An Erasmus+ KA210 Project

Developing a better curricular connection between Pre-college and Higher Music Education

Music education is a seamless journey, and each stage lays the groundwork for the next. YMTE’s mission is to support a robust pre-college phase that integrates closely with higher education, ensuring a strong foundation for Europe’s musical talent.
YMTE, together with our partner, AEC and four member schools, was granted this Erasmus+ project to investigate and strengthen the connection between pre-college and higher education.

We ask for all our friends to contribute towards the goals of the project by sharing information about your curriculum and program structures and responding to our inquiries about the connection between the education levels.

Here follows a description of the Erasmus+ project:

Project Manager: Young Music Talents in Europe (YMTE)
Project Participants: Johann Joseph Fux Konservatorium (Austria), Varaždin School of Music (Croatia), Conservatorio Profesional de Música Costa del Sol (Spain), Eberhard-Ludwigs-Gymnasium (Germany), The Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC)

Project duration: From 01.09.2024 to 31.08.2026

Objectives:

The project aims to establish a European reference framework to enhance the quality of specialized pre-college music education (Pre-CME) and ensure a cohesive curricular alignment with higher music education (HME). By identifying and defining key competencies, learning outcomes, and standardized quality measures, the project seeks to strengthen the interconnection between these educational levels. Additionally, it will provide a structured mapping of Pre-CME institutions and their alignment with HME requirements, developing a robust foundation for improving the transition between Pre-CME and HME through research-driven insights.

Results and Outcomes:

• A comprehensive report on European Pre-CME, informed by a study and questionnaire.
• The report will emphasize the integration of competence-based learning and its alignment with HME admission requirements.
• It will provide an updated set of competences and learning outcomes for Pre-CME, serving as a guideline for curriculum development and policymaking across Europe.
• Disseminated through YMTE and AEC networks, the report will support discussions, seminars, and future research, promoting improvements in pre-college music education.

Why This Project?

The Bologna Process has successfully introduced competence-based education and clear learning outcomes for higher music education (HME) in Europe. However, pre-college music education lacks a unified framework. While the Polifonia pre-college working group (2007) proposed competences aligned with HME outcomes, this remains a theoretical model that needs further development. Our project addresses this gap.

HME institutions depend on students arriving with advanced musical skills, often requiring early and specialized training. These skills can’t be fully developed within the traditional school system. Instead, they are nurtured in informal and formal settings such as public or private music schools, through private instructors, or even through independent study. Despite its informal nature, pre-college music education has become the primary pathway for producing qualified candidates for HME.

This project aims to strengthen the connection between the competence levels expected at the start of HME and the outcomes of pre-college music education. It marks a significant step toward formal recognition of the diverse pre-college music education landscape in Europe.

By collaborating with AEC, the established network for HME institutions, YMTE focuses on pre-college education as a critical preparatory stage. This project enhances access to higher-level progression in the arts and expands YMTE’s role within the broader European education framework.

Mapping, Research and Data Collection

Goals

• Establish an overview of the Pre-CME landscape across Europe.
• Analyse the diversity of Pre-CME curricula, learning outcomes, and admission requirements.
• Identify common features and gaps between Pre-CME and HME structures.
• Develop a publicly accessible reference framework.

Working Methods

• Establish a list of relevant institutions in both the Pre-CME and HME sectors.
• Conduct desk research to obtain curricula and learning objectives from as many institutions as possible.
• Use institutional websites and available resources to build a comprehensive dataset.
• Conduct structured online interviews with selected institutions to gather qualitative insights.
• Engage stakeholders in discussions on learning outcomes and interconnections between Pre-CME and HME.