Bağlama Education in Germany and The Netherlands

Bağlama Education in Germany and The Netherlands Dr. habil. Martin Greve (Orient – Institut Istanbul) ABSTRACT During the last years the issue of bağlama education attracted growing attention within musical institutions in Germany and The Netherlands. After two years of preparations the Association of Music Schools in Germany published 2012 the first German curriculum for bağlama. It is the first official curriculum for a non-western instrument in Germany ever. The curriculum covers guidelines for teaching bağlama at public German music schools, for (German-) Turks as well as for non-Turks. Germany-based bağlama teachers took part at its development together with German music educationists and musicologists. During the editing workshops also guests from Turkey like Erol Parlak and Melih Duygulu had been invited. Around the same time bağlama was included in the education project „Every Child an Instrument“ in the German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. Elementary schoolchildren get compulsory lessons in musical instruments like violin, guitar, trumpet – or bağlama. In the Netherlands the World Music Academy of Codarts Rotterdam offers the first study program for Turkish music outside Turkey. Codarts began in 2000 with a Bachelor program for bağlama, later folk music singing and Turkish percussion followed, in 2012 even a Master program for Ottoman music, with Kudsi Erguner as its main teacher. Students are predominantly Turks grown up in The Netherlands or in Germany, but also Dutch, Americans and Greeks. Main teaching language is English. -------------Over decades the bağlama was perceived in Europe primarily as the instrument of a problematic ethnic minority, and only rarely as one of international world music. In the cities of Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France and other countries the sight of young Turks carrying a bağlama on their back was a daily experience since the 1970s. Its music, however, remained foreign. Concerts with bağlama players hardly attracted non-Turcs, as far as they at least heard about them. While in general the traditional music from Turkey never played any substantial role in the socalled world music, the bağlama was associated with migrants, sometimes even seen as a symbol for a failed integration of Turcs into Europe. Being thus seperated from the public suported music live in Germany untill the 1990s bağlama teaching was allmost exclusively the field of migrant associations (Greve 2006). Only few of these associations, however, offered music education for pure artistic ambitions, most of them where dedicated to cultural, political or religious identities such as Alevi, Kurdish, Turkish or specific Anatolian regions. Bağlama lessons intended to „get children form the road“ or remind them their Turkish, Alevi etc. identity. In addition, some few intercultural centres or social projects used music and music education as part of their social work, in Germany for example the Worker’s Welfare Association (Arbeiterwohlfahrt). Since at least ten years this situation began to change substantially. On the one hand a new generation of Turkish-Germans had been grown meanwhile, emanzipation from both the expectations of their parents and the marginalization by the German society. On the other hand the terror attack of 11 September 2001 made a deep impact also in the German society, and changed even the approach towards Turkish music. The awakening conciousness of knowing too little about Muslim minorities effected music managers, institutions and cultural politicians. During the following years a growing number of public music institutions showed noticable efforts to incorporate Turkish music. Basic idea in most of these cases was to begin with the integration of the music of Turcs as the largest group of immigrants and to go on with other minorities later. In both Germany and The Netherlands the first attempts were made by municipal music schools. In Germany some music schools in cities like Berlin already had established Turkish music courses in the 1980s as part of the regular teaching program. Here over years broad experiences with Turkish teachers, students and parents have been made, to become helpfull for other music schools to follow within the last years. Only in smaller towns the topic of intercultural integration is still an abstract vision, often linked with fears. These schools do not have any concrete idea how an musical integration could ever be achieved, some even today reject the objective as not necessary. Disapointed from the hestitant attitude of public music institution, however, a growing number of Bağlama teachers in Germany had already began in the 1990s to open private Turkish music schools. Today in almost every German city at least one of those profesional Turkish bağlama or music schools is in existance. In 2000 the well esthablished anual German Youth Music Competition (Jugend Musiziert) started to open up for the bağlama. In Berlin regular competitions of bağlama take place at regional and state level (Greve 2002), the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen followed four years later. At national level, however, the comittees are still discussing if this experiments should and could be extended all over all Germany. Some of the responsible functionaries seem to reject this developement strictly. Until today not