For the fourth time, the two departments of Elementary Music Education at the Universities of Music in Nuremberg and Würzburg cooperated with the Franconian Singers' Association. In a cross-university seminar, EMP students designed an advanced training day on the topic of "Singing and making music in daycare centers and elementary school".

Since the beginning of the winter semester 2024/25, the students have been working intensively under the direction of Professor Doris Hamann (Nuremberg) and Professor Michael Forster (Würzburg) on the conception of teaching models for elementary music practice, which were implemented and reflected on with the participating primary school teachers and educators at the end of the course as part of a training day on January 25, 2025 at the University of Music Würzburg.

The starting point for the teaching models were their own compositions as well as selected pieces from the songbook "Alle LIEDER sind schon da", published by the German Choir Association e.V. Using these songs, the students invented suitable activities for the emotional framework theme, in which voice, movement and instrumental playing were used in a playful way. The teaching models were tested in practice in advance so that the students could pass on their experiences with the respective target groups to the participants and they gained a varied insight into the methodological and didactic working methods of elementary music education.

The performing students included Jan Baier, Simona Hellwig, Christina Prinz, Antonia Seidl, Xia Zhou from Nuremberg and Friederike Gauseweg, Lena Sophie Hilger, Jola Paulick, Maria Schöne, Victoria Sommerer, Marie Jorinde Szelwis, Sonja Wissmüller from Würzburg.

The students were delighted with the motivated participation and the all-round positive feedback from the primary school teachers and educators present, whose commitment ensures that children at daycare centers and elementary school are able to experience a variety of musical experiences.

Special thanks go to Wolfram Johannes Brüggemann, Vice President of the Franconian Singers' Association, who initiated and organized this training series in cooperation with the two music academies. Thanks also go to Prof. Doris Hamann and Prof. Michael Forster for networking and supporting the students.

The training course will take place again on 17.05.2025 at the University of Music in Würzburg.

Author: Lena Sophie Hilger