Published: 09. September 2009
The Norwegian Academy of Music’s artistic and academic staff comprises specialists in performance, composition, improvisation, music education, musicology and music therapy. The Academy’s R&D activities consist of artistic development, research and professional development; the Academy aims to present a body of research at a high international standard. The Academy also has a special responsibility for basic research and research training in the areas in which it awards doctorates (as set out by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research, budget documents 2007).
Since the Academy’s core activities are concentrated around the creative and performing arts, artistic development and research represents an important part of the Academy's work:
"Artistic development describes the artistic process that leads to a publicly accessible artistic product. The process may also include explicit reflections regarding the development and presentation of the product." (from Vekt på kunst (2007), a report published by the Norwegian Association of Higher Education Institutions.)
Dissemination of this type of artistic development work in the field of music occurs in the form of concerts, recordings, scores, etc. In order to cultivate new insights, knowledge and/or experience that are relevant not just for the performer but for others as well, the institution has a special responsibility to facilitate reflection through interdisciplinary collaboration. Two of the Academy’s current R&D focus areas, The Creative Musician: interpretation - reflection, performance and documentation, and Musical Creation and Renewal: sound production, forms of interaction and innovation, were established in order to promote such interdisciplinary dialogue.
The Academy’s more traditional research activities are also based on music as an art form, and encompass in particular expertise and knowledge within applied music theory, music therapy and music pedagogy. Dissemination of this activity is mainly through publications. In addition, the Academy's R&D activities include (applied) professional development. The goals of this area are educational and/or innovative, and its products include new textbooks, CD-ROMs, computer programmes and new educational courses.
A third R&D focus area, Research in and for Higher Music Education, was established with the aim of strengthening academic research and professional development in the higher music education field. In addition to work on teaching and learning in general, this focus area includes research on the Academy’s own institutional framework and social contexts, and not least its relationship to associated arenas such as education in schools, the amateur music scene and other higher education institutions. Within this focus area, too, collaboration between artistic and academic staff is encouraged and facilitated.
The concentration of R&D activities within three focus areas is expected to contribute to the overall quality of education at the Academy.
The Norwegian Academy of music also offers education to doctoral level and has two Ph.D. programmes:
Ph.D. programme in music pedagogy and music therapy – with projects that investigate musical processes in relation to learning and education, health and quality of life.
Ph.D. programme in performance practice – with projects that examine historical, contemporary and aesthetical aspects of musical performance, from practical and musicological perspectives.
The Academy has 15 research fellow positions and in addition admits candidates with external funding.
The Academy is also one of the institutions associated with the
Norwegian Artistic Research Fellowships Programme: this programme is a parallel to the more traditional academic Ph.D. programmes, with an emphasis on artistic processes and products rather than an academic thesis.
The Academy has 8 artistic research fellows at present.
R&D director at the Academy is Professor Siw Graabræk Nielsen.
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