a single musician of German origin has participated yet in the bağlama competition of „Jugend Musiziert“. To prepare a bağlama program within a German or Dutch public music school, and even more for the organization of a bağlama competition in Germany, it was at first necessary to find as many local bağlama teachers as possible. In the largely informal and highly dynamic Turkish-German musical scene this task often turned out as a serious problem. Due to a common rivalry between some musicians and their schools organizers could not always rely on information from Turkish musicians themself as some of them were not interested in letting rivals participate, prefering not to mention them. The still rare collaborations with German music institutions was often considered among Turkish musicians to be a decisive advantage in prestige. In some cases uninvolved musicians even tryed to sabotage new co-operations of their rivals by means of targeted rumours or complaints, doubting their political reliability or their musical competence. Within German or Dutch institutions such interventions caused unsurety on how to check and assess such objections and hence supported those how opposed the integration of Turkish musc. Inquiries about the authors of accusations mostly showed that the originators themselves would like to enter into a cooperation with nonTurkish institutions instead of the attacked rivals, and apart from that, being politicaly inactive. The project „Bağlama Für Alle“ (Bağlama for Everybody) improved the situation of bağlama education in the West German state of NordrheinWestfalen further. Within the frameworks of this project, between 2005 and 2008 bağlama courses at municipal music schools received financially support by the state. In march 2008 as part of this project a workshop day about bağlama took place at the respected Philharmonie Essen, including lessons by Erol Parlak. Around the same time, beginning in 2007 and again in the state of NordrheinWestfalen, bağlama was included in the education project „Every Child an Instrument“ (Jedem Kind ein Instrument, JeKi). Throughout the whole state in fact every elementary schoolchild today gets compulsory lessons in musical instruments like violin, guitar, trumpet – or bağlama. New teaching methods for small groups of children and new teaching material for bağlama students in the age of six to eight years needed to be developed within the framework of this project, all in accordance with the general standards already existing for western instruments (www.jedemkind.de/tuerkisch/index.php). The next step for the integration of the bağlama into German music life was the developement of an official curriculum for bağlama, financed jointly by the Association of Municipal Music Schools (Verband der Musikschulen), JeKi and the Secretary of Cultur Nordrhein-Westfalen who had already been responsible for the „Bağlama for Everybody“-program before. For almost all western instrument official curricula had been developed and published over the years, the one for bağlama was the first for a non-western instrument ever. The editors aimed a curriculum as similar as possible to the existing concept, but at the same time adjusted for the bağlama as much as necessary. In order to avoid problems of acceptance by bağlama teachers caused by the before mentioned rivalry, not one single author was commisioned to write the currriculum, but a team composed of local bağlama teachers and educational experts from JeKi. Over one year, from summer 2009 – 2010, monthly workshops took place, during which several curriculums for gitar and piano from Germany and Austria where discused as models, as well as curriculums for bağlama from Turkey and those from private bağlama schools in Germany. In addition external experts such as Melih Duygulu and Erol Parlak where invited for comments and advices, just as music theory teacher Oscar van Dillen from the Rotterdam World Music Academy Codarts (see below). The results of these long and somtimes tiring discussions where finally put together and edited by the present writer (Verband der Musikschulen 2012). Unlike most teaching books for bağlama written in Turkey, the German curriculum included basic informations on the history, notation and the repertoire of the instrument, its treatment, care and tuning, as well as an extensive introdution into the didactics of the instrument. While most of the targeted bağlama students might be German-Turks the curriculum shortly discusses the challenges of three new types of students: 1) Children in the age of seven or eight years, as in the project of JeKi. General experiences from the JeKi project are communicated in this section, in particular concerning the handling of small teaching groups for young children. 2) Non-Turks, mostly without even the most basic knowledges of Anatolian culture and music, not to mention the lack of Turkish language. 