1. This is not a matter of politics; it is a matter of health.” Prof. Wolfgang Mastnak reacted this way to the reduction of funding for music education. Our health needs music. Period.
It has been scientifically proven that our brain needs to process information 60% cognitively and 40% artistically. Prof. Mastnak specializes in neuroscience, holds a Ph.D. in mathematics, actively plays the piano, and lectures at universities worldwide.
2. In August, we managed to complete a new methodology – SYLLABLES. I believe that Tomáš Boroš systematically brings a unique approach to music education. In SYLLABLES, he combines the development of rhythmic feeling with practicing English pronunciation of individual syllables. He creates a dynamic overlap between music education and English language teaching. The publication includes 40 videos we recorded with children from Veľký Krtíš.
3. A dream of mine has come true. I managed to confirm that the art of John Cage and Yoko Ono is interesting even to teenagers. At 4 interactive concerts, we met over 120 third and fourth graders from the Secondary Vocational School in Veľký Krtíš and the Gymnasium of Martin Kukučín in Revúca. We played together on cacti (similar to the composition Branches), composed music using water, a glass, and a watering can (similar to the performance Water Walk), and concluded the workshop by writing our dreams and wishes (similar to the performance Wish Tree).
4. I enjoy teaching. After 6 years, I taught again at the Faculty of Education in Bratislava. Together with a group of 14 students, we analyzed current problems in the educational system and proposed solutions. The classroom was full of innovations. When I asked them if they would be willing to pay for higher education, 50% of them answered yes. 80% of them want to become teachers.
5. “People like it when an artist cuts off his ear, like Van Gogh. But our ears stay in place, we have homes, wives, children, a cat, a car, and electric lights instead of candles. We are just normal people trying to live a ‘normal’ life, which is often a big disappointment for many,” wrote Piet-Jan van Rossum, my friend, a Dutch composer living in Belgium. Piet-Jan, in the article “What is Friendship and Where Does it Come From?” writes not only about the life of a composer in the Netherlands but also about friendship and his relationship with Slovakia. You can listen to Piet-Jan van Rossum’s music on the latest CD VENI ensemble Nachtboek – Quotations.
6. The book “THE POWER OF FACTS – Ten Reasons Why We Have Misconceptions About the World – and Why We Are Better Off Than We Think” has been soothing me this past month. Hans Rosling was a Swedish physician, scientist, professor of international health, and a phenomenon in global TED conferences.
7. If you are looking for inspiration, support, and a community of teachers, join our Teachers’ Club!
In the 2024/2025 school year, together with Tomáš Boroš and Eva Šuškova, we have prepared 6 meetings for you, 4 of which will be online and 2 in person at the Faculty of Education in Bratislava. Each meeting will be full of practical ideas, news, and opportunities to bring new impulses into teaching. The first online meeting will be led by Eva Šuškova on October 24th from 14:30 to 16:00. The topic is “My Voice, My Mirror.”
8. On October 27th, 2024, at 7:00 PM, you are warmly invited to a concert, where together with soprano Helga Varga Bach, we will present another 18 beautiful songs by Charles Ives as part of the IVES 114 project. If you want to get to know Ives’s music even better, you can listen to my music workshop or watch an interview with Tomáš Boroš from 2022.
If you want to support my work and Oz InMusic or ISCM, you can buy our CD, book, or sheet music, order innovative education, or become one of our regular subscribers.
