On March 20th to 23rd 2019 eight representatives of Serbian academic project partners (University of Arts in Belgrade, University of Novi Sad and University of Kragujevac) were guests of the New Bulgarian University (NBU) from Sofia, Bulgaria.
This study visit was organized as the part of WP1.2. – Preparation and Analysis: Study visits to EU HEIs, focused on reviewing EU partners’ study programmes dealing with music in digital environments and entrepreneurship.
During the two-days representatives of the Faculty of Music University of Arts in Belgrade (Prof. Dr. Ivana Perković, Assoc. Prof. Ivan Brkljačić DMA, Prof. Vladimir Cvijić, DMA and Prof. Dr. Gordana Karan), Academy of Arts University of Novi Sad (Assoc. Prof. Ivan Kljajić, Lect. Filip Kuranji) and the Faculty of Philology and Arts University of Kragujevac (Prof. Zoran Komadina Mmus, Ass. Prof. Dr. Biljana Mandić) were given the on-site presentation of the NBU with the visit to the university campus and facilities (music training hall, theatre, library, gallery), and detailed tours of the tone studio, music and recording studio, computer teaching rooms, music production hall, TV studio, digital laboratories. They visited the School of Distance, Digital and Continuing education, took part in presentations of the study programmes and got introduced to the use of Moodle platform in teaching and learning.
On the morning of the first day of the visit (21.3.) the guests from Serbia were greeted by Prof. Dr. Milena Shushulova-Pavlova, Head of the Department of Music, Production and Management Courses and DEMUSIS contact person, and Dr. Natalia Afayan, Lecturer in Voice. After the welcoming addresses and on-site presentation of the New Bulgarian University, the rest of the first day was dedicated to the meetings with professors in charge of study programmes related to the use of digital technology music and arts, and working with Moodle.
In the first session (10:00-13:00), Ch. Prof. Dr. Rossitsa Becheva, responsible for Sound Studio "Stanislav Stanchev-Stanley", presented Digital arts and sound design study programme, and talked about her work in the field of electronic and computer music, methodology of synthesizer training and electronic music interpretation, the integration of music and new computer technologies in the field of keyboard pedagogy and interpretation, and musical-hearing education in various musical-theoretical disciplines. Prof. Dr. Simo Lazarov, director of Sound Studio "Stanislav Stanchev-Stanley", presented courses on sound engineering and electronic music at the Music Academy, Technical and Sofia's Universities, and a new course "Computer Systems and Technologies in the Music". This session concluded Assoc. Prof. Dimitar Vassilev, lecturer in Sound Engineering, presenting computer programs used in sound engineering programmes, and Dr. Ani Lincheva, program consultant, talking about the student musicals.
At the afternoon session (13:00-17:00), Ch. Prof. Dr. Stella Atanasova, director of computer courses at NBU, talked about the problem of sound in computer games, Program consultant Ch. Prof. Dr. Margarita Krasteva-Stoichevska and composer Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Petkov, conductor of the University Choir "Folk-Jazz Formation” of NBU, presented the use of Moodle in lectures and as virtual collaborative pianist respectively. These presentations were followed by meetings with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgi Arnaudov, deputy-rector for the scientific and creative activities of the NBU and Ch. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Trendafilov, assistant rector of the international business of the NBU, during which management of the NBU was discussed. At the end of the afternoon, Prof. Dr. Milena Shushulova-Pavlova and Dr. Natalia Afeyan led the NBU campus tour which included visit to the Tone and Television studio, Museum, Gallery, Library, Theater, Music Training Halls, etc.
The morning of the second day, March 22nd, was reserved for the tour of facilities relevant for the DEMUSIS project and equipment overview in Music and Recording Studio, Specialized computer teaching rooms and Music Production Halls, and especially of Tone studio (29, Velcho Atanasov Str) where Kiril Yanev, music producer and lecturer in Sound Engineering, presented Tone Studio equipment, equipment for sound recording and production, software, 5.1 and 7.1. Systems, 3D sound, sound levels, etc. In the afternoon the emphasis was put on presentations of the study programs and courses, not presented on the day before – Sound engineering and music management, Sound design and new media, Music technology, Digital media and culture – along with the overview of equipment vital for their realization. Presenters were: Prof. Susanna Klincharova (Classical Music and Digitization), Lecturer of Sound Engineering Dr. Emil Traychev (Computer programs for arranging, digitization of musical productions), Ch. Prof. Dr. Stella Atanasova, director of computer courses at NBU (Computer music, Computer skills on PC and Mac, Sound design, PC skills for musicians, Editing of the sound), Prof. Elisaveta Valchinova-Chendova (Music management and production), Ch. Prof. Dr. Evelina Hristova, PR lecturer at NBU (PR in Music), and Ch. Prof. Dr. Encho Naydenov, lecturer of Photography and Digitization (Music Production). A visit to the School of distance, digital and continuing education was organized as well were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ventzislav Dzhambazov, the Dean of the School, and Martin Stoyanov, presented organization of LLL courses.
All presentations and meetings included inspiring Q&A sessions.
In effect, the emphasis of the whole study visit laid on personal contact between Serbian and Bulgarian colleagues, lively discussions covering wide range of topics, many of which outside of the meeting agenda, along with exchanges of experiences and good teaching practices.
Additional program included visit to the concert of Sofia Philharmonic in the evening of March 21st (Bulgaria Hall, 19:00 h, 1, Aksakov Str., Sofia) featuring Mario Hossen, professor of violin at the NBU, as soloist.
