Music in Education finals: dare to sing and to be vulnerable

“I want to help people be as vulnerable as I am when I sing. And I’d love to achieve that with all generations. This is why I wrote a show in which people share their story through music,” says Femke Evers. Femke is finishing the Music in Education bachelor's programme at the ArtEZ Academy of Music in Zwolle. In the video below, we can see her in action with a group of musicians and children as she prepares for her finals performance. “It's not a performance where I have decided what my students are going to sing. We made that decision together. We also rewrote the lyrics together, so that they’re as close as possible to each person's individual story.”

During the programme, Femke learned how to coordinate performances, something she would never have been able to do before. She also learned what her strengths are and how to use them. This has allowed her to make her finals performance very personal. She was initially surprised by the level of organisation required for a performance like hers. “We had to arrange for a lot of things during the course. This proved itself to be very educational, because now I know everything that I need to consider. There are so many things you need to organise for a performance: food, drinks, location, finances...you really have to think of everything beforehand. And because we got that experience during the course, I already had a list of things I could work with.”

Helping children in as many creative ways as possible

Femke wants to do the KIK course after this to become a children’s coach. She finds it to be the perfect combination with the Music in Education programme to achieve her future plans. “I want to learn to help children in as many ways as possible," she says. "With the KIK course, I will learn more about the creative portion of children's education in terms of drawing and visual creation. And with the Music in Education course, I have learned music. So combining the two will allow me to help children in as many creative ways as possible.”

Choose your own learning path

With the Music in Education course at the Academy of Music in Zwolle, you will become a musician, teacher, and entrepreneur in the field of music education. You’ll be able to choose your own learning path and produce your own music. You’ll collaborate with students from other arts subjects, do research, and design your own teaching materials. You’ll also be guided by nationally known lecturers. With this course, you’ll learn to teach and inspire all ages. After you graduate, you’ll have a first-degree teaching qualification. This allows you to teach music lessons as well as subjects such as cultural and artistic education and general art. But you can also go in a different direction; you can become a choral conductor, an ensemble leader, or an independent musical entrepreneur.