Identity of Music Teachers in a Diverse European Context. Problems and Challenges

In his book „The Limits of Interpretation” (Bloomington, Indiana University Press, 1991) Umberto Ecco distinguished between the research of intentio operis and the subordination of a text to the intentio lectoris. In the first case is meant the “interpretation” of the text and in the second Ecco speaks of “using the text”. The importance of this thesis is that the intentio lectoris is at the origin of music education. Transferred to music one should consider the term intentio auditoris. If apprentices must be motivated to alter their intentio auditoris up to an intentio operis, they should take the opportunity to make the connection of their own intentionality with music, e.g. they must try to modify the subject. This is a crucial task for the music teacher. The importance of electronic media and new technologies are regularly at the center of research projects at European levels. The music teacher’s identity and his/her professionalism have to detect this distance between intentio auditoris and intentio operis (the latter having been trained during the studies) and work with conviction to reduce this distance. In addition s/he will justify and critically scrutinize at any time to him/herself and to the students the impact of his/her educational activities.

The objective of my text is to portray the identity of music teachers from a European perspective, on one hand, by distinguishing between countries focusing more or less on the German tradition (the teacher as a musician), and, on the other hand, countries preferring the system as it applies on the francophone (the musician as teacher) or Anglo-Saxon countries.

In general, identifying avenues for mutual enrichment between different traditions will be a goal of further research about cultural heritage. Identifying tracks for promoting a mutual cross-fertilization between and an understanding of different traditions will on the focus of this kind of activities.