The music program at NYU Prague is on a high note this year. As of this semester, it is mandatory for all NYU music education students to study abroad. Because Prague is the only global site that offers some classes required for the major, we’ve already seen an increase in the number of music students. We have several new classes as a result – Foundations of Music Education, Fundamentals of Conducting, and additional classes in aural comprehension and music theory.
Last semester we also piloted a class that brings together music and film students. Michal Rataj taught Sound Design in which his music students wrote compositions that were used in the films created by NYU students at FAMU.
Recently Elise Sobol, the new head of the music education department at Steinhardt (replacing Alex Ruthmann) visited Prague. She was fascinated by the quality and quantity of Prague’s state-funded music education programs, in particular the unique Czech network of arts schools – Základní umělecká škola (ZUŠ). She wants NYU students to connect to the public school system at all levels, visiting and possibly volunteering at elementary and high school music classes as well as the ZUŠ programs.
We have several new professors this semester. Read about 3 of them in this newsletter.