Change and the Challenges of Lifelong Learning

Professional musicians and music educators are faced with a lot of change in the profession, which in the end reflects change in society. This creates a huge challenge for institutions training future music performers and educators. In the Netherlands the research group Lifelong Learning in Music (from here: LLM) of the Prince Claus Conservatoire (Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen) has been active since 2004 in trying to address the question what exactly are the changes in the music profession and, following from that question, how institutions can contribute to the development of young music students into responsible, pro-active and innovative practitioners. And from there questions have risen like what engaging with new audiences means for the different roles of musicians.