Artistic practice as research in the conservatorium context

Abstract

In the academic environment, a Conservatorium is often considered somewhat of an eccentric presence, with its insistence on artistic rather than academic excellence. The main point of reference for this view seems to be a narrow, modernist approach to academia. Contemporary thinking on research creates room to redefine the academic relevance of the Conservatorium in terms of creative research. From this perspective, the musician is a researcher. In preparing for a performance or a class, he or she consults a vast database of information, partly internalised by many years of practice and experience, partly external in scores, books, colleagues, and other sources. The outcome of this research determines the choices the musician finally makes. The performance in fact represents the conclusions of this process. This extends to all processes involved in the transmission, reproduction and interpretation of existing works, to improvisation as an important aspect of many genres of music at different times, and to the creation of new works, either within a particular genre or tradition, or as an innovation fed by technological progress or new impulses and insights. The choices described above are often not defined or expressed explicitly. Huib Schippers sketches new directions in research that aim to represent an important step in mapping out these choices and the processes underlying them, with the teachers at QCGU as the primary target group, and RHD students as research assistants, supervised by the Research Centre. Issues that will be addressed include not only obvious factors such as technical skills, repertoire, arrangements, and instrumentation, but also less tangible aspects such as expression, creativity, and quality.