Introduction

This specialisation study programme, Norwegian Folk Music 2, emphasises that folk music should be communicated to others. This may take place through performances and scenic mediation, and dissemination in schools, media etc. or through work involving archives, and various cultural institutions. The role of the mediator will therefore be discussed in detail in the study programme.

Target Group and Admission Requirements

The study programme is designed for people who are interested in specialising in Norwegian folk music and developing their performing skills. Admission to the study programme is based on general admission requirements or prior experiential learning accreditation.

Aim of the Programme

Through the study programme students will be able to specialise in Norwegian folk music and dance and be better equipped to work for the protection, dissemination and further development of Norwegian folk music. The study programme will emphasises the conservation of traditions, the mediation of culture and creative activities.

Curriculum and structure

The study programme consists of two main components, a common component and a specialisation component. The common component covers cultural policy issues in addition to professional musical and educational aspects. Students may complete the elective course at an educational institution abroad.

The common component includes the following major course units:

Practice and performance will also relate to the major course units in the common component.

In the specialisation component the students will normally be able to choose from:

The common component and the specialisation component comprise 30 ECTS each. How many of these courses will be offered during the academic year will be decided by the university college.

Folk music mediation is an important aspect of all the major course units, so the common lectures and group work is the same for all students no matter which courses are chosen.

The instruction in traditional music mediation will therefore be given more focus than suggested by the weighting in the common component (see above).

• Elective course. Period of study abroad.

Electives: It is possible for students to include a 3-month study-period abroad. The stay may be at an educational institution or be in form of fieldwork planned in cooperation with the subject teacher and the department’s administration. The elective replaces practical training in the spring semester and the obligatory study trip.

The elective will form part of a specialisation course.

COMMON COMPONENT

FOLK MUSIC PERFORMANCE

The mediation of the material is an important part of the study programme, whether students have chosen the specialisation course General Mediation, Performance, or Archive and Collection Studies. The course “Folk Music Performance” is therefore common to all students in the second year.

The objective is to make students aware of the different elements that are important in a mediation situation, both in practice and theoretically. An attempt will be made to develop the communicative ability of the individual student through lectures and discussion. The course will be considered in close relation to practical training.
FOLK MUSIC AND SOCIETY

Through social science and cultural-historical approaches, and musical theory (music anthropology), the student will further develop a critical and nuanced view of folk music and the folk musician’s role in today’s society. An international and comparative perspective will form the basis of a deeper understanding of Norwegian folk music.

The goal of the course is to provide students with the ability to plan, justify and assess the consequences of folk music mediation in various contexts. Students will be able to view Norwegian folk music in a historical perspective and in relation to the musical expressions of other cultures. The goal is for students to gain an awareness and ability to reflect upon traditional folk music as a phenomenon of our times, locally, and globally.

Students will gain knowledge of a representative selection of music from the whole world. A study trip abroad (usually Hungary or Slovakia) will take place in the spring semester.

R&D - METHODOLOGY

Research and Development Methodology will provide students with the skills necessary to be able to carry out simple projects and assignments related to the subject of traditional folk music mediation, and they will be able to assess critically R & D work. The course will help students to find methods for data collection from museums, archives and other sources and equip them to use this material in practical and theoretical work, thereby achieving the goal of preservation, continuation and renewal of traditional folk music.

COMPOSITION AND ARRANGEMENTS

The course will enable students to organise traditional music in accordance with both traditional and modern innovative practices.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SOURCES
The course builds further on the traditional knowledge in the 1st year, and will provide students with more opportunities to specialise in different traditions, in relation to both musical and cultural-historical aspects. Students will also learn how to critically evaluate source material.
SPECIALISATION

Specialisation will enable students through practice to convey folk music to different audiences in various ways. This may involve mediation activities in public institutions, archives, schools, media, and non-governmental organisations or through their own activities. The students will develop as performers.
Students who choose Performance as an area of specialisation must have achieved a grade A or B in Performance in Norwegian Folk Music 1.
In the specialisation component, students may choose between the following major course units:

• General Mediation (e.g. in schools, institutions and the media)
• Archives & Collection Studies
• Performance (performing in public and individual musical development)

In the specialisation component, students will be given the opportunity to study abroad for a period of 3 months. This study abroad will replace part of the practical training.
MAIN INSTRUMENT and PRACTICAL TRAINING
Main Instrument
The individual instruction builds on the instruction that was given in the first year of study. Normally, each student will receive 20 hours of individual lessons, but this will vary according to the available resources.
Generally, greater results will be expected of the individual performances of students who choose Performance as their area of specialisation. In relation to the examination, the performance part (the main instrument) of students who have chosen Performance as a specialisation course will be assessed more thoroughly than students who have chosen General Mediation or Archive and Collection Studies.

