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11 February 2018 Photo Supplied
New book establishes link between spirituality and music education
Dr Anchen Froneman and Gerda Pretorius, lecturers from the Odeion School of Music

A recently released book, Spirituality and Music Education: Perspectives from Three Continents, includes the work of two renowned lecturers from the Odeion School of Music at the University of the Free State. Both Dr Anchen Froneman and Gerda Pretorius contributed their passion and research to this publication that is described as follows by editor June Boyce-Tillman: “The book aims to provide various perspectives on spirituality and the link thereof to music education.”

Born to communicate musically and spiritually

“I do not attempt to link music with religious experiences,” Pretorius says, “but rather with feelings and experiences of delight, transformation, and aliveness … to name a few.” Her years as a music teacher sparked her interest in parent-infant musical communication. Achieving spirituality in music education is not easily reached, because it requires a complex learning and developmental process, Pretorius explains. “But in infancy, the process happens naturally.” By way of community programmes, she would like to inform parents about the potential benefits of natural music-making processes at home.

“The book aims to provide
various perspectives on spirituality
and the link thereof
to music education.”
—June Boyce-Tillman

How music makes you move

Dr Froneman focuses on the music performers and their experiences. “I researched a context for aesthetic experience and spiritual experiences before I questioned expert musicians about their experiences, especially during chamber music performances. In this context, aesthetic experiences provide meaning to the performer and included feelings like exhilaration, satisfaction and inspiration. Within my research, spiritual experiences are not necessarily related to religion, but rather an experience of an imaginary realm.”

Dr Froneman credits her study of Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis for her interest in the close link between your inner intent (emotions, feelings) and outer manifestations (movement, gestures). “Expert musicians always seem so invested and engaged in the music-making process,” she explains. “My interest is to uncover the nature of experiences during the music-making process, rather than the actual music created.”

News Archive

Disaster risk management centre of the UFS serves on UN specialist committee
2015-06-26

Dr Andries Jordaan
Photo: Supplied

The Director of the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC) at the University of the Free State, Dr Andries Jordaan, has been invited to serve on a UN special committee by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Dr Jordaan took part in the Expert Workshop on Climate Resilience in Geneva, Switzerland, on 22-23 June 2015.

In preparation for COP 21, which takes place later this year in Paris, the United Nations must draw up a situation report for a universal climate agreement between all the world’s nations. In order to advise the United Nations and the Secretary-General, and to prepare for the UN’s resilience initiative that will be launched during this important international gathering, a small  team of approximately 20 experts and scientists from all over the world have been chosen to review the concept of the project. This group of experts will help to revise the original concept for the project.

According to Dr Jordaan, the Sectretary-General of the UN will be launching a ‘resilience initiative’ that is aimed at promoting resilience in climate-related risks.

Jordaan says it is an honour for him to represent the UFS and DiMTEC on such a specialist committee. “For me, it is recognition of the contribution we make in Africa and the world to disaster risk and climate adaptation,” he says.

DiMTEC is proud to be at the forefront of disaster management training in Africa. The centre has close ties with institutions of the United Nations, such as UNU-EHS, UNU-Flores UNOOSA, UNSPIDER, UNEASCO, UNEP, UNCCD, UNISDR and UNDP, among others.

DiMTEC strives to inform the public about disaster risk reduction through education. The centre’s master’s and post-graduate degrees in disaster management, as well as short courses and research, are of the highest standard.

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