribution from their home institution for their training period. During a ten-year span, Sentiamoci a Parma has involved many international teachers who have come to know about work and methodologies of colleagues from different countries. A network of excellence all over Europe and beyond has been created this way, involving 30 different countries and connecting more than 250 experts in the sector with a remarkable dissemination of good practices and a sense of belonging to Europe. This experience has led to the creation of the second level Postgraduate Specialization Course in Theory, rhythm and musical perception - Ear training, the only active course in Italy and one of the few in Europe focused in building competences for prospective teachers in this field. (brochure - program)
The program of the workshop involves real lessons in several groups of students of our Conservatorio (from pre-academic to Master degree) held by the participating teachers in Italian or in English and translated (in English or in Italian) for the audience.
Videoshots of the previuos editions available HERE.
TIMETABLE
Wednesday, April 9th
9,45 - 10,30 Registration
10,30 - 10,45 Ice breaking – Gro Shetelig
10,45 - 10,50 Welcome and presentation – Fabio Ferrucci
10,50 - 11,50 From melody to modulation – Kaja Daugaard Christensen
12,00 - 13,00 Silent imagination – Malwina Marciniak
lunch break
15,00 - 16,20 Welcome to class! (part 1) – Gro Shetelig
16,30 - 17,10 The Nashville Number Systems - the original system and variations for practical use – Mari Skogly
17,20 - 18,20 Ear training, improvisation and repertoire: A possible dialogue – Alberto Odone
18,30 - 19,00 Meludia - a digital auditory resource: A method without sheet music, based on listening and sensations – Synnøve Sætre Hveem
Thursday, April 10th
9,30 - 10,30 Practical intonation for winds, part I: Aural attentiveness towards more than just the pitch – Anne Katrine Bergby
10,40 - 11,40 Modal jazz – Erik Albjerg
11,50 - 12,30 Norwegian female composers: artists and warriors – Maria Medby
lunch break
15,00 - 16,00 From beginner to advanced student – Per Bundgård
16,10 - 17,20 Approaching post-tonal music and its structures with singers – Klara Rylander
17,30 - 19,00 Considerations on notation of polyrhythm and tempo indications – Erik Højsgaard
Friday, April 11th
10,00 - 10,50 Hearing In Context: Practising Aural Analysis Skills in Ear Training Classes – Urszula Koza
11,00 - 12,00 Practical intonation for winds, part II: Navigation within the conflict of melodic and harmonic priorities – Anne Katrine Bergby
12,10 - 13,00 I Like The Flowers”; from simple canon to jazz improvisation in all 12 keys – Erik Albjerg
lunch break
15,30 - 16,30 Grieg and the Norwegian musical heritage – Maria Medby
16,40 - 17,50 Welcome to class! (part 2) – Gro Shetelig
18,00 - 18,50 Including students’ repertoire in the aural training class – Victoria Jakhelln
Saturday, April 12th
10,00 - 10,50 One-piece aural analysis worksheet in practice – Urszula Koza
11,00 - 12,00 Are you sleeping Mr Johnny? – Malwina Marciniak
12,10 - 13,10 Carmina Burana in the Ear training class – Maria Medby
13,10 Closing remarks - End of Workshop
CONTACTS AND REGISTRATION
Since we strongly believe in sharing ideas and connecting people, Sentiamoci a Parma is free and open to anyone concerned. International teachers may attend the workshop as Training mobility (STA or STT) within the Erasmus+ program: please refer to your International relationships office for further details or get in touch with us for more info. If you are interested in attending Sentiamoci a Parma, please send an email by April 5th 2025 to: fabio.ferrucci@conservatorio.pr.it
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LECTURERS
Erik Albjerg is a jazz music theory teacher, arranger and double bassist. He initially studied jazz trumpet at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague but early on in his degree decided to change to music theory and graduated from the conservatoire with a BA (jazz music theory) in 2000.
Since 1998 he has been teaching a diverse range of jazz music theory subjects for several departments at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague.
In 2000 Erik published an article on Gil Evans’s legendary arrangement of “Moon Dreams” in the Dutch Journal of Music Theory (volume 5, issue 1). He presented twice at the annual Dutch-Flemish Society for Music Theory Congress. In 2012 he gave a presentation on the teaching of jazz harmony and in 2018 gave a presentation on an integrative approach of teaching jazz theory.