Practical training

The intention of training periods is to provide students with practical experience in mediating folk music to others, either in connection with archive work, performing or mediating and teaching folk music. The study programme focuses on the relationship between folk music performance and theory.

• Common practical training
• Pedagogical practice
• Self-chosen practical training

Practical training will be documented through planning work and reports.

ELECTIVES

The elective course may replace part of the practical training.

Students may choose to study abroad (three months), which will provide them with the opportunity to become familiar with the traditions of the local area they are visiting. By contrast and comparison with the local traditions, the student will be encouraged to view Norwegian folk music in a wider musical and social context. The content of the study abroad will vary depending on which area of specialisation the student has chosen, and on which institution and local area the student visits.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Teaching and learning methods include lectures, seminars, group work, excursions, self-study and home assignments. The instruction is usually on fixed weekdays throughout the year. However, the study programme is characterised by project work in the specialisation component, and students will work in groups to plan and execute concerts, touring and other relevant mediation activities. Assignments may also involve working in the afternoons and evenings.
In the spring semester students will undertake a concert tour, and be involved in its planning. In the autumn, a period of practical training will be carried out in a primary or lower secondary school. Individual teaching in the main instrument is largely on fixed weekdays, but sometimes the teaching may be concentrated.

In the spring semester, students will participate in a study trip abroad (normally Hungary and Slovakia). Students, who are not able to participate, will complete an alternative assignment that focuses on European or other international traditional music.
Students, who choose a period of study abroad as their elective, will not have to participate in the practical training in the spring semester; and they will not participate in the study trip abroad.
Winter Festival - Students arrange a concert and participate in folk music workshops.
At the end of the academic year the department opens its doors to the public. Students will present work that they have completed through the academic year in the form of concerts, exhibitions and impressions.

Theory and Practical Training

The intention of training periods is to provide students with practical experience in mediating folk music to others, either in connection with archive work, performing or mediating and teaching folk music. The study programme focuses on the relationship between folk music performance and theory.

Assessment Methods

The examination includes an oral examination and portfolio assessment.
Oral examination and possibly performance
In the oral examination the candidate will give a lecture on topics related to the specialisation course. The candidate will submit the title and specify the length of the lecture (usually 30 to 45 minutes) one week before the oral examination. Normally, only the examiner and the subject teacher (s) will be present during the oral examination. After the lecture, the examiner will have a brief discussion with the candidate that focuses on subject theory.
If the candidate has chosen “Performance” as a specialisation course, then the candidate’s performance will be assessed as 50% of the oral examination. The performance may be an integral part of the lecture and related to its content, or constitute a separate part. This will be evident in the title of the lecture.
Performance may also be integrated into the lecture by those candidates who have not chosen Performance as a specialisation course, but it will then be assessed as a part of the whole mediation. There will be no separate performance part in the oral examination for candidates who have not chosen Performance as a specialisation course.

The oral examination counts for 50% of the final grade.

Portfolio assessment

The student portfolio will include the student’s written work / reports and the assessments of these made by the subject teachers.
In addition, the portfolio contains the subject teachers’ continuous written assessments of the various assignments completed by the student (programme requirements), such as, presentations, concerts, work on the main instrument, etc.
The student portfolio assessment counts for 50% of the final grade.
In order to be permitted to take the examination, the student must have passed the written tests and had his/her obligatory assignments approved.
Regarding compulsory attendance, students must apply to the department to receive a diploma if absenteeism in the respective course is greater than 20%.
WEIGHTING

The two parts are weighted thus:

A single grade will be entered on the diploma; the study programme will be graded A to F, where A is the highest grade, and E the lowest passing grade. Each course must receive a passing grade in order to be awarded a diploma.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean