Voices of students

"Through Mozart's music, the world has become a different world for me. If something like this has succeeded somewhere, be it a piece of music or a picture, even just a small poem, if you have succeeded, then the world has already changed with this existence. So for me, this is incredibly important, and not just in an aesthetic sense, but because it has changed the spiritual situation of humanity. I attach great importance to this. It is of immense importance to me, at least as important as planting a forest."(Michael Ende, quoted from: Joseph Beuys / Michael Ende, Art and Politics, Wangen 1989, p. 108.)

These sentences correspond to my reason for studying "Elementary Music Pedagogy" at the Hamburg University of Music and Drama.

For me, it was the right course of study to be able to reach and bring together people in different social environments from all age groups and nationalities at different levels through music, be it in daycare centers, retirement homes or in concerts.

In order to make such musical encounters possible, it is necessary to first gain musical and artistic experience and acquire creative skills. Because we are all different artists, there are also very different approaches to teaching music. Our lecturers supported us in finding our own way and the possibilities that suited us best in order to get closer to our goal with an individual approach.

In other words, I didn't learn from many textbooks or so-called model lessons during my studies, but I gained more and more experience in how to design my own lesson and react to unexpected situations. The feeling of designing and creating your own "textbook" is wonderful. As a result, I got to know myself better and better during my studies.

Teaching the "parent-child music group" was very formative for me. Babies come there with their parents and teachers to make music together. The atmosphere in these parent-child lessons is very special - almost sacred - and time flows very differently than in everyday life. These lessons allow a moment to breathe out and everyone can come to themselves in a protected space. In one situation, a baby responded with its voice to a newly taught Japanese song that I have known since I was a child. I found this small yet big reaction to be a priceless gift, because a real communication through music was actually created between us. Such a process can be very artistic!

I am now continuing my studies at the University of the Arts Bremen with a Master's degree in "Artistic Training in Early Music Singing" in order to focus more on the voice and more deeply on singing.

Conclusion: The EMP course is a creative course of study that encourages self-initiative and promotes learning, organization and research. This can open a wide variety of doors both internally and externally!

"What are fully-fledged musical events?" If someone had asked me this question a few years ago, I would have immediately thought of keywords such as "perfection" and "peak performance". But what does that mean for me today? I adopted a more open attitude towards music and art in general when I studied elementary music education at the HfMT in Hamburg. This course opened up completely new perspectives for me and helped me to develop further as an artist and teacher and at the same time to discover my love for working with children, to understand their world and to accompany them creatively on their journey with music.

As a foreign student, I was able to incorporate many musical and cultural aspects of my home country, Honduras, both in the educational and artistic fields - whether it was a children's song in music lessons or the presentation of social and societal problems as the main theme of my artistic performance in the final exam. In doing so, I was able to deal with various artistic means of expression, such as audiovisual media and performing arts, and bring them together as a complete work.

In the area of subject science, I dealt with various topics that are very helpful for my practical teaching today. I was particularly inspired by intercultural music education, which I would like to explore in more depth during a subsequent Master's degree.

I now work as a freelance music teacher and violin teacher in daycare centers and music schools in Hamburg. At the same time, I support social music projects in Honduras as a teacher.

After studying elementary music education, my answer to the question of the importance of the full value of musical events has changed dramatically. Nowadays, I experience this not only when I listen to a perfectly performed piece of music in the concert hall, but also in the classroom or on the street, for example. There are no style or age limits. As a musician and teacher, I learned that music is not just about results or perfection, but also about the individual learning process.

My degree in elementary music education was my introduction to holistic music-making. Feeling music, experiencing it, sharing it with others and being able to immerse myself in this intensive process was an experience that I really enjoyed. 

Being free and yet still being there, developing, trying things out, learning, laughing, staying up late, not sleeping long enough. 

Getting to know the EMP from the book and all its craziness. 

Stuck in dance bags and sweating. 

Having sore muscles from dancing the seven-jump and red thighs from body percussion.

Slump away for a moment during the massage in the body awareness seminar. 

Carrying chiffon scarves and sound sticks back and forth. 

Authentic music-making with the courage to take risks, to try something new, something never attempted before. 

Creative and scientific exchange with each other, plus vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free waffles.  

Becoming a mother and being able to stay a student. 

Developing projects, being supported, putting your heart and soul into it, being excited. 

Bright children's eyes. 

Making experiences, music and encounters that last. 

I often smile about these memories. The EMP has shaped my personal and professional development and I am delighted that much of what I experienced at the HfMT still resonates with me today.

I am currently completing my second bachelor's degree in harp performance at the Lübeck University of Music and am employed as a harp teacher at the Lübeck Music and Art School. I work as a freelance artist in various projects ranging from classical to world music. As an elementary music teacher, I work in schools, daycare centers and at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.