Over the years Erik has been searching for integration of theory and practice by combining singing, keyboard harmony, improvisation and theory. Since 2009 he has found great inspiration in the Kodály-concept of teaching. This led to his masters thesis entitled “How To Apply Kodály Principles And Methods To Jazz Solfeggio And Theory Teaching In Higher Professional Music Education” (Albjerg, 2015) and has since on request given lectures at the Kodaly Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary.
This Kodály-inspired way of teaching is an ongoing work in progress especially for the jazz students of the Young Talent Department who range in age from 12 to 18, as well as for the students of the Jazz Department.
Besides teaching Erik performs regularly in several jazz groups, conducts big bands and coaches jazz combos. He has played with musicians such as Axel Hagen, Toon Roos, Juraj Stanik, Rob Agerbeek (cd november 2021 “Lock, Stock and Barrel”), Erik Doelman, Thijs van Otterloo, Rene ten Cate, Simon Rigter, Niels Tausk, Marco Kegel, Marlene Verplanck (USA) and Andrea van Otterloo.
Anne Katrine Bergby is Associate Professor in aural training at the Norwegian Academy of Music since 1999. Before that, she taught aural skills for seven years at the University of Oslo. Trained as a flutist, music teacher, and musicologist at those same institutions, she has been immersed in intonation as a topic and an elective course in the education facilities. She advocates a teaching practice that connects the skills and knowledge from aural training with the concrete challenges of music practices, based on the student’s instrument, musical genre and educational program.
Anne Katrine’s publications include textbooks on practical intonation and aural skills methodology. Motivated by the idea of bringing expertise and viewpoints from instrumental tuition and aural training/music theory together, her recent research centres around the teaching of intonation in Higher music education, and how musicians and teachers verbally account for knowledge that is embodied and integrated in music performance. She regularly gives seminars and workshops on practical intonation with professional and amateur wind bands and orchestras.
Per Bundgård was born in 1973 and studied piano, music teaching and ear training pedagogics at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.
Since 2007 he has been assistant professor teaching ear training and music pedagogics at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, and since 2009 he has been Head of the Music Teachers Department.
Per Bundgård has also worked for many years as a choir conductor and children's choir conductor in both Denmark and South America.
In his professional working life, he has taught at all levels, in all age groups and has a musical background that covers both classical and popular music.
Kaja Daugaard Christensen, born 1955, is Assistant Professor of Ear Training Pedagogy at The Royal Academy of Music (RAMA) in Aarhus, Denmark.
She has got a master in Church music (organ playing and choir conducting) (RAMA 1982) and a master in Ear Training Pedagogy (RAMA 2002).
Until 1998 Kaja worked full-time as an organist at ‘The Church of Our Lady’ in Odense. In addition, she taught organ playing, music theory and ear training at various music schools and church music schools in Denmark. She has been a teacher of ear training pedagogy at RAMA since 2005.
Kaja has also been very active as a choir conductor, not only in the church but also as a conductor of several chamber choirs.
As a performing musician, Kaja has been active both as organ soloist, accompanist and choir conductor in Denmark and Germany. Furthermore she continues to teach in ear training for choir and orchestral conductors in Denmark.
In her employment at RAMA Kaja has worked with a pedagogical development project 2019-22. The project is called ‘The creative teacher – teaching viewed as a creative process’. The study’s aim was, among others, to raise awareness of some of the processes behind the dynamics of group teaching.
In group teaching the group forms a social context which you constantly relate to, interact with, measure yourself against. The pedagogical development project investigates how the collective dynamics affect the individual student’s learning process and the teacher’s development of her own competences.
Erik Højsgaard was born in 1954. He is a composer and professor emeritus of Ear training.
Since 1982 he has taught Aural training at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, from 1988 to 2001 as associate professor and from 2002 to 2022 as professor.
He is author of the textbook, ‘Rhythm - advanced studies’, published in Italian, English and Danish.
Among his works we enumerate two Symphonies, a Cello concerto, a Piano concerto and the Opera ‘Don Juan kommt aus dem Krieg’. Two of his most recent works, ‘Essays’ and ‘Please accept a Sunset’, both for soprano and chamber orchestra, will be released on CD in 2025. He has composed chamber music, including ‘Paysage blême’ and ‘Picture at an Exhibition’, and works for solo instruments, including ‘C'est la mer mêlée au soleil’ for guitar.
His works have been performed in most parts of the world, and he has been represented at several international festivals: ISCM World Music Days, the Salzburg Festival, Nordic Music Days, Cantiere Internazionale d'Arte Montepulciano etc. He has received several awards, including the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen's Honorary Award in 1993.
