New Collaboration Agreement Between Ål kulturskule and NMH

In the coming period, the music education students will spend a workweek in the autumn semester at Ål every year. During this time, students will participate in various teaching and outreach activities in and around the local cultural school.

– For Ål kulturskule (Ål Cultural School), this strengthens our role as a local resource centre, while also allowing us to help shape the music educators of the future by giving them experience in a district municipality where culture plays a central role in the community, says Iris Almås Tangeraas, principal of Ål kulturskule.

– This agreement confirms Ål’s position as an attractive arena for internships and collaboration, ensuring a continued close connection between higher education and the practical field in and around the cultural school, says the principal.

The Bachelor Programme in Music Education at the Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) is a performance-based music education combined with a practical pedagogical qualification (PPU).

– The programme’s strong focus on performance, together with comprehensive pedagogical training, enables these students to often build a career profile that combines both performance and teaching, says John Vinge, Head of Department at NMH, responsible for music education.

Upon completing the programme, students are formally qualified to teach in primary and secondary schools, upper secondary schools, and cultural schools.

Graduates also bring essential expertise to the voluntary music sector, where they work as conductors for choirs and bands, as well as in other music education practices.

Diversity is a central theme of the internship:

The students engage with children and young people of all ages in a variety of music education settings, including music classes in primary schools and the many music programmes offered by the cultural school.

They also connect with the local amateur music scene, participating in the community's choir and band activities. Furthermore, they involve adult participants in music activities as part of the refugee introduction programme and take part in concerts and singing sessions at the local care home.

The study period in Ål provides students with valuable experience in working as music educators in a rural community, exposing them to the wide range of career opportunities and collaborations that such an environment offers.

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The extended collaboration agreement with the Norwegian Academy of Music is a highly positive development for both Ål kulturskule and the cultural community of Ål.

Through this partnership, the cultural school gains new expertise, enthusiasm, and perspectives from the music students. Their participation in various teaching and outreach activities provides valuable inspiration to cultural school pupils and creates dynamic learning environments in collaboration with primary schools, the local amateur music scene, and professional cultural actors.

The plan for autumn 2025 is already in place.

– We’ll leave on Sunday, 2 November, and return on 7 November, says an excited John Vinge.

There will be activities in Ål every day and evening, but the main concert featuring all the students will take place in the Great Hall in Ål on Thursday, 6 November.

– Friday in Ål will also be great, with a trip to Kunstnartunet and Operalåven in the morning, followed by a concert at the care home at 12:00, before we head back to the Academy of Music, Vinge adds.