The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) has been awarded Euro 436,000 to fund an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership to develop digital learning resources and online conducting studies in conjunction with the University of Stavanger (Norway), the Universidade de Aveiro (Portugal), and the Open University.

Knowledge and skills

ConductIT will be aimed at music students and musicians who wish to acquire knowledge and skills as conductors, whether as part of a degree, further education or as a single course.

As well as producing an open online course, accessible to anyone, the project will look at ways of developing curriculum-based blended learning in the field of conducting.

Highest quality

Mark Heron, RNCM Tutor in Conducting and the lead for this project, told 4BR: "The RNCM's conducting degree programmes are amongst the best in the world, attracting the highest quality of students globally.

We already pass this expertise through into our short courses and masterclasses aimed at young conductors, and those working in music education. This project will enable us to reach an even wider audience, in collaboration with our colleagues in Stavanger who are already at the forefront of online conducting studies.

The RNCM's conducting degree programmes are amongst the best in the world, attracting the highest quality of students globally4BR

Pedigree

He added: "'The Universidade de Aveiro brings a southern European aspect to the project, and a strong research pedigree. The Open University is a world leader in online learning, and has already collaborated with the RNCM in the production of a 'MOOC'."

The three-year course runs from 1 September 2018.