Homepage: www.erikhojsgaard.dk
Victoria Jakhelln has since 1999 been working at the Norwegian Academy of Music as teacher in aural training in the Bachelor and Master programmes with students studying classical music, jazz and folk music – singers, instrumentalists, conductors and composers.
Prior to that she was employed by the Australian National University for five years teaching aural training, counterpoint and conducting. She was educated at Barratt Due Institute of Music, The Norwegian Academy of Music, and The Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm.
Jakhelln is an active musician – both as pianist, singer and conductor, and is composing music for choirs a.o. She is regularly giving courses and seminars in aural training for choristers and other musicians, and has her experience from Norway, Sweden and Australia.
She is coauthor of the book Ear for music – about teaching aural training.
Urszula Koza is a Polish composer and Music Theory teacher. In 2018 she graduated cum laude from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, Poland (MA in Composition under prof. St. Krupowicz). As a participant of the ERASMUS+ programme, she has studied in Italy: at the “Francesco Venezze” Conservatory of Music in Rovigo, Veneto (2015/2016), and at the “Santa Cecilia” Conservatory of Music in Rome (2016).
Since her graduation, she has been working at her alma mater, specialising in Ear Training and Harmony, as a member of a team dedicated to implementing new teaching methods and innovative approaches to Ear Training didactics on a daily basis. This includes e-learning (Moodle), one-piece aural analysis worksheet, the myEar Ear Training Competition, and more. She works with the students of the Faculty of Composition, Conducting, Theory of Music and Music Therapy as well as with these of the Instrumental Faculty.
Since 2024, Urszula has also served as a co-advisor for the Composition students affiliated with the Research Association of Composition and Music Theory Students at her faculty. She previously taught Ear Training, Harmony, Composition and History of Music in two secondary music schools of the Lower Silesia region for over five years.
As a composer she specializes in chamber and vocal music. Her compositions have been performed in Poland, Italy, France and Great Britain during festivals and concerts of contemporary music. She is currently working on her PhD in Composition.
Malwina Marciniak, pianist and theorist, holds a PhD in Music theory with a dissertation on XXI-century piano concertos by Polish composers in the context of genre transformations and theories of musical narrative (2024).
She currently works as an Assistant Professor at Nowowiejski Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where she teaches Music theory in Polish and English and Piano performance. Her research interests include contemporary, instrumental music, piano literature, new methodologies in Music analysis and creative Ear training.
Malwina is the author of a number of scholarly articles in reviewed music periodicals and speaker at national and international scientific conferences (i.a. Serbia, USA). She gave guest lectures at “Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia” in Rome. In 2022 she was awarded the scholarship of the Mayor of the City of Bydgoszcz for young outstanding scientists. As a pianist, Malwina is a multiple-time winner of international piano competitions and performed at assorted venues in Poland and abroad. She joined the European Union Youth Orchestra tour, performing i.a. at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and the Bolzano Music Festival. Malwina frequently undertakes interdisciplinary projects including theory and performance.
Maria Medby Tollefsen is a Norwegian aural training teacher and conductor.
Since 2011, she has been working at the Academy of music at the University of Tromsø, where she teaches aural training and aural training pedagogy/methodology.
Since 2023, she is the head of the conservatory’s bachelor programs.
Maria is also part of the team of teachers at the master’s program of aural training in Parma.
Her current research focuses on developing teaching methodologies as well as mapping and understanding how students use digital learning resources as a part of their music studies. Currently, she’s also doing a research project on the entrance exams for higher music education in Norway together with colleagues from different institutions. She is the editor of the academy’s research journal, Podium.
Maria is the developer of the website Musicificium.no, which contains educational material for aural training. She has also recently developed a digital course for basic ear training and music theory, https://mooc.uit.no/courses/course-v1:UiT+Musikkteori+Introduksjon/about.
Besides teaching, Maria is active as an orchestra conductor.
Alberto Odone’s main activity is focused on Pedagogy of Music theory and Aural Education.
Since the beginning of his teaching activity, he has been engaged in a research activity, in an attempt to overcome the delays of the Italian situation in this field, taking into account the studies of musical theory and psychology, experimentation and contact with international experiences, which took place through training abroad (in France, Germany and Hungary) and an intense teaching activity, with over 120 courses held in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and Latvia, as well as at many Italian institutions.
