music education in russia recent perspective

7/28/2019 Music Education in Russia Recent Perspective

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Title:!Music!Education!in!Russia:!A!Recent!Perspective!

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Author(s):!Frances!Larimer!!

Source:!Larimer,!F.!(1993,!Fall).!Music!education!in!Russia:!A!

recent!perspective.!The$Quarterly,!4(3),!pp.!64B68.!(Reprinted!with!permission!in!Visions$of$Research$in$Music$Education,$16(4),!

Autumn,!2010).!Retrieved$from$http://wwwCusr.rider.edu/~vrme/!!

It$ is$ with$ pleasure$ that$ we$ inaugurate$ the$ reprint$ of$ the$ entire$ seven$ volumes$ of$ The!

Quarterly! Journal! of! Music! Teaching! and! Learning.! ! The$ journal$ began$ in$ 1990$ as$ The!

Quarterly.! ! In$1992,$with$volume$3,$the$name$changed$to$ The!Quarterly!Journal!of!Music!

Teaching!and!Learning!and$continued$until$1997.$$The$journal$contained$articles$on$issues$

that$were$timely$when$they$appeared$and$are$now$important$for$their$historical$relevance.$$

For$ many$ authors,$ it$ was$ their$ first$ major$ publication.$ $ Visions! of! Research! in! Music!

Education$will$publish$facsimiles$of$each$issue$as$it$originally$appeared.$$Each$article$will$be$

a$separate$pdf$file.$$Jason$D.$Vodicka$has$accepted$my$invitation$to$serve$as$guest$editor$for$

the$ reprint$ project$ and$ will$ compose$ a$ new$ editorial$ to$ introduce$ each$ volume.$ $ had$

Keilman$is$the$production$manager.$$I$express$deepest$thanks$to$Richard$olwell$for$granting$

VRME$permission$to$reCpublish$The!Quarterly$in$online$format.$$He$has$graciously$prepared$

an$introduction$to$the$reprint$series.!


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Music Education In Russia:A Recent Perspective

By Frances LaritnerNorthwestern University

Inhe spring of 1991, I spent five weeksin Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) as aguest lecturer at several institutions ofhigher education, including two of the lead-ing professional music schools in the city, theConservatory and the Insti tute of Culture.During the summer of 1993, I was invited toreturn as co-sponsor of a two-week seminardesigned for American pianists on the historyof Russian piano music, in collaboration withadministrators Vladimer Shlyapnikov of theInternational Center for Russian Musical Cul-ture and Valentina Azovskaya of the Philhar-monic Society. During these visits, I metwith many music administrators, teachers,and students in St. Petersburg and the neigh-boring city of Pushkin. In comparing visits, Iam struck by the magnitude of changes nowtaking place in the system of musical educa-tion since the breakup of the Soviet Union.Since the state no longer controls cultural

study programs, each of the 15 republics thatcomprised the former Soviet Union now isfree to change music educational systems toreflect differences in culture and in econom-ics. The Russian ministries of culture and ofeducation continue to provide some financialsupport and serve as advisory groups, but nolonger do the ministries dictate curricula inthe schools.

Frances Larimer isProfessor ofPiano and headsthe graduate program in Piano Pedagogy atNortbuiestern University. She is the first Ameri-can to be invited to give lectures in the formerSoviet Union on the subjects ofp iano pedagogyand group piano in the United States. She is co-author of "Tbe Piano Pedagogy Major in theCollege Curriculum "published by the NationalConference on Piano Pedagogy. ProfessorLarimer is also a member of the editorial boardof The American Music Teacher.64

Russian music students at all levels nowhave wide choices in selecting study pro-grams. They no longer are locked into asingle, rigid curriculum leading to one spe-cialization. Prior to 1992, the state controlledthe curricula of all schools, including institu-tions of higher education, and regulated tra-ditional music study and pedagogy, requiringthe study of philosophy, aesthetics, Sovietfolk music, and Russian music history. For-bidden were studies in psychology andlearning theory. Now, students may takeelective course work outside their area ofspecialization, and the study of ideology andpolit ical theory has been abolished.Administrators and faculty of each school

have the freedom and are motivated to makechanges in entrance requirements, study pro-grams, and graduation requirements.Throughout the various schools, there is astrong desire to explore better teaching andteacher training.During this past summer's various meet-

ings, I was told about what was referred toas the "negative side" of Russia's new free-dom. Many with whom I spoke emphasizedthat the main problem is financial. With free-dom comes the loss of most of the statefunding for arts education and for culturalevents, as the current position of the state,according to one music administrator, is that"the people should now invest in educationand in culture." Thus, music programs at alllevels must struggle to find ways of fundingtheir programs. Outside financial support isnot yet available, since there is no mecha-nism to raise funds for cultural programssuch as the arts in the schools, concerts, ormuseums.All cultural organizations, including music

schools at all levels, have begun chargingThe Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning


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fees that have risen dramatically in the pastyear, compromising the ability of individualsto pay tuition for music and other arts studyand to purchase tickets to cultural events.Students and faculty have been severely af-fected by these changes. For example, onemusic administrator related that students whoare suddenly facing the necessity of payingall fees for music study, especially in highereducation, experience the change as a majorpsychological trauma. Moreover, due to thewithdrawal of state funds, faculty have seentheir salaries drop.As cultural organizations

seek to increase income,many have developed a feestructure that features a widegap between the amountcharged to Russian citizensand the much higher chargeto foreign visitors. Concertsand other such offerings alsoare serving as increasinglyimportant opportunities forschools of music to earnmoney for their own pur-poses. For instance, theGlinka Boys' Choir School inSt. Petersburg recently usedrevenues from such events topurchase a bus for use on concert tours through-out Russia and Europe.In spite of the multitude of economic hard-

ships in education as well as in everyday life,I was told repeatedly that the vast majority ofRussian citizens (both the average workerand the highly educated) treasure their newfreedom and have no desire to return to theformer system. Russians I spoke to believethat a new and better system will evolve.Innovations in Music Schoolsfor ChildrenAt present the most dramatic changes andinnovations are occurring within the various

music study programs for children. Theseeds of this ongoing transformation weresown in 1989, when several children's musicschools were given permission by the stateministries to experiment with new curricula.In these schools, teachers wrote their ownmaterials and worked together as teams toform a comprehensive approach to music

study by interconnecting course work insolfege, theory, and choir with performancestudies. Children were encouraged to usethe information learned in other courses dur-ing performance and when writing originalcompositions.Four-, five-, and six-year-olds continue tobe taught with an eye toward future instru-

mental study through an emphasis on sing-ing. This approach is believed to promotedevelopment in musicality and sensitivity tothe shaping of phrases that can be trans-

ferred easily to an instru-ment. As a result of suc-cesses in the more progres-sive music schools, there isincreased emphasis oncomprehensive music studyfor all, not just the gifted.The successful experimen-tation with curricula inthese selected musicschools has encouragedthose in other schools tooffer broader and morecomprehensive music studyfor all children, regardlessof degree of talent.Many music schools for

children have expandedtheir curricula even further and becomeschools of fine arts. These schools offer notonly comprehensive music study programsbut also studies in dance, art, and drama.One of the most successful study programsnow being offered in many of the fine artsschools is that of musical theater. Childrenenrolled in musical theater programs studyinstrumental music, singing, acting, composi-tion, set building, and costume making. Iwas fortunate to see in one school a produc-tion of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."Everything in the production was composed,created, built, and performed by a cast ofyoung students ages 7 through 17.Each town or district now sets tuition fees

for these schools. While a limited number ofscholarships are available and offer partialtuition, most students pay full tuition. Asvaried study options have been introduced inthe new fine arts schools, some parents havebecome more willing [Q pay tuition and seem

In comparing [my]visits, I am struckby the magnitudeof changes rio'w

taking place in thesystem of musicaleducation since

the breakup of theSoviet Union.

Volume IV, Number 3 65


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I was fortunate to see in one school a production of "Snow Whiteand the Seven Dwarfs." Everything in the production was com-posed, created, built, and performed by a cast of young students ages7 through 17.particularly interested in enrolling their chil-dren in the musical theater programs. Oneadministrator from the Ministry of Culture re-lated that these new programs are producingmore talented children because teachers aremore interested in working with the philoso-phy of common musical training for all stu-dents, not just the gifted. While the gifted docontinue to receive special attention in fine-arts schools, quality training is now availablefor students of all abilities.

Festivals and competitions are being orga-nized and presented in the concert halls toraise the level of music literacy and trainingfor all children. Some of these are non-com-petitive and offer participants the opportunityto perform in ensembles as well as solo.Gifted young students now may enter interna-tional competitions, whereas in the former So-viet Union little information about these eventswas available, and travel was discouraged.

