Background/ Organisation
Music education in the Republic of Croatia
(Music School)
Music education in Croatia, pointed out with their own educational system, is an integral part of the Croatian school system. In its duration and the traditional division is graded into primary, secondary and higher education.
Special entity makes the preschool music program which lasts two years. Education in the Primary Music School lasts six years, the Secondary four years, and higher education enrollments ending in four years with bachelor's studies (BA) or five years with an MA (MAG) at colleges or university departments of music.
Specific is the possibility of enrollment in the preparatory classes in which the six years of elementary music education is reduced to two years. The preparatory classes enroll students who wish to continue their education in music high school.
Students of primary music school are regular students in general education school, and it is often the case that students attend high schools simultaneously (gymnasium and music high school).
The music schools enrolling students with a strong musical ability and affinity for the art of music, students who want to learn to play a certain instrument and who want to develop and improve their musical skills. Particular attention is paid to a complete musical development in children and youth, promoting music through public activities and improvement of musical culture and art.
The need for our own educational system and in connection, with the need for a professional music education begins in early childhood, explains the complexities of specific musical skills such as literacy and playing music. That requires many years of work for students to achieve a level of conscious reading and playing musical text. That allows students to understand music in the way that they use written music in order to sing and play, or attend to decode the music, so they would be able to write it. Also, only with professional leading of teachers and students who have been practicing for many years, will achieve a high level of playing a particular instrument.
The goals and tasks of music education
The aim of the music education is to raise and educate professional musicians of different profiles and interests, reproductive and productive artists, quality teachers and transmitters of music art and musical values.
The tasks are:
- To facilitate the acquisition of skills necessary for playing a musical instrument;
- To facilitate the adoption of theoretical and practical musical knowledge, skills and habits;
- To develop students' musical abilities: productive and reproductive;
- To acquaint students with the Croatian and world cultural heritage;
- To promote the musical arts through public activities (performances, concerts, festivals, competitions);
- To foster musical culture and arts in the community where school is situated.
It is important that the entire educational process is carried out according to modern psychological, pedagogical and methodological knowledge, while respecting the individuality of each student. Student's progress is monitored and evaluated in the individual elements as a whole, with the intention of encouraging and guiding students in their latent and manifest abilities.
Organization of the primary music school
In the music education system, primary music school is the level in which students acquired the basis for the continuation of music education at secondary and higher level.
Enrollment in the school of music is performed by admission exams. The test assesses the ability of music hearing, music memory, rhythm and student has to reproduce the program he/she prepared.
Teaching in the School of Music can be individual and in groups. Individual is the teaching of instruments, while the group work embraces the teaching of music theory and music making. Compulsory courses in primary music school are music theory (2 times a week, 45 minutes), instrument (I-III grade 30 minutes IV-VI grade 45 minutes, twice a week), group music making (choir, orchestra and chamber music; over III grade, 60 minutes, twice a week). In VI grade piano class is obligatory for students who wish to continue their education in secondary school (1 hour per week, 35 minutes), while the theory of music is optional course (1 hour per week, 35 minutes).
In the primary music school the students can learn how to play the following instruments: piano, flute, block flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, trumpet, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, tambura, mandolin, harp, accordion, percussion.
Organization of the preparatory classes
In the preparatory classes the focus is on playing instrument, music theory and group performances, in the first preparatory class, while the only difference is that in the second preparatory class the student starts playing the piano.
Organization of the secondary school of music
Enrollment in secondary school of music is performed on the basis of an enrollment test and graduation from the primary music school or preparatory program. Secondary music education lasts four years. Students enrolled in secondary school of music have the ability to overcome one or more programs, and may enroll in another high school.
During school students can acquire the following occupations:
1. musician-instrumentalist;
2. musician-singer;
3. musician-a theoretical course;
4. builder and restorer of instruments.
