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When we look back on our achievements of the third quarter it feels like a dream come true!

[1] Colloquium: Prof Heidi Westerlund, Dr Sari Levänen and Dr Albi Odendaal ~ 11 August 2016

We had an extraordinary opportunity to meet and listen to Prof Heidi Westerlund (Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts, Helsinki) and Dr Sari Levänen (neuropsychologist in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District). They presented a colloquium on their ArtsEqual project. Dr Albi Odendaal is collaborating with them on this project. Prof Westerlund is often a keynote speaker at conferences and she is doing ground breaking research in music education.

Dr Sari Levänen, Dr Albi Odendaal, Prof Heidi Westerlund

Dr Sari Levänen (left), Dr Albi Odendaal (middle), Prof Heidi Westerlund (right)

 


[2] Postgraduate Open Day ~ 13 August 2016

Potential students were invited to the third NWU Open Day for postgraduate study. We enjoyed the morning on campus and the students made use of the opportunity to acquaint themselves with post-graduate (M&D) studies offered by the NWU.

Ms Retha Badenhorst with Dr Albi Odendaal

Ms Retha Badenhorst (left), librarian at the School of Music, with Dr Albi Odendaal (postgraduate programme leader)

Ms Catrien Wentink & Dr Santisa Viljoen

Ms Catrien Wentink (lecturer) & Dr Santisa Viljoen (senior lecturer)

Chris Norwie, Jaco Jacobs, Gerdus Steenberg, Monique Schoeman

Attending students having some fun at the poster gallery of what researchers in MASARA has to offer: (left to right) Chris Norwie, Jaco Jacobs, Gerdus Steenberg, Monique Schoeman

 


Prof Johathan L. Friedmann

[3] Colloquium: Prof Jonathan L. Friedmann ~ 25 August 2016

Jonathan L. Friedmann, PhD, is a Postdoctoral Fellow in MASARA. He presented a colloquium on Davidian Chant: A Musical Reading of the ‘Psalm of David’ Superscription.

 


[4] SASRIM Conference: Odeion School of Music, University of the Free State ~ 25-27 August 2016

The South African Society for Research in Music held its annual congress at the Odeion School of Music, University of the Free State. This year, they were celebrating the tenth anniversary of the society, as well as the centenary of the birth of South African composer Arnold van Wyk. The keynote speakers were Stephanus Muller (University of Stellenbosch) and Guthrie Ramsey (University of Pennsylvania).

Below are some presenters from MASARA:

Prof Daleen Kruger

Prof Daleen Kruger — Lyrical theology: Hymns of our times

Brett Pyper & Dr Chris van Rhyn

Panel discussion: Brett Pyper (left, Head of WITS School of Arts) & Dr Chris van Rhyn (right) — How African music has been “disciplined” or not at South African universities.

Monique Schoeman

Monique Schoeman (a final year BMus student) presented a poster. Her study is supervised by Prof Jaco Kruger — The construction of identity in cabaret burlesque dance: A case study

Dr Chris van Rhyn

Other attendees at SASRIM 2016: (left to right) Mareli Stolp (UNISA, SASRIM chairman) and the composers Lise Morrison (Bosch), Arthur Feder (Bosch), Dr Chris van Rhyn (NWU)

 


[5] Seminar: Prof June Boyce-Tillman ~ 30 August 2016

It was our great privilege to have Prof June Boyce-Tillman with us on 30 August. She presented some of her own work, and also listened to and commented on some of our students’ work. This seminar was open to all of our postgraduate students and provided a fantastic opportunity to get feedback from a world-renowned scholar.

Prof June Boyce-Tillman

Prof June Boyce-Tillman — When I grow down: Music and memory loss

Armand Moolman

Armand Moolman — Analytical perspectives on selected South African compositions, with a focus on aural sonology

Kathryn Ang

Kathryn Ang — Parent-teacher relationships in group music lessons: a collective case study

Jana Mathee

Jana Mathee —Vocalists’ experience of being accompanied by professional pianists: a hermeneutic phenomenology

Ewie Erasmus

Ewie Erasmus — Explaining how young adults with learning impairments learn life skills through music

Joy Meyer

Joy Meyer — Adapting the Suzuki method for three community music programmes in South Africa

Corlia Fourie

Corlia Fourie — The lived piano-playing experiences of an older adult

Prof Hetta Potgieter

Prof Hetta Potgieter — Spirituality and music: winged disciplines

 


Etienne Viviers

[6] Colloquium: Dr Etienne Viviers ~ 15 September 2016

Our new postdoctoral fellow, Dr Etienne Viviers, presented a very creative, relevant and interesting colloquium with the topic: Some thoughts on musical diversity and social well-being in #MustFall academic environments.

 


[7] WITS and NWU Symposium ~ 17 September 2016

The NWU School of Music had a combined research seminar with the School of Music, University of the Witwatersrand.

  • Monique Schoeman (BMus IV, NWU) — The construction of identity in cabaret burlesque dancing: a case study. [Supervisor: Prof Jaco Kruger]
  • Emeka Nzelu (Hons BA Mus, NWU) — The decolonisation of musical practice in the black congregation of RCSA: a case study. [Supervisor: Prof Daleen Kruger]
  • Eljé van der Walt (BMus IV, NWU) — Understanding students’ lived experiences of their teachers’ music education strategy in individual lessons. [Supervisor: Dr Mignon van Vreden]
  • Jaco Jacobs (BMus IV, NWU) — The application of Dalcroze-inspired activities in the young beginner’s piano lesson. [Supervisor: Dr Mignon van Vreden]
  • Chris Norwie (BMus IV, NWU) — Potchefstroom music teachers’ perceptions about technology in secondary school music theory teaching. [Supervisor: Dr Albi Odendaal]
  • Gerdus Steenberg (BMus IV, NWU) — The interpretation of Impundulu from “From the Poets” by Peter Klatzow: a critical hermeneutic analysis. [Supervisor: Dr Waldo Weyer]
  • Sibusiso Dlamini (MA, Wits) — Post-apartheid jazz pianism: a critical biography of Matshawandile Yenana.
  • Michelle Lubbe (PhD, Wits) — A critique of celebrity culture in the field of contemporary music theatre.

[8] Graduation ~ 27 September 2016

Engelette Kruger received her MMus degree. The title of her dissertation is: An exploration of transformative piano teaching in Pretoria: a case study. Dr Waldo Weyer was the supervisor and Dr Alvin Petersen the co-supervisor.

Engelette Kruger


Prof Jaco Kruger

[9] NRF rating ~ 30 September 2016

We finish the third quarter on a high note with the wonderful news that Prof Jaco Kruger received an NRF rating.