General Music training classical music

The following information applies to the Classical department, please visit this page for the Jazz programme.

SECTION CHAIRPERSON: Stephanie Proot

Via the study guides and handbooks you find all practical information about these subjects.

Introduction

Every conducting, instrumental, or vocal student at the Antwerp Conservatoire acquires a solid foundation in music theory skills. Composition students receive intensive training in specific areas of music theory. The courses are designed within the professional area of General Music Education and are included in the curriculum of every bachelor's student. For conducting and composition students, there is a follow-up program in the master programme.

The theory lessons are strongly inspired by artistic praxis and are directly related to the repertoire from the vocal studies, instrumental, chamber music, choir, and orchestra lessons. Conversely, the practical application of music theory is also incorporated into the practical lessons; after all, a good theoretical command contributes directly to a richer and better-founded artistic performance.

The professional area of General Music Education consists of five courses: General Music Theory, Ear Training, Analysis, Practical Harmony & Improvisation (in the vocal department: Piano for Singers) and Harmony and Counterpoint Studies. These are included as standard at subsidiary course level in each curriculum, with a specific emphasis and content for each section. You can also choose a more intensive theoretical package via the elective program or via a credit contract and take certain courses at the major level.
 

General Music Practice and Ear Training

At the heart of an efficient study process and effective score processing lies a strong command of the basic skills of solfège: key knowledge, sight-reading, rhythm, and harmonic and melodic understanding. In the ear training and general music theory (AML) classes, you will receive thorough functional training in these skills, with a clear link between theory, practical application, and artistic praxis.

In the General Music Theory modules, the emphasis is on ability and knowledge, and you will work on visual-analytical competencies (with scores). Ear training focuses on recognition and trains your auditory-analytical skills, without notation or scores.
The teachers coach from different complementary perspectives and guide you in acquiring a foundation in intonation, rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic. The principle of ‘Hear with your eyes’ is a central concept: training the three associations of sound, fingering, and note. In doing so, you develop your internal tonal sound representation, link it to an active musical experience, and build a melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, and structural memory.

Using shared tonal material, each teacher places their own emphasis on rhythm, reading skills, intonation, polyphonic ear training, and memory training. In this way, you develop your visual, auditory, and analytical musical imagination from various angles.

The lessons are practice-oriented; both in the basic material used and in the applications, the teachers make use of existing solo and chamber music scores. The training is differentiated and adapted to your section. Because General Music Practice and Ear Training are directly linked to the Analysis, Writing, and Practical Harmony & Improvisation classes, you can further train and refine the competencies you have acquired there as well.

General Music Theory and Ear Training are part of the Bachelor 1 and 2 programs. Classes take place weekly per section and build on each other gradually. Level tests allow you to move up to the next group. Remedial classes are available for students who are falling behind.

TEACHERS

GENERAL MUSIC THEORY: Edwig Abrath, Tom Collier

EAR TRAINING: Tom Collier (incl. coordination), Edwig Abrath, Peter Maus

Analysis

Shaping an individual and responsible interpretation goes much further than reproducing a music score correctly: it starts from a deeper understanding of and behind the writing. In the Analysis lessons, you will delve deeper into harmonic, melodic and form analysis and learn to apply the various analysis techniques. In the practical lessons in instrument, vocal studies, choir and chamber music, this theory is linked to concrete performance practice. Such an inquisitive approach not only enables you to better analyze and synthesize your musical scores. Analysis also helps you to develop a well-considered vision and interpretation of existing and new repertoire.

In Analysis subsidiary courses 1 and 2 - a standard part of the programme curriculum - you will explore the main style periods. The teaching staff will guide you from their own specializations: early music, new music, romantic music, historically informed performance practice or contemporary performance practice. You will gain insight into the various types of music and genres and develop a general analytical understanding using standard works from the great classical repertoire, from Bach to the 20th century repertoire.

• You may decide to take Analysis at level major, along with Composition students, to link a more in-depth analytical understanding to your actual performance practice.
• Or to continue it as an optional subject: through a deepening of Romantic, 20th and 21st-century repertoire, you will additionally be supported in your own artistic research. You apply the various analysis techniques to a more personally chosen trajectory. In doing so, you will work independently and consult existing relevant sources. The weekly group lessons are supplemented here with individual coaching, in preparation for the final works.

TEACHERS: Frank Agsteribbe (including coordination), Steven Prengels, Yves Senden, Stephan Weytjens, Umut Eldem, Mathias Coppens.

Practical Harmony and Improvisation

Every musician - creating as well as performing - is confronted daily with the content-creative aspect of the profession: from improvising to structural thinking; listening as well as insightful music-making; making reductions or accompaniments.

In the Music programme we therefore see improvisation and practical tonal insight as an indispensable part of the musician's broader horizon. With some pride we can say that our teaching staff has a great deal of expertise in this area and is among the leaders in Flanders and even in Europe.

As an instrument or vocal studies student you will be trained in harmonic and improvisational skills, always making the link between practical exercises and artistic praxis.
Every instrument student bachelor 1 takes an introductory course Practical Harmony and Improvisation (PH&I) subsidiary course in which the basis for improvisation and practical tonal insight is taught. If you play a chord instrument, you will delve further into this during the following bachelor's and master's years. As a guitarist, for example, you will find PH&I subsidiary courses or Guitar Practice as a fixed part of your curriculum for five years and the advanced keyboard musicianship course in the piano master programme offers in-depth coaching on creative and tonal insight, reduction, transposition and fine playing.

In addition, within the elective module you can put an additional focus on improvisation. For example, you can take Practical Harmony and Improvisation subsidiary courses in Bachelor 2 and beyond. You can enter the ‘joint module’ Improvisation in which international teachers from the METRIC project (Guildhall School in London, Royal Conservatoire The Hague and Royal Conservatoire Antwerp) alternate. You can explore free improvisation through the course Sound in Time, electronic improvisation is also an option.  Or you can opt for a module on prelude, partymusic or basso continuo.

Performances are organized regularly, during which you will bring your own creations to the stage. For the most driven and ambitious students there is the possibility to participate in the René Arons competition, a competition in memory of one of our former teachers.
 

TEACHERS: Sterre De Raedt, Korneel Bernolet, Hendrik Braeckman, Ewald Demeyere, Jeroen Malaise, Yves Senden (incl. coordination), Carlo Willems, Nico Couck, Frederik Leroux, Maarten De Splenter.

Harmony and Counterpoint 

Within the 'Harmony and counterpoint studies' subsidiary course, you will learn to develop and shape your musical imagination. Your understanding of functional-tonal harmony is trained and sharpened by means of targeted exercises, which start from the laws of a traditional four-part choral setting.

A broad orientation, largely based on the period from Classicism to Early Romanticism, provides the breeding ground to expand your insightful knowledge also in the areas of analysis and practical harmony and improvisation. In addition, you will also become familiar from the inside out with the building blocks underlying many works from the basic repertoire of chamber music, vocal studies or instrument classes. This foundation can be built upon according to your personal interests, e.g. the principles of counterpoint or stylistic harmony.

Harmony and counterpoint studies is included as a supporting subsidiary course in each student's instrument and vocal studies program. Students with a special interest in harmony and counterpoint studies may opt for the Harmony and Counterpoint courses, within which writing is covered at the level of major.
 

TEACHERS: Peter Thys, Stephan Weytjens (incl. coordination), Joost Van Kerkhoven, Ewald Demeyere (counterpoint), Bram Van Camp (harmony)