In a conversation with an administrator inthe Methodics Department of the Ministry ofCulture in St. Petersburg, I commented uponthe speed of change occurring in the schools."Were you thinking about these changes be-fore the new government in Russia?" I asked."Oh, yes, for a long time we have beenthinking of ways to change, long before wewere allowed to make any changes," my col-league replied with a smile. It seems that theseeds of change are beginning to bloom.Changes in Institutions of

Higher EducationSome of the institutions of higher music

education continue to receive some supportfrom the state ministries of culture and ofeducation, but this support is increasinglylimited while fees are regularly increasing.In the music colleges, students who pay fulltuition may compete for awards of free tu-ition in their third and fourth years of study.Soon, students will be able to study for afifth year, becoming better qualified forhigher levels of employment opportunities.

Music colleges and cultural institutes tradi-tionally had lower entrance standards thanconservatories and have had to accept less-prepared students into their programs. Nowthese institutions are seeking to raise theirentrance requirements, especially in perfor-mance areas, and all who apply will not au-tomatically be accepted.

As the pace of change accelerates, facultymembers are experimenting with innovativefunding and teaching approaches. In the fallof 1992 a team of faculty members in pianoand theory at the St. Petersburg Institute ofCulture introduced a new specialization inpiano pedagogy. The course of study in-cludes piano performance, teaching methodsand materials, keyboard theory, and creativeactivities. Supervised student teachers arebeing placed in some of the more progres-sive music schools for children.

In addition, teachers-as well as other indi-viduals-are now free to form independentassociations. In the fall of 1992, a smallgroup of faculty members from the Instituteof Culture and the Conservatory formed asociety entitled "Music for Everyone." This isa remarkable development, for prior to 1991no such group or organization could be es-tablished without the approval and backingof a government ministry.

The primary goal of the new group is toprovide low-cost music study for all levels ofsociety. The founders recognized that enroll-ments in the music schools for children werefalling, in part because of the high tuition butalso because some parents were no longersatisfied with the restrictive traditional ap-proach to music study characteristic of someof these schools. Also, fewer Russian fami-lies are now able to afford musical instru-merits, especially pianos, and the founderssought ways to provide practice instrumentsto students. "Music for Everyone," as aneducational organization, also pays its in-structors for teaching.

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Highly motivating forces remain in evidence, especially the tradi-tional Russian pride in the nation's history and cultural heritage.C learly, the Russian people have a strong dedication to preservingthe best of their nation's cultura l traditions.Nina Berger, the principal founder of "Mu-

sic for Everyone," was intrigued by a video-tape I showed in a 1991 lecture describingthe American system of group piano instruc-tion in a digital piano laboratory. Subse-quently she obtained a grant from the Pro-gram for Cultural Initiatives, funded by anAmerican business. The grant provided asmall keyboard laboratory buil t to Berger'sspecifications for use in group piano instruc-tion-a real innovation in Russian pianostudy-along with teaching space and thefunds to develop piano teaching materials forchildren and amateur adults.Children from five general education

schools in St. Petersburg, as well as severalevening classes of adults , now study grouppiano in the tiny laboratory. The major em-phasis in the program is on listening, creativeactivities, and ensemble playing. Bothchildren's and adult classes meet once aweek; because students do not have instru-ments at home, all work is done within theclasses and there is no outside practice.Truly impressive were the degree of musical-ity and the amount of progress these studentswere able to achieve through class workalone. Student teachers from the newlyformed piano pedagogy program at the Insti-tute of Culture can observe experiencedteachers as well as lead supervised teachingassignments within these classes. The "Musicfor Everyone" society also has introduced pi-ano study programs for the blind and plans tointroduce studies in music therapy at the Insti-tute of Culture.

Improvements inTeacher Training

Prior to 1991, new graduates from the mu-sic colleges, institutes, and conservatorieswere placed in teaching positions by theirschools. Graduates had little or no choice inlocation or position, and most often theywere assigned to small towns or citiesthroughout the former Soviet Union, far fromVolume IV, Number 3

the larger metropolitan centers . These weredreaded assignments for young musiciansjust beginning their careers, because theyabruptly left the excit ing cultural environ-ment of the city and found themselves teach-ing in areas of near desolation. It is no won-der that many graduates sought to surrepti-tiously circumvent these rural assignments.Placements usually were in children's musicschools, general schools, or culture palaces(amateur study programs not connected withschools), depending upon the credentials ofthe graduates. Those with the lesser trainingoffered in music colleges usually were as-signed to children 's music schools or culturepalaces. Institute graduates received assign-ments teaching choir, orchestra, or other mu-sic courses in the general schools. Conserva-tory graduates sought positions in conserva-tories, but most often had to accept lesserposit ions unti l they gained more experience.Under the new freedom, however, gradu-

