The next generation – A project at the Sibelius Academy that fosters interest in music, motivation and potential at an early age
Lecture
Sunday, 24th March, 9am-10:30am
This lecture presents a unique and innovative project at the Sibelius Academy that has been running for one year: The “Next Generation” project aims to support children with a special interest and motivation to play an instrument at an early stage of learning by creating a nurturing, inspiring environment where attention to socio-emotional needs is fundamental. The basic structural idea is to increase the number of instrumental lessons per week to give these children the space and freedom they need to learn.
The motivation for creating such a project stems from the recognition of the limited time resources available within the music education system for those young children who are highly motivated, learn quickly, and show signs of musical giftedness. The increase in teaching takes place not only within local music schools but also through cooperation between a higher education institution (specifically, the University of the Arts/Sibelius Academy) and local music schools (including the East Helsinki Music Institute, West Helsinki Music Institute, and Helsinki Conservatory of Music).
Lessons are provided by different teachers from the participating institutions, and pedagogy students (future teachers) are actively involved in the teaching activities. A desired side-effect of the project is better networking between these institutions.
About the speaker
Yvonne Frye, Violin
Yvonne Frye is a lecturer in violin pedagogy and violin at the University of the Arts Helsinki (Sibelius Academy). She is responsible for providing up-to-date, research-based violin pedagogy to equip the next generation of violin teachers. She also teaches violin at the East Helsinki Music Institute, working with both individual students and violin groups.
Yvonne is a regular speaker and workshop leader on string pedagogy at various institutions, including ESTA branches, Hochschule für Musik Hans Eisler Berlin, HfMT Köln, HMTMH Hannover, Jacobs School of Music in the USA, Boston String Academy, Foji in Chile, AUSTA in Melbourne, Pretoria University in South Africa, and various locations in Poland, Spain, Greece, Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, and more. Additionally, she conducts chamber music workshops and masterclasses for young musicians around the world.
Yvonne studied violin at the Hochschule für Musik, Detmold, with Prof. Helge Slaatto and John Lambos, graduating with a Diploma of Violin Pedagogy. She continued her artistic studies at the Kärtner Landeskonservatorium in Austria with Prof. Helfried Fister. Before moving to Finland, Yvonne worked as a freelance musician (e.g., Detmolder Kammerorchester, Kourion Orchester Münster) and violin pedagogue in Germany.
Her teaching philosophy is shaped by constant reflection on the diverse needs of learners in an ever-changing world. She focuses on supporting self-efficacy, self-reflective learning strategies, effective practicing, student motivation, and the impact of skillful feedback. Yvonne’s approach is informed by research in music education, educational psychology, and the evolving field of instrumental pedagogy.