In the project "ung.kom", music students in upper secondary schools receive help from the Norwegian Composers' Association to write music for the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. The project has increased the number of students enrolled in the composition program at the Academy of Music.
/ 06/01/2014 / codex– Yes, we know that more student composers are there because of this project, which we are now carrying out for the sixth year in a row, says Bjørn Bolstad Skjelbred, deputy chairman of the Norwegian Composers' Association and project manager at "ung.kom".
He receives support from Arnt Håkon Ånesen, composition teacher at Manglerud Upper Secondary School: – Sure, many of those who have been through the project have applied for composition. There were more last year, and several of this year's students say they will also apply because of the project.
Ung.kom is a collaborative project between the Norwegian Composers' Association and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra with financial support from the Arts Council of Norway. Through this, music students at 6 upper secondary schools in Oslo and the surrounding area have the opportunity to write a work under professional supervision. It all ends in a full-night concert at Oslo Concert Hall on April 25th, where the Philharmonic will perform the six musical works. Students at Foss, Manglerud, Oslo City Steiner School, Askim, Ski and Lillestrøm upper secondary schools have the pleasure of participating this year.
The interest in the project is enormous among the students, says teacher Ånesen on the phone from the teachers' room at Manglerud: - The project is one of the "carrots" to get students to take the program subject composition in the 3rd grade. They get to perform the music by a large orchestra, which is something completely different than just writing something in a music program. We notice that they are proud to be involved and that they are inspired. The students are free to create the work they want, but are challenged by some limitations. - The work should not be longer than 5 minutes. It is not only easy when 30 people are involved in writing it, and when many have big symphonic ideas at the same time. It requires organization, which they also learn from. Everyone should feel like they are part of the work when you hear it in the Concert Hall, Ånesen emphasizes.
The Norwegian Composers' Association is contributing to the project with guiding forces and financial support. – It is important for the Composers' Association that it should sprout and grow in Norwegian music life. This project is important because it brings the subject of composition closer to both students and teachers in the music departments. We experience that the threshold for both the subject of composition, art music and "classical" music is being lowered. Many of the students have never been in a concert hall before, concludes Skjelbred.