As a board member of the EMU and as a music school director, I feel it’s important to connect to other countries. The cultures are quite different, but what binds us is the music education. We can learn from each other and make music education even more important. I’m driven by the fact that, scientifically profen, musiceducation is benefitting the development of the brain of children. So every child in Europe has the right to achieve music education in diversity and accessibility. The EMU is, therefore, the European partner for national associations and music schools in Europe.
Expertise and Focus
Strategic Leadership & Governance
Over 25 years of experience as a music teacher, project manager and director in music schools in the Netherlands. Currently director of Music School Zeeland.
Advocacy & European Visibility
As representative of the EMU, AEC and AES I strongly advocate music education in the board of the EMC. It’s important that still enough money will be invested from Europe in music education. This is the heart of our identity and with all the tensions in the world, this should also be a priority. My focus is to continuously ask for attention for this and make funding possible through Erasmus Plus, Creative Europe and Agora EU. Together with strengthening partnerships between the several European networks.
Position of Music Schools in society
Music schools are not only music schools where you learn to play an instrument anymore; they are much more nowadays. They have, for instance, more disciplines and become an art school; they have programs in regular schools and in the social domain. This leads to another position of music/art schools in society. The challenge for the future is to keep the quality of the profession and be inclusive and diverse with teachers who can provide this quality. Internationally, we exchange the best practices through the EMU, learn from each other and address what’s needed to find solutions.
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