He has exposed the results of this activity in a series of articles in specialized journals and volumes (published by Ricordi, Curci and Mondadori in Milan and Rivera / Impromptu in Valencia (Spain).
He recently published the volume " Ear Training Corso Base" (www.sonomusic.it) connected to an innovative digital platform Moodle.
He is a member of the editorial board of the Rivista di Analisi e Teoria Musicale (LIM).
He is a professor at the "G. Verdi" Conservatory in Milan. He conducts the Chanson d 'Aube Vocal Group in Milan.
Klara Rylander studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Music (DKDM) in Copenhagen earning a Bachelor’s degree in flute 2011 and Master’s degree in Aural Training Pedagogy in 2014. She has also participated in the summer courses at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, Hungary.
Besides teaching aural training at DKDM she has also taught at The Tivoli Youth Guard (9-16 yrs), Sankt Annæ Gymnasium (16-20 yrs) and at the Danish Radio’s Malko Dirigentskole for young conductors (16-21 yrs). She has also given workshops in music pedagogy for music teachers arranged at DKDM, The Tivoli Youth Guard and Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH).
Together with professor Inge Marstal she published in 2016 Hørelære og musikteori for blæsere og slagtøj (Ear training and music theory for wind instruments and percussion) addressing the students at The Tivoli Youth Guard, ages 9-16. The textbook was commissioned by The Tivoli Youth Guard with financial support by Statens Kunstfond.
Moving back to her native Stockholm, Sweden, she currently holds the position of Assistant Lecturer in Aural Training and Music Theory at the Department of Opera at Stockholm University of the Arts. She also teaches aural training and music theory at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm (KMH) and Edsbergs slott.
Synnøve Sætre Hveem is a Norwegian aural training teacher, choir conductor and singer.
She was awarded a Master degree in the didactics of Aural training at The Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø), in addition to a Bachelor degree in music pedagogy at The Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo.
Since 2020, she has been teaching Aural training at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, with a special focus on developing a program for aural training for the folk music students as well as Bachelor students in the classical music curriculum.
In addition to this, she teaches Aural training at the University of Inland Norway and in various short-term courses and workshops, as well as conducting choirs throughout the Oslo area
Gro Shetelig, pianist, is Professor in Aural training, up to 2017 at the Norwegian Academy of Music, Oslo (now professor emerita), and at the Arctic University in Tromsø, teaching Aural Skills, Rhythmic Training and Aural Methodology.
Being a pianist, she received her music education in Oslo (Piano pedagogy) and at Oberlin College, Ohio (Piano performance), and holds a Diploma degree in Music Theory, specializing in aural training.
She has published four textbooks in aural skills, and is co-author in the Scandinavian co-project, “Listen to Scandinavia” based on works by 20th century Nordic composers, with two CDs (abridged version in English).
She has had several engagements in radio and TV and as lecturer, giving presentations, seminars and workshops for music teachers, choirs and conductors in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, France, Latvia, Netherland, Singapore, USA, Italy, Georgia, and South Africa.
Since 2006 she was part of the research group project "Concrescence", developing methods in teaching Micro-tonality for Singers. (key words: micro-tonality, just intonation, harmonics, tonalities in Scandinavian folk music, etc.); from 2011 - 2012: "In-between-the-Beats" (with post.doc. Magnus Anderson + others) (key words: rhythmic perception and embodiment, energy, direction, flow, intention; sub-current, rhythmic hierarchy).
Mari Skogly is an assistant professor and Head of Popular Music-studies at the Department of Music at Kristiania University of Applied Sciences in Oslo, Norway.
She studied ‘Performative Popular Music’ (University in Agder) with tenor-saxophone as her main instrument. She has also studied ‘Practical Pedagogical Education’ (Norwegian Academy of Music), ‘University Pedagogy’ (Kristiania University of Applied Sciences) and she has a Master degree in ‘Music with Ensemble conducting’ (Nord University).
She works fulltime at Kristiania and as a freelance conductor for Concert Bands. She also composes her own material and do research with the organic saxophone in an electronic soundscape.
Skogly has worked as an Ear training teacher since 2003, and she also teaches in bachelor-thesis, band-practices and has been the producer for student-concerts for several years.
Her teaching-methods are focused on practical ‘hands-on’ skills for the students, as they work mainly in the field of Popular Music.
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LINKS
How to reach us
http://www.conservatorio.pr.it/en/dove-siamo/
Getting there - practical info
Accommodation