Teaching is individual and in group. Individual is the teaching of instruments, while the group teaching includes theoretical subjects, academic subjects and a group playing.
In the Secondary School of Music students can play the following instruments: piano, harpsichord, flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, euphony, trombone, trumpet, tuba, violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, tambura, harp, harmonica, percussion and organ. The specific musical instrument is exercised by the student in I and II grade 2 hours a week for 45 minutes, and in III and IV grade 3 hours a week.
Compulsory courses include: solfeggio, harmony, polyphony, music history, musical forms, collective playing. The instrumentalists are represented by the following items: chamber music, piano, rehearsal; the theorists: conducting, playing and reading scores, with singers singing solo, chorus, chamber music, piano, rehearsal. The builder and restorer of instruments studies the construction of musical instruments, a knowledgement of materials and processing technology, the repair of musical instruments, musical acoustics. All students of the secondary music school must attend a group playing music (choir, orchestra or chamber music). They also learne general education courses.
Organization in music academies and universities
According to the new Croatian legislation, a Master degree must be obtained to become a general music teacher or a specialised music teacher/musitians. Institutions which carry out music teacher training in Croatia are:
• University of Zagreb, Academy of Music, Department for Music Pedagogy
They offer two programmes: Music Pedagogy (4 years Bachelor and 1 year Master) and Music Culture (3 years Bachelor and 2 years Master). They lead to the qualification of primary school music teacher (from 5th to 8th grades, 11-14 years old pupils) and secondary school music teacher (15-18 years old pupils) and students can also qualify to teach in music schools (music theory, solfeggio). Graduates are also qualified to lead choirs and orchaestras.
The other way to acquire a qualification for the music teaching is to enter and finish the other Bachelor and Master programmes: music theory, musicology (a two subject study programme) or church music and within one of these to take a module with pedagogical subjects.
The following information relates to teacher training within the study programme Music Pedagogy, University of Zagreb, Academy of Music. The Bachelor course lasts 4 years (8 semesters; 240 ECTS). The curriculum content is presented in Table 1. The Master course lasts 1 year (2 semesters; 60 ECTS). The curriculum content is presented in Table 2.
• University of Split, Academy of Arts, Department of Musical Art
The Music Pedagogy study programme includes a Bachelor’s degree (4 years, 240 ECTS, qualification awarded: Bachelor of Music in Music Education) and a Master degree (1 year, 60 ECTS, qualification awarded: Master of Music in Music Education). Graduates of the Music Culture study programme (4-year Bachelor and 1-year Master) are also qualified to teach music in the primary and secondary school.
• Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek, Academy of Arts, Department of Music
• Juraj Dobrila University in Pula, Department of Music
The Music Pedagogy study programmes run at both universities: The Bachelor programme (4 years, 8 semesters, 240 ECTS, upon completition of the course a student is awarded the academic title Bachelor of Music Pedagogy). The Master programme (1 year, 2 semesters, 60 ECTS, upon completion of the course a student is awarded the academic title Master of Music Pedagogy).
In the Department of Music in the University of Pula there is a study programme of accordion (4 years, 8 semesters, 240 ECTS, upon completition of the course a student is awarded the academic title Bachelor). The Master programme (1 year, 2 semesters, 60 ECTS), upon completion of the course a student is awarded the academic title Master. The new study of Singing and Piano will start in the academic year 2011/2012.
To qualify to teach music in the first classes of primary school (pupils aged 7-10) one must complete a class teaching programme (general teachers). It is carried out at Zagreb (University of Zagreb, Faculty of Teacher Education), Split (University of Split, Faculty of Philosophy), Rijeka (University of Rijeka; Faculty of Teacher Education), Osijek (University of Osijek, Faculty of Education), Zadar (University of Zadar; Department of Teachers' and Preschool-Teachers' Education). Class teaching programmes last 5 years (10 semesters, 300 ECTS, upon completion of the study, a student is awarded the academic title Master of Primary Education).