Contemporary and Rhythm Music

Professional development educational program Contemporary Rhythm Music (20P21209) (paid program).

RCCS was the first school in Latvia to develop and implement a professional development (or evening) educational program Contemporary Rhythm Music in 2003. The program has been very succesful and spots on it have been highly sought after. The duration of studies in the program is 2 years.

Admissions take place every 2 years, after the previous’ students of the two-year course have graduated. Curriculum: improvisation, jazz theory, jazz solfeggio, jazz and rock music history, compulsory percussion, piano and ensemble (jazz band) studies and practice, arrangement. After their studies in the program, the students receive a certificate stating that they have finished this professional development program. Students of all ages with preliminary knowledge in music can enroll in the Contemporary Rhythm Music program.

Admissions tests include a test on the basics of music (solfeggio, harmony), a test in specialty and piano. The program was designed and is updated according to the situation in the Latvian music market and the international experience in the development of such educational programs. At the core of the program is the aim to comprehensively prepare the student for work in today’s music market, promote the development of jazz and other contemporary music genres to a professional level, as well as develop mutually beneficial contacts between artists in Latvia and abroad.

Since autumn 2003, RCCS’ Contemporary Rhythm Music program has been a member if the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ). The cooperation with IASJ has already provided the school with numerous international connections, and collaborative projects with a number of Jazz schools in European countries (Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark) have been started up. These projects include further education and distance learning of teachers and students, exchange trips, concerts and workshops. The manager of Contemporary Rhythm Music program participated in IASJ’s first jazz education conference in The Hague (the Netherlands) in November 2003, and a delegation from the Contemporary Rhythm Music program, which included both teachers and students, participated in the annual IASJ Jazz School seminar in Freiburg (Germany). In 2005, RCCS hosted the visit of Karlheinz Miklin – the president of IASJ – to Latvia. The students of RCCS’s Jazz department have participated in IASJ seminars in Krakow (Poland) in 2005 and Siena (Italy) in 2007.

Teaching is provided by Latvia’s leading jazz musicians – Inga Berzina, Talis Gzibovskis, Indrikis Veitners, Madars Kalnins, Zigmunds Zukovskis, Andrejs Jevsjukovs, Raitis Asmanis, Ugis Praulins, etc.

Because of the professional level and the active artistic work of the teachers, the learning process is closely tied to practice – one of this educational programme’s objectives. A close cooperation with other schools of similar profile in Latvia has been established (Latvian Academy of Music, Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy), as well as a long-standing cooperation with jazz schools abroad (Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, as well as Estonia and Lithuania).

Programme Manager – Aivars Krastins.