Europäischer Musikworkshop Eupen und Aachen

The chamber music project EU-Music (European Music Workshop in Eupen and Aachen) aimed to promote joint music-making and make music accessible to a wide audience. It served as a platform for furth...

The chamber music project EU-Music (European Music Workshop in Eupen and Aachen) aimed to promote joint music-making and make music accessible to a wide audience. It served as a platform for further education, communication, networking and exchange. The main focus of this project was on cross-border music-making that overcomes the national borders between Germany and Belgium as well as the boundaries between pupils and students, amateur and professional musicians and different age groups. The Erasmus+ project EU-Music is intended to serve as a role model and inspire musicians and institutions outside its circle of participants, especially music schools and conservatoires. It shows in an innovative way how music can be taught in a sustainable way by creating a broader, stronger and lasting network that enriches music practice and also provides more motivation for daily practice on the instrument through interpersonal experiences. The involvement of pupils, students and teachers from various musical educational institutions is of central importance.

The duration comprised four main activities: a music workshop in March 2022, two specialized support courses in October and November 2022 and a final large music workshop in February 2024, in which the findings of the two-year project period were incorporated. In addition to chamber music lessons and individual rehearsal opportunities, all activities offered a supporting program with various concert forms and accompanying projects to promote togetherness, specific further training and personal growth. The project was established in the public eye through the creation of a website, press work and printed material, taking into account the conservation of resources. There were individual workshops on effective practicing and overcoming stage fright. Participants learned the basics of improvisation or deepened their knowledge in this area. The performance opportunities were diverse and included school events, performances in retirement homes and facilities for people with disabilities as well as classical concerts, streaming events and flexible concerts in the "Open Lecture" format.

As part of our Erasmus+ project, we have therefore taken into account both the promotion of the general public and the promotion of gifted students. We deliberately pursued both approaches in parallel to ensure that all participants can benefit equally from our offers. We noticed that there were overlaps in terms of content, which promoted exchange and mutual inspiration, while at the same time raising awareness of the value of music and culture for our society. The feedback from participants helped us to improve and adapt our offerings. The regular exchange between lecturers and the positive feedback from participants also inspired us. These experiences were made possible by introducing new forms of teaching. New personal and musical networks were created and the music was brought to life through improvisation, which promoted the joy of making music. New teaching and performance formats enabled parents, relatives and friends to experience the development of the participants more closely.