Courses

For music professionals to develop professionally, they need not only technical skills but also so-called key competences. As well as the ability to organise oneself in order to achieve one’s goals, it is also necessary to be aware of the wider context in which one’s professional activities take place, and how to conduct oneself and present oneself professionally within that context.
This introductory seminar focuses not only on highly practical topics such as self-organisation, time management, communication and self-presentation, but above all on discussing opportunities for personal development: for example, dealing with one’s own strengths and weaknesses, and setting priorities and personal goals. Furthermore, an initial overview of the cultural scene in Germany provides scope for discussion on current challenges and trends in the music industry.

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For music professionals to develop their careers, they need not only technical skills but also so-called key competences. As well as the ability to organise oneself in order to achieve one’s goals, it is also necessary to be aware of the wider context in which one’s professional activities take place, and how to conduct oneself and present oneself professionally within that context.
Building on the Self-Management seminar, which focuses on highly personal issues, this seminar aims to provide concrete ideas for implementation with a view to future career opportunities. Topics such as self-promotion, networking, creativity, concept development and project management are addressed and demonstrated in a practical manner using model projects.

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Whether it’s a concert programme, a project proposal, a biography, a website or social media – writing is now an integral part of musicians’ everyday working lives. Well-written texts spark curiosity, convey artistic ideas and forge connections with the audience. The skills required for this can be learnt.
In this writing workshop, students will learn methods of creative and professional writing and put them into practice through practical exercises. They will develop their own linguistic style and gain confidence in writing about music, artistic projects and their own work. The aim is to produce authentic, concise and compelling texts for a variety of formats and occasions.

Topics:

• Creative and professional writing
• Writing about music and concerts
• Artistic biographies and artist statements
• Project descriptions and concert concepts
• Programme notes and concert announcements
• Writing style, storytelling and writing tailored to specific audiences
• Feedback, revision and writing practice

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Do I really need my own website? Which social media channels are right for me? And how can I use my digital channels in a way that truly suits me? These are precisely the questions we’ll be exploring in depth in our seminar ‘Communicate Better – Your Online Presence as a Musician’.
Together, we’ll find out how you can take control of your digital presence and shape it in an authentic way. Whether it’s Instagram, YouTube, a newsletter or your own website – every platform offers exciting opportunities to showcase yourself and your music, connect with people and grow your community.
In the seminar, we’ll look at various digital formats, explore their strengths and discuss what suits you and your target audience. Through workshops and discussions, we’ll develop practical ideas on how you can implement your digital activities creatively and effectively.

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The seminar Music Education – Creative Concert Studies combines music education with the perspectives of Creative Concert Studies. Taking music itself as their starting point, students explore contemporary concert and educational formats and examine how performance, space, staging and concert design shape musical experiences and facilitate dialogue with different audience and stakeholder groups.
Using examples from concerts, rehearsals, workshops and participatory projects, students become familiar with different approaches to music education as well as current developments in concert design. The seminar combines artistic practice with theoretical reflection and encourages the development of students’ own artistic, educational and performative approach.

Topics:

• Music Education and Creative Concert Studies
• Performance, space, staging, concert design and innovative concert formats
• Music education in various contexts (including orchestras, musical theatre, schools, festivals and the independent scene)
• Diversity, inclusion, participation, transculturality and audience development
• Current developments and international perspectives

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For musicians, collaborating with colleagues and partners in an international context is part of everyday life. Successful intercultural communication is a prerequisite for this, but can often be perceived as a challenge. Intercultural misunderstandings can, for example, lead to conflicts within a quartet or an orchestra, which can undermine successful collaboration. The aim of the seminar is to deepen participants’ understanding of their own and other cultures and to develop solutions to culturally-related problems.
The course is primarily aimed at students who wish to acquire knowledge in the field of team development for professional roles in internationally active musical ensembles. Upon completion, students will be able to reflect on their own values and patterns of behaviour and counteract standardisation and stereotyping. They will be able to independently develop ideas for potential changes.

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This seminar aims to help participants bring their own artistic ideas, dreams and visions closer to realisation. This could involve setting up your own business, organising festivals or founding an ensemble – there are no limits to the imagination! With the help of basic project management knowledge, the course will systematically focus on bringing these ideas to life. What matters most is the determination and passion to achieve one’s goals, for, as the Hamburg-based musician and cultural manager Herrmann Rauhe said, ‘Only those who burn with passion themselves can ignite others.’ We would like to explore this quote and tap into our entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit.

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Stress is an inevitable part of studying music and life as a professional musician: exams, concerts, rehearsals, lessons, practising, competition, high expectations and uncertain career prospects – it all happens at once. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The pressure mounts. This course is about better understanding and making sense of stress, and managing it more effectively in your day-to-day study and work life.

• How can you recognise your personal stress patterns and how can you break out of them?
• How can you set sensible priorities, recognise your limits and use your resources wisely?
• How do you deal with the pressure to perform, expectations or the urge to compare yourself to others?
• How can you develop effective strategies to reduce the pressure in your life, ones that suit your way of working, your daily routine and your career goals?

