Music is the way to grow – Music education in Finland today focuses on the student

When reading the National Biography’s entry about Soili Perkiö, the living legend of Finnish music education, I begin to feel dizzy just seeing her list of publications. How is it possible for one person to achieve so much in a lifetime? The answer is simple: this pedagogue with a decades-long career at the Sibelius Academy, beloved composer, enthusiastic collector of instruments and active member of various associations, is someone who gets fired up through working with others.

The new National Core Curriculum for Basic Education in the Arts in Finland was adopted two years ago. This represented a considerable upheaval for music institutes; for instance, the level performance examinations that were standard for a long time have been largely discontinued. The reform facilitated developments that many had hoped for and also helped music institutes understand their operations in new ways. How has all this worked in practice, and what experiences have been gained?

Music playschool, or “muskari” in Finnish, is an iconic element of the Finnish music education system, and the most popular pastime for children under school age in Finland. Technically, it is goal-oriented music-based early childhood education that provides developmental support by means of music. But does this Finnish concept translate into other cultures? Oh yes! This article tells the story of WolofMuskari, a music playschool that merges Finnish music education with the all-encompassing music-making typical of West African cultures.

Sakari Oramo is one of Finland’s international star conductors and is known for his extended engagements with orchestras and for his sense of responsibility. During the Year of the Coronavirus, his duties with his orchestras in London and Stockholm were suspended almost completely, but his new job as Professor of Orchestral Training and Orchestra Conducting with the world-famous conducting class of the Sibelius Academy has kept him busy. Here, he is responsible not only for Finland’s reputation in orchestra conducting but also for our standard of orchestral playing, which has recently become a cause for concern.

Sofie Lithenius (1847–1926) was a prolific and energetic primary school teacher and composer who played a unique role in the history of Finnish vocal music and music education.

When the Government shut down contact teaching in Finland because of the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, music institutes also suspended their operations on site and went virtual. From the outside, it seemed that music institute teaching went online with amazing speed and ease. Yet this ease could not have been achieved without a huge amount of sweat and toil behind the scenes.

The Sámi people, whose home region, Sápmi, stretches over the northern parts of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia, are the only indigenous people within the European Union area. Music education in the Sápmi region has come forward in leaps and bounds over the past 15 years.

When instrument lessons were abruptly converted into remote teaching in Helsinki in March 2020, drummer and drum teacher Tommi Rautiainen decided to invite guest teachers to his courses. Soon his students found themselves receiving coaching from international drummer legends.

Composing music is a discipline traditionally veiled in mystery. It is commonly believed that composers are born, not made, or at the very least they must discover a passionate calling for composing at an early age. Composing has also been regarded as the exclusive privilege of highly trained professional composers. Finland’s new National Core Curricula have introduced another perspective on composition. The opus1.fi databank provides teaching materials and support for the new needs of introductory teaching of composition