For several years, the Society of Swedish Composers (FST) has felt a commitment to music in schools. Regardless of how classical music – especially contemporary classical music – is viewed upon in the classroom, composers recognize the importance in collaborating with music teachers and other professionals in the field of education. Can composers become a source of inspiration for new methods in teaching and working with creative and musical ideas in the classroom?

Contemporary music is often viewed as complex and difficult to grasp. Music education programs often omit any extensive course on the subject, while even treating the Western music tradition in a summary manner. It therefore comes as little surprise that music teachers often find themselves ill-equipped when confronted with this problem in their professional careers. As a response to this situation, FST has for many years, offers a collaboration as part of a project called, the Stenhammar Project, named after one of Sweden’s most famous composers.

The project is based on collaboration between FST and schools, and can be adapted in each case to meet the particular needs and expertise of each participating school. The outline below exemplifies how this can be accomplished:

Step 1
Create a “day of inspiration” focusing on the potential of classical contemporary music. Music teachers and composers meet to discuss: - What is classical contemporary music today? Contemporary music is presented with its wide range of genres. - “Listening – Performing – Composing”: are all three aspects represented in the classroom? - Practical questions regarding which ensemble/choir/class will participate in the project.

Step 2
Reflections and thoughts from the “day of inspiration” are summarized and presented together: where to go from here? Suggestions: a) Students meet a composer. The composer meets a class/ensemble/choir and presents his/her music. b) Students meet a composer (2). The composer and music teacher arrange a composition workshop – guided and supervised by the composer and teacher together. The students write for those voices and instruments that are available. c) Students meet a composer (3). The students’ compositions are performed at a concert. How do you best perform your own music? How do you provide guidelines for music that no one has heard? All of these steps are documented and evaluated in the group together.

Step 3
After having summarized the experience from the previous steps, we continue by collaborating with professional musicians. Additional resources are presented by the composer – how to develop a musical idea?

Step 4
A practical-oriented teacher’s guide is derived and developed from the project material. Classroom ideas, reflections on the project, contact persons and institutions are listed and presented. The Time Perspective and Financing The time required would invariably depend on how many steps are realized at each school. It is important to keep in mind that the project should be organized and patterned after the actual needs of the music teachers and students, and should reflect the real-life situation that exists. However, steps 1 and 2 should be able to be carried out during the academic year, and possibly even within a semester. FST will cover the costs of the composer. Concerning step 3, collaboration is required with a music institution/ensemble. FST will assume responsibility in attempting to achieve this. Which part, or parts, of the project one wishes to participate in or develop, depends naturally on the needs and preferences of the school’s music program.

FST initiated an equal opportunities project in connection with the Nordic Music Days 2007, where amongst other things we wished to examine the functioning of the festival from an equal opportunities perspective. After the festival we wished to expand the projects remit to include the Nordic Music Days in the other Nordic countries. In December 2007 the Delegation for distribution of state finances to women's organisations and equal opportunities projects allocated 150,000 Swedish crowns in order to within 18 months start and maintain the project "Equal music work". This project is a cooperation between FST and the colleges of music in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Piteå and will result in a mapping of the distribution of resources and influence plus a praxis and understanding of equal opportunities within FST and the colleges' composition courses. Kajsa Hallhagen and the equal opportunities consultant Eva R. Andersson today head the project.

Alf Westelius holds a doctorate in economics and teaches at the University of Linköping. He has with support from FST written a pre-study document "Socio-economic perspective on art music's prerequisites in a changing world". The project has attempted to create a broad foundation for research into art music. Its aim has primarily been to formulate interesting questions and suggest possible ways to answer those questions, not to answer questions directly. This project wishes also to uncover new ways to evaluate art music. We wish to find doctoral researchers, primarily within the discipline of economics, to explore new economic thinking within art music.

Two main areas of focus within this study are music life and mass consumption in regards to art music and society. These two areas are not completely separate, but crossover in a variety of ways, though what arises as foreground respective background is clearer. Read the whole report here (PDF). A number of seminars have taken place in the last year with specially invited speakers in economics, research, music and technology. FST will further arrange seminars in cooperation with Stockholm's University, The School of Economics in Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the University of Linköping. A number of prize competitions will be announced in connection with these seminars, awarded for papers at Masters and PhD level, where the best new thinking in economics will be rewarded.