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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

KovsieFit caters for all
2016-05-30


KovsieFit offers a new service to students and staff for keeping fit. Photo: Charl Devenish

Students on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS) can now work in a gym session between classes, and staff can do the same before or after work.

This is due to KovsieFit, a commercial gymnasium, which will be taking in its first members on 30 May 2016. The gym is located in the Callie Human Centre and is a project which has been a long-time dream for the UFS.

UFS boasts three gymnasiums

For the last couple of months, a lot of hard work went on behind the scenes. Kobus Calldo, conditioning coach at KovsieSport, says everybody involved with the process is happy that KovsieFit is a reality. According to him KovsieFit “is looking good and everybody involved is very satisfied” with the final product.

KovsieFit will be open Mondays to Fridays from 05:30 to 19:30, and on Saturdays from 07:00 to 11:00. Prospective members will have to undergo health screenings before they may join. KovsieFit also has lockers available. The gym will be managed by a committee.

The High Performance Centre of the UFS, where athletes and sports teams are training, is located next to KovsieFit. At the beginning of the year, KovsieSport’s offices also moved to the Callie Human Centre. A third gymnasium, the Sports Science Centre – the former Biokinetics gymnasium – is located next to the Mabaleng Building. This will mainly be used as a rehabilitation centre.

Service to university community

According to Calldo KovsieFit caters for all and offers the same service to its members as any other commercial gymnasium. The target mark is primarily students and staff, and then the rest of the city.

“It is cheaper and conveniently close to the residences for students on campus. Staff members can have a gym session during lunch or before or after work.”

Wide variety of exercises

“We offer spinning, pilates, aerobic, zumba, and all those type of classes too. We will start with four classes a day until business picks up,” Calldo says.

KovsieFit also offers aerobic apparatus such as treadmills, rowers, and electric bicycles. A gymnasium circuit, two Olympic platforms, and different types of weights and machines are also available.

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