The global conservatoire

Abstract

This chapter explores how online learning is opening up new possibilities for conservatoire learning and teaching, with a particular focus on the global context. The conservatoire environment traditionally privileges embodied interactions; however, this chapter argues that carefully designed online learning can provide important and timely opportunities for digital skills development, flexible learning, peer interaction, and culturally responsive courses. Following a short survey of online teaching in music, this chapter introduces the multi-institutional Erasmus+ ‘Global Conservatoire’ project, examining how online international teaching partnerships can complement the embodied and collaborative values of traditional conservatoire teaching models. The authors draw upon the findings of a research project that explored the staff and student experiences of the Global Conservatoire in practice. The chapter concludes by reflecting on the outcomes of the project before setting out a number of recommendations to embed and optimise online transnational learning in today’s conservatoire curriculum as a form of ‘global pedagogy’