Local learners jet off to Norway for music programme
Around 100 learners and staff will participate in short and long-term mobility and academic and practice-based learning in South Africa and Norway.
Hoërskool Birchleigh has collaborated with the Field Band Foundation to offer learners music lessons.
Through this collaboration, a former Hoërskool Birchleigh learner, Mbalenhle Heita and current Grade 10 learner, Karabo Mangoale, will fly to Norway for the Chords of Community programme.
Chords of Community will work towards two overarching and related aims.
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The first is to strengthen the quality of Higher Music Education (HME) in South Africa and Norway through international cooperation between academic and non-academic partners, students and staff and development of research-based and research-integrated educational programmes.
The second aim is to strengthen the relevance of HME programmes by dealing better with societal challenges of diversity, inclusion and intercultural, and educate music practitioners to plan and facilitate inclusive, sustainable and high-quality music education for young people and the communities involved.
Field Band CEO Wilna de Beer said she is proud of the learners and hopes they will live within the purpose of Chords of Community, which is to exchange culture.
“We are proud of the two girls and they will be exposed to a different culture and, as Chords of Community purposes a cultural exchange.
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“I hope they will bring back their learning experience and encourage others.
“We hope to send more learners and band members on this exchange in the future,” de Beer said.
This year will be the first time the Field Band Foundation sends learners to Chords of Community.
The trip to Norway has four project-specific goals that the Field Band Foundation wishes to reach and achieve.
The first is to increase intercultural competence in inclusive music education through learner and staff mobility.
Around 100 learners and staff will participate in short and long-term mobility and academic and practice-based learning in South Africa and Norway.
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The second goal is to develop course modules on inclusive music education and intercultural competence, resulting in a joint digital, international course module, continuing education for music practitioners and revised.
The third goal is to conduct collaborative and integrated research, both international senior researcher collaboration and student-staff collaboration, resulting in a deeper understanding of inclusive music education practices and the competencies needed to create them.
The fourth goal is to develop arenas for sharing knowledge and experience between academic and non-academic partners, including online seminars and a new International Week at The Norwegian Academy of Music (NMH) in Oslo.
Heita and Mangoale said they knew about the trip to Norway for the Chords of Community programme but they did not expect to be chosen to participate.
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Heita said when she heads to Norway it would be the first flight she had ever taken.
“I have never been abroad before; I haven’t even been to Cape Town. I am so excited to go to Norway.“
“I knew there was a programme that flew us to Norway but I always thought that we would go as a team but to my surprise, they only selected the two of us.
“I honestly cannot wait because I always knew I would go far with Field Band, but not as far as to another country, let alone another continent,” Heita said.
Mangoale who has been with Field Band for almost three years, said she did not expect to be chosen.
“I was very excited when I was told they selected me to go to Norway. I didn’t expect to be the one to travel to Norway.
“I am expecting to learn their ways of teaching and learn new ways of playing my instrument.
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“My expectations are for me to have a great trip, meet people, learn their cultures, introduce them to our cultures, and show them Field Band values and cultures,“ she said.
The school’s principal, Carmen Govender, said she was proud of Heita and Mangoale.
“This is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and remarkable talent.
“The two girls will embark on their journey to learn and grow, but return to transform lives and inspire change in others. They will make a difference to their community by sharing what they have learnt,” said Govender.
