Open Creation

The Open Creation Major thoroughly prepares students for a career in analogue, digital and media music creation and performance. It equips them with the design, technical and logistical skills to pursue, reflect on, market and professionally document their own artistic projects. One-on-one classes with our globally connected teaching staff from a wide range of creative backgrounds and artistic disciplines offer students a broad-based learning experience which is free from aesthetic bias and centred around collaboration. The Open Creation Major graduates leave with a ready-made network of contacts, including sonic space basel's national and international project partners, which will give them a valuable head start in their transition from college life to the professional world.

The Open Creation Major in the FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Musical Performance is aimed at student creatives who hold at least a Bachelor's degree (or similar qualification) in instrumental or vocal performance, composition, improvisation, audio design (or related electronic music studies), performance art, or another related field.

The Open Creation Major prepares students for a career in analogue/digital and media music creation and performance which transcend geographical, stylistic and aesthetic boundaries. It equips them with the skills and knowledge they need to carve out a distinctive place within the analogue and/or digital music industry as highly professional and original creative performers, transnational artists, curators or festival organisers.

The core curriculum is divided into three parts:

• Major A:
  Improvisation, composition, contemporary performance or open art formats*
• Major B: 
  Improvisation, composition, contemporary performance or open art formats*
• Semester project/Master's project

Successful applicants choose their Major A subject as well as their lead tutor in consultation with the Master's programme director. It should be noted that students may not change this choice at any point during their studies. In contrast, they can switch from one Major B subject to another every semester; the chosen Major B subject must not be the same as the student's Major A subject. Teaching is provided by lecturers from sonic space basel and the FHNW School of Art and Design.
Each semester, students must develop and complete an approximately 25-minute, original project for public presentation (a project budget will be provided). In the final semester, students will present their 45-minute Master's project.

Subjects such as context, practice, reflection and communication are taught within the complementary part of the Open Creation Major. Students can choose from an extensive range of electives, which allow them not only to build on their knowledge and skills in their preferred areas of specialisation and applications, but also to supplement the core content of their studies.

* = Electronics, media composition, sound art, sonic arts, open performance, sonic installation, etc.

Module description major A Improvisation
Module description major A Composition
Module description major A Contemporary Performance
Module description major A Open Art Formats
Module description major B Improvisation
Module description major B Composition
Module description major B Contemporary Performance
Module description major B Open Art Formats

Stucture MASP Open Creation

The FHNW Master of Arts in Specialised Musical Performance with an Open Creation Major is aimed at student creatives who hold at least a Bachelor's degree (or similar qualification) in instrumental or vocal performance, composition, improvisation, audio design (or equivalent electronic music qualification), performance art, or another related field.
Artistic autonomy is a prerequisite for admission to the Master's programme with an Open Creation Major. Applicants must demonstrate an ability to work in a transdisciplinary artistic environment and on interdisciplinary projects. Only applicants who have submitted the required registration documentation duly completed and on time will be invited to take the entrance examination (places on the programme are limited).

Procedure:   
The programme director oversees the aptitude test, which is generally held in either German or English. Video and/or sound recordings are not permitted.

Evaluation panel:
A member of university management, as well as one lecturer from each of the following fields: composition, improvisation, contemporary performance, audio design

Evaluation:
The evaluation panel is responsible for assessing the aptitude of applicants.

Evaluation panel decisions:
University management will inform applicants of the evaluation panel's decision at the end of the standard aptitude test.

Application details:
Document submissions (by PDF six weeks prior to the aptitude test)

• short personal statement
• motivation letter

Video/audio submissions (by PDF, Dropbox or similar, or YouTube six weeks prior to the aptitude test):

• portfolio that fully reflects the applicant's artistry and creative output, e.g. concerts/performances/improvisations (audio/video); music scores; analytical work; soundtracks; installations; documentation on earlier artistic projects.
• project proposal (max. project running time: 20–25 min). The applicant must present a project they would like to execute as part of the Open Creation Major. The proposal should detail the artistic goals of the project, the implementation process and the resources required (performers, audio, visuals etc.). Please note that the proposal must be submitted in video format (approx. running time: 5-7 min).    

Qualification interview:
After reviewing the submitted documentation, the evaluation panel will select the applicants it wishes to invite for an interview. These interviews will be held either in person or on Zoom.

Organisation:
Programme directors and student administration office

FHNW Acadmey of Art and Design, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Festival ZeitRäume, Museum Tinguely, Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Gare Du Nord, Haus der elektronischen Künste, Theater Basel, Ensembleakademie ‘impuls’, Paul Sacher Stiftung, Basel Sinfonietta, etc.

FHNW Academy of Music:
Sarah Maria Sun, Yaron Deutsch, Mike Svoboda, Marcus Weiss, Andrea Neumann, Johannes Kreidler, Michel Roth, Caspar Johannes Walter, Svetlana Maraš, Volker Böhm

Lecturers from the FHNW Academy of Art and Design

Director:
Uli Fussenegger

Jennifer Walshe, Enno Poppe, Patrick Frank, Isabelle Duthoit, Giorgio Netti, Simon Steen-Andersen, Hans Thomalla, Camilla Hoitenga, Christian Weber, Matthew Herbert, Georges Aperghis, Matthew Shlomowitz, Trio Catch, Beat Furrer, etc.

The following information can be found on the Valuable information about your studies page:

• Study Regulationn
• Scholarships and Living Costs
• Studying in Switzerland
• Tuition fees
• Study guide
• Semester dates