3) Adults and older persons, often being highly motivated who expect to be taken almost as equal partners by their teacher. General didactic advices include the necessity of planing each lesson, and teaching how to practice. The developement of the students own creativity is described as the main purpose of the lessons, while simple imitating of the teachers technique and style would not be sufficient. According to different age groups both group and individual lessons could make sence, and in particular for group lessons several didactic advices are given. To strengthen the motivation of students small concerts and the participation at competitions such as „Jugend Musiziert“ are strongly recommended. The curriculum itself is divided into six levels reaching from a first orientation phase over lower and middle levels up to almost academical standarts. For each level detailed teaching tasks are listed under four headlines: 1. General, 2. Playing Technique, 3. Music Making, and 4. Knowledge and Understanding. In practice these field will of course always be combined. The curriculum is conceptualized as a general framwork to be elaborated by each teacher for each student individualy. Meanwhile even at some German music academies (for example in Berlin, Cologne and Hildesheim) discussions have begun – in some cases already for years - about a broader teaching spectrum, also including Turkish music. The first attempts targeted to impart intercultural musical competence to future music teachers. In music pedagogy the necessity for such a kind of teacher’s education is undisputed, however the curricula for the formation of music teachers have hardly been adapted accordingly. At the Berlin University of Arts (UdK) courses on Turkish music held by the private music school „Music Academy for Turkish Music“ (Konservatorium für Türkische Musik Berlin) took place since 2000. In return the UdK gives lessons on western music theory at the Music Academy for Turkish Music. Subsequently Dorit Klebe, German musicologist, offered regulary lessons on teaching Turkish music in German schools. In particular a better access to the music teachers education for students with migration background would be desirable. Such students already would have intercultural competence, their musical focus, however, is sometimes far away from western classical music. Still new is the Hildesheim Center for World Music, offering a Master education on cultural diversity in music education. In Berlin a Global Music Academy is advertised since some years, its official opening seems to be near. At present the only European academic program in Turkish music exists at the music academy Codarts Rotterdam in The Netherlands. Already fifteen years ago the first teaching programs of the today’s World Music Academy where founded. In 2000 for the first time outside of Turkey a regular study program on Turkish music started. Initially, Talip Özkan (Paris) was its musical director, the basic courses of the program were held by lecturers from Rotterdam, in particular by Nahim Avcı. After internal difficulties, the program restarted in 2006 with Kemal Dinç (Cologne), Alper Kekeç (Amsterdam) and the present wirter. For several years Melih Duygulu (Istanbul) regulary came for compulsory lessons, workshop by international musicians completed the program. Besides Turkish music the World Music Academy also offers courses on Indian music, flamenco guitar, Latin music and tango. In addition Codarts offers programs in classical music, jazz, pop music, music theatre and music in education. The number of students and teachers for Turkish music is of course still – and most probably will always remain - far below the numbers in any music academy in Turkey. For many fields no specialized teacher is available. In particular at the beginning the academy strongly underestimated the extreme musical heterogeneity of „Turkish music“. Turkish music was considered to be limited in scope, differences between the styles having remained unnoticed. Many members of the Academy’s administration where surprised to hear that a bağlama teacher would not be able to teach for instance music theory, ney or singing as well. As after the first years more and more applicants present themself with instruments like ud, piano, voice, yaylı tanbur or ney it became obvious that an extension of the courses and also of the teaching staff was indispensible at least in the long term. Codarts began in 2000 with a Bachelor program for bağlama, later folk music singing and Turkish percussion followed, in 2012 a Master program on Ottoman music, with Kudsi Erguner as its main teacher. Today even students of violine or ud have a chance to be accepted. Curriculum bağlama 2009 / 2010 Curriculum Bağlama Year Semester Creative and performative Subjects Main subject Ensemble Genre specific theorie and practice Turkish music theory Turkish music history Turkish art music Subsidiary subject - choir (Bağlama and percusion students) - Bağlama (singing students) Vocal training (Bağlama and percusion students) Turkish rhythmical training Studio production Theory Western music theory Subsidiary subject gitar or piano World music rhythmical training Music world wide Profession & policy Propedeutic program 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ects ects ects ects ects ects ects 9 4 6 9 4 6 9 4 5 9 4 5 3 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9 4 4 10 5 4 1 2 1 1 2 1 10 4 8 ects 11 4 5 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 2 3 2 1 General music pedagogy Subject didactics Turkish music Stage TM 4 4 2 Thesis 4 MINOR 10 Academy specific space Projects Masterclasses, workshops, individual study activities Total per year 4 4 10 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 27 33 60 22 38 60 21 39 60 22 38 60 Most disputed teaching subject within the curriculum was music theory. While the music academy initially expected from Turkish music students a level