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Starting out with resilience ‒ How to develop inner strength and future skills for your career

This programme focuses on the foundations of your artistic career – beyond technique and repertoire. You’ll develop resilience: the ability to deal constructively with uncertainty, change and setbacks. At the same time, you’ll practise essential future skills that are in greater demand than ever – in a music landscape that is more complex and uncertain, yet full of opportunities. 
You’ll learn to manage yourself, deal with stress intelligently and turn challenges into opportunities for personal growth. In this way, you’ll build inner stability that not only enhances your well-being, but also strengthens your artistic presence, creativity and freedom of choice.

Topics include:

• Putting the 7 factors of resilience into practice
• Strengthening self-management, reflective ability and emotional intelligence
• Dealing with crises, rejections, competition – and your own inner voice
• Flexibility and a willingness to learn as a superpower in an uncertain industry
• Resilience as a future skill: Why mental resilience is becoming a new factor for success

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How do you create a concert that both delights children and is artistically compelling? In this project, the students work together to develop a participatory concert format for children aged three to six. From the initial idea through the dramaturgical conception to the performance, they design a programme that takes the young audience’s perspective seriously and combines musical quality with creativity, a love of playing and interaction.
The concerts take place in a safe, child-friendly setting in the university’s Galakutschensaal II, which, with its seat cushions and open atmosphere, invites children to listen, discover and join in. Through this collaborative development process, the students contribute their artistic strengths, try out new ideas and gain practical experience in programme design, educational outreach and performance.

Topics:

• Development and implementation of a children’s concert (ages 3–6)
• Concert dramaturgy and participatory formats
• Music education for young children
• Performance, interaction and stage presence
• Artistic citizenship
• Concert design tailored to the target audience
• Creative concept development as a team
• Artistic practice, experimentation and reflection

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A practical seminar on feedback methodology and artistic leadership

What are our priorities, what is relevant, and how can we unlock potential in our artistic practice and collaboration? What kind of communication and feedback culture can and do we wish to establish and practise? What methodologies and approaches can support these processes?
This practical seminar explores individual and collective ways of working within artistic processes and projects. In particular, the seminar focuses on the aspects of ‘communication’ and ‘leadership’ in team and project work. Feedback is a core element of communication. It is an essential component of creative and working processes, as well as of leadership tasks in our everyday artistic and musical lives and creative work. What is particularly interesting is the diversity of possibilities and approaches.
During the block modules and project sessions, awareness of this is fostered, and specific feedback methodologies and practical tools are taught. These enable us to communicate effectively, to act with quality and motivation in our specific roles and situations, and to work and create together. The focus is always on the seminar participants’ respective interests and questions, your individual roles and practical projects. You will develop your own feedback formats and working methods. Where possible, we can invite artists from the Berlin scene who are of particular professional interest to the seminar and organise their participation jointly.

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A fairy tale, a children’s book, a novel and an operetta will serve as the basis for operas aimed at children and young people during the 2026/27 season. We will attend four productions (Hansel and Gretel, Pippi Longstocking, Around the World in 80 Days, Die Fledermaus for Children) at Berlin’s opera houses and explore their content and music.
Educational outreach aims to make a child’s first encounter with musical theatre as fascinating as possible. It creates a unique approach to opera as a total work of art and facilitates a direct and fruitful dialogue with the audience. In future, artists from all disciplines will be increasingly called upon in the field of educational outreach to contribute their ideas, skills and connections to their own professions.
To provide the necessary tools, the seminar combines participatory concepts, theatrical and musical methods, group dynamics exercises and musicological analysis with visits to performances and critical reflection.

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How can students use artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly as a learning tool? Here, they will not only learn about the capabilities and limitations of modern AI systems, but also about scientifically proven learning methods such as active recall, spaced repetition and the Feynman technique. Through practical exercises, participants will discover how AI promotes understanding, supports critical thinking and enables long-term learning – rather than simply providing quick answers. 

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Mandatory subject in the Pedagogy I focus area, elective course

In this seminar, we approach the instrumental pedagogical basics of teaching in a practical and theoretical manner. Starting with didactic basics and incorporating learning and developmental psychology theories, we take on the role of teachers and conduct our first attempts at teaching and group leadership in the protected environment of the seminar in the form of microteaching. Detailed reflection and feedback training provide an opportunity to (further) develop ideas about one's own role in teaching situations and to acquire essential skills in this diverse professional field for musicians.

Mandatory subject in the Pedagogy I focus area, elective course

In this advanced pedagogy seminar, we address various questions: the significance of music for humans; the development of musical abilities and skills; motivation, talent and support; the development of successful teacher-learner relationships and contemporary role descriptions for teachers/facilitators; and the socio-political relevance of music education and our opportunities as musicians/facilitators/teachers to actively participate in social developments. Based on the interests of the students, who actively contribute to the sessions with inputs (presentations) and practical experiments, practical topics such as practising, teaching specific target groups, group lessons, teaching language and non-verbal communication are also included in the semester plan.