MY MOBILITY FOR TEACHING: Miloš Mihajlović
Miloš Mihajlović
University of Arts in Belgrade, Faculty of Music
Erasmus+ Mobility for Teaching at:
Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek
Between May the 19th and 24th 2024, I conducted a piano master class at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek. I worked with five participants through individual lessons, which afforded me the opportunity to address each of them separately and independently.
For years, I have maintained the stance that contemporary piano playing lacks individuality. Significant progress has been achieved in this regard with my students at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade through the cultivation of this very aspect. My aim was to “open the doors” for the students in Osijek and present, through both theoretical and practical examples, a range of possibilities that would be available to them if they considered the broader perspective.
In piano pedagogy, various methods have been developed over the decades. While some have been more successful than others, it is a fact that each performer is a unique individual, and it is practically impossible to apply one method universally to everyone. The persistent emphasis on universally accepted “rules” over the decades has led to a situation where the piano as an instrument today sounds remarkably similar across different performers. The number of new young performers with a distinctive personal touch, like Vladimir Horowitz, Arthur Rubinstein, and others, is negligible.
I placed primary emphasis on getting to know the students. I aimed to understand how their awareness perceives music itself, how they express their observations about the world around them, and from this, I developed a clearer understanding of how to awaken and cultivate the individual expression each of them possesses. I am very pleased that they responded very positively to this approach. I would not single out anyone individually, as the subject is such that there is no objective measure of individuality; however, with the first subsequent performance of the same piece initially presented to me, they expressed their feelings in a noticeably more precise manner. At that moment, not in the role of a professor but rather as an intended “listener” wanting to sense their emotion, a spectrum of their initial feelings was significantly clearer.
Certainly, with some of them, I also worked on practical examples of piano practice models that would enhance their technical skills, which are fundamentally necessary for any emotional “expression” to be successfully conveyed.
I am highly satisfied with the achieved goal of successfully presenting specific observations to these wonderful young individuals. The entire stay in Osijek proceeded flawlessly. The organization was impeccable, and I am particularly pleased that everyone around me was interested in and eager for information about the work at my home institution (Faculty of Music in Belgrade). I am especially grateful to Professor Mia Elezović, whose assistance and organization ensured that my visit and stay in Osijek were so well coordinated. I certainly look forward to future collaborations.