of western music theory comparable at least to pop music students, the entrance level of almost all applicants turned out to be perfectly insufficient. In addition also entry tests and later compulsory lessons in Turkish music theory (nazariyat) are compulsory. Again the general level remained far below all expectations. While Turkish music theory is hardly teached anywhere seriously in Europe, leaving the students almost no chance to prepare for the study of Turkish music, obviously most young Turkish musicians in Europe perceive Western music theory as not necessary for their own music. By now two different types ot students can be recognized. Firstly, Turks grown up in the Netherlands who are interested in an accredited bachelor study in their country of residence. In autumn 2007, two Turkish students from Germany and one from London, for comparable reasons, enrolled in the study course. As a result the level of both music theories remain frustratingly low. Regarding its students a basic difference between a study program of Turkish music and one of for example Indian music is noticable: Indian music (and similarily tango, flamenco or Latin music) is studied mostly by Dutch, Germans, British or Belgians and only in a later phase of the study program also by Indian, Argentinean or Spanish students. However in the Turkish music program from its very beginning almost exclusively applicants of Turkish origin enrolled. To attract Turkish-Dutch students, however, it was invalueable to research on the local Turkish community, and later to establish good relations to the Turkish community in the Netherlands, in particular to Turkish music and instrument teachers. These problems do not exist for the Indian nor any other world music department. A second group of students apeared later in the program: international music students, interested primarily in intercultural experiences and competencies. The wide gap between both groups of students – Turks and non-Turks – caused new problems for the lecturers: International world music students in general are often well educated (e.g. in music theory or Western music history), but in general have no idea of and no practical experience with Turkish music. Turkish musicians on the other hand enter the academy with an extensive knowledge of their particular musical heritage, but sometimes do not own more than five books and have hardly ever heard music even by Mozart or Beethoven. Common study programms for both groups of students might not be useful for this reason, however separate study programms could often not be justified for reasons of equal opportunities and integration; not to mention financial limitations of offered double courses. For music academies and municipal music schools in Europe the search for appropriate teachers is difficult. At first official institutions request serious, artisticaly demanding music and not folklore. Public representation of Turkish culture in Europe, however, was over decades focused primarily on such folklore. Since Turkish musicians are scarcely integrated into Germany’s music institutions, guaranteing seriousness, many non-Turkish musicians or music school managers hardly believe that a demanding Turkish music and appropriate lecturers in Europe acually exists. This is a common, often unspoken, prejudice regarding the integration of Turkish music. Often the expectation of representative and demanding Turkish music is followed by the restriction that a German or Dutch organizer or music school director is not able to assess the artistic quality, as well as the position of a Turkish musician within the current musical discourses in Turkey. The experience of the music competition „Jugend Musiziert“, however, showed that also non-Turkish musicians are able to assess musical quality. All juries, differently composed throughout the years, consisted of Turkish and nonTurkish jurors working together. An essential dissent never developed between both groups. The experiences in Rotterdam where similar. Finally trustworthy and co-operative Turkish teachers are needed, who are fluent in German, Dutch, or English, and possibly also posess experiences at schools or music academies. Untill present unfortunately only few contacts are established between German cultural institutions and those in Turkey who could help to find good teachers. But even given such a network the integration of imported musicians into European institiutions could remain difficult due to their poor knowledge of German or English. In addition, experiences of private Turkish music schools in German cities show that many imported music teachers go back to Turkey after some time. Some of them simply become homesick, others do not cope with climate, mentality of the Germans or other living conditions in Germany. As it looks for now the integration of the bağlama and other music instruments from Turkey into European musical institution is still at its very beginning. For many more years a lot of networking, trying out and bridging differences will be necessary, requiering patience and tolerance from all involved actors. References Cited Greve, Martin. 2006. Almanya’da „Hayali Türkiye“nin Müziği. İstanbul: İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları 2006 Greve, Martin. 2002. „Der Marsch in die Institutionen“ Üben und Musizieren 1: 16 – 22 Verband deutscher Musikschulen. 2012. Lehrplan Bağlama, Kassel: Gustav Bosse Verlag