ates must enter a competitive pool of appli-cants seeking the most desirable positions.Music schools at all levels are no longer re-quired to accept teachers assigned to themby others but may interview potential candi-dates and select those who they believe arethe most qualified for their particular posi-tions. While this change is welcomed,schools and graduates are finding that thecompetition for teaching positions has cre-ated pressure for higher qualifications andbetter training. Teacher training programsare being affected within these very schoolswho wish to employ better teachers. It isexpected that this spiral effect will result inbetter-qualified teachers at all levels who willproduce more musically literate students, re-gardless of degree of talent. The stress onmore comprehensive study programs for allmusic students in the early stages of musictraining is beginning to replace the primaryemphasis on serious performance study onlyfor the gifted. While the gifted continue to

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receive special attention, the addition ofquality music study for all is a relatively newattitude. With the increased interest in morecomprehensive music study for children,teacher training programs are expanding be-yond the traditional concentration on perfor-mance skill development to include the inte-gration of general musicianship, theory, andcreativity activities into teaching.In order to retain thei.r qualifications, St.

Petersburg teachers in the children's musicschools are now being required to attendcontinuing education seminars offeredmonthly by the Methodics Department of theMinistry of Culture. These seminars providedemonstrations and lectures illustrating thenew or improved teaching techniques in vari-ous teaching specializations.In spite of the fact that less qualified teach-

ers traditionally have been assigned to thechildren's music schools, many of theseschools have very high quality teachers, andtheir numbers are increasing. Some of thebetter and more forward-thinking teachersfrom various schools in St. Petersburg areteaching in the new piano pedagogy pro-gram at the Institute of Culture and are mem-bers of the new "Music for Everyone" society.

Beyond the ClassroomChanges in the government of Russia have

also affected other musicians as well. Forinstance, in the past, composers who be-longed to the Composers' Union had an easytime getting their works published, for thestate funded such publications. These fundsnow are quite limited, and composers as wellas performing artists are seeking sponsors toassist with the costs of publishing and pro-moting their works. As it now stands, thecomposer or performer must personally payto publish or record and distribute his or herwork, and a large number of copies must beproduced. Very few musicians can affordthis expense, and the result is music storesthat are empty of scores by contemporarycomposers and lacking in recordings by con-temporary national performing artists.This shift toward a market -driven economy

has affected even the most famous and well-respected of Russian musicians. I attended alecture/discussion by Grigory Sokolov, GoldMedal winner of tile 1966 Tschaikovsky In-68

ternational Competition and professor at theConservatory. Later, I discovered that re-cordings of his recent performances now areunavailable . Like many other profess ionalmusicians in Russia, he has been unable toafford to publish these recordings and dis-tribute them to music stores, and no othermethod of financing these projects has yetevolved. Summary

In summary, based upon two visits to St.Petersburg within the past two years, I haveobserved monumental changes occurring inthe cultural activities as well as the day-to-day lives of the Russian people. Yet educa-tion in the arts remains a strong force in thelives of most Russians, regardless of social oreducational status. Highly motivating forcesremain in evidence, especially the traditionalRussian pride in the nation's history and cul-tural heritage. Clearly, the Russian peoplehave a strong dedication to preserving thebest of their nation's cultural traditions. Tothis is being added a new and powerful ea-gerness to discover new ways of improvingcultural education.SourcesThe author wishes to thank the following

individuals for sharing information includedin this article:Vagif Dadashev, Professor and Dean of the

Piano Department, St. Petersburg Insti-tute of Culture.

Uri Kornakov, composer and faculty memberof the St. Petersburg Institute of Culture.

Oleg Koshelev, Headmaster, Piano Depart-ment, Rimsky-Korsakov Music College.

Director of the Methodics Department of theSt. Petersburg Ministry of Culture and astaff member, Svetlana Ibatullina, .

Nina Berger, faculty member at the Conser-vatory and founder of the "Music for Ev-eryone" Society. Other members of thesociety were helpful also.

Galina Minsker, faculty member of the Insti-tute of Culture and teacher in the newpiano pedagogy program at the Instituteof Culture. ""&

The Quarterly Journal of Music Teaching and Learning

music education in russia recent perspective

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