1. Description
Practicum Musicae (PM) offers multi-talented university students the possibility to nourish and explore their musicality at the [Royal Conservatoire](http://www.koncon.nl/nl/ "Koninklijk Conservatorium") (RC) in The Hague. You can use your EC, obtained at the KC, to fill in all your optional subjects at the UL.
In this program you’ll follow individual lessons with teachers from the Royal Conservatoire to improve your playing, singing or composing. Next to these individual lessons, you’ll follow a Music theory class and coaching’s to help you develop your repertoire-skills.
Via PM, you can develop yourself broadly, both academically as musically.
Practicum Musicae is a program of the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (ACPA). ACPA is the link between the University of Leiden and the University of the Arts The Hague, which consists of the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire. For more info about ACPA.
The departments in which you can study via PM are:
Classical Music (all instruments)
Vocal (singing and choir conducting)
Jazz (all instruments including jazz-singing)
Early Music
Composition
Sonology
2. Structure
The entire PM-program takes three years, carries 30 EC and consists of three levels: PM1 (10 EC), PM2 (10EC) and PM3 (10EC). You can also choose to participate in the program for only one, or two years.
Practicum Musicae has the following elements:
- Individual main subject lessons: 50 minutes per week (32 weeks a year), by a teacher from the Royal Conservatoire. Which will be tested in the end of the year in an exam (7 EC, PM1 and PM2. 10 EC, PM3).
- Ensemble playing: Coachings or Duo class: 12,5 min per week for students of the Classical department, Early Music, Jazz-singing and Vocal department. SJazz-musicians participate in a Combo.
The Coach helps you to master your repertoire-skills and to improve your playing/singing with accompaniment. Duo class teaches pianists how to accompany a singer.
The student and teacher can agree to have either a session once every two weeks (25 minutes), or once a month (50 minutes).
These Ensemble-playing lessons are part of your main subject and judged as such on your tentams. Classical Pianists get 5 minutes of extra time on their exams to show their duo-skills.
- Elementary Music Theory (EMT): 75 minutes per week (3EC). A group lesson for the basics of music theory. PM strives to improve the theoretical level of all students and looks for a tailor-made solution for all participants. The more advanced students follow a different program.
After successfully participating in the PM program, you’ll receive a certificate from the Royal Conservatoire.
3. Admission requirements
In order to be admitted to PM, students will be required to audition in front of a small committee of Royal Conservatoire tutors. During the audition the committee determines whether the student displays satisfactory levels of motivation, musical skill and innate ability.
The committee is responsible for deciding whether or not the student can be admitted to the programme.
Auditions for the following academic year take place in the month April during the previous academic year. The deadline for application is March 1st. In some cases an exception can be made on this deadline. Please contact the PM-coördinator if you want to apply later.
In order to avoid any unnecessary disappointment, a preselection applies. Students who want to apply, will be requested to upload a motivation letter, a musical resume and a pdf with links to three video recordings of different style periodes, languages (Vocal) or 'feel' (Jazz). The classical musicians need to show one video of an etude. Composers have to upload three partituras and Sonologists only have to upload the motivation form.
After the pre-selection you might be invited to the live auditions. You may prepare the same repertoire as on your video's and the singers need to prepare a poem as well.
Check the website of the [Royal Conservatoire](http://www.koncon.nl/nl/ "Koninklijk Conservatorium") for more ideas about the repertoire to play on your audition.
AttentionDue to Covid-19 the selction procedure may differ from the one described above. The LIVE-auditions may be replaced by a virtual audition, or the committee might decide to use your pre-selection video for the main round of auditions as well. All departments have a certain amount of liberty in how they approach the auditions. There is one common rule and that is the pre-selection video. Make sure this video shows your best playing.
The entrance level is comparable to the Royal Conservatoire's Preparatory Course, this means you have to show in your audition, that you could reach the level of a bachelor entrance exam within three years. Many PM students perform at a higher level when auditioning.
Since PM is very popular, there is a quotum. A maximum of 76 students in total is accepted for the course. This means, only the best applicants will be accepted. After the audition you will be given a mark. Students with a mark higher than an 8,5 will be accepted straight away. Students with a 6 or lower, will be rejected straight away and the students in between have to wait until June 1st for their results. These marks are for internal use only and will not be communicated to the students.
4. Mode of instruction
Main subject: private lessons
Ensembleplaying: individual/duo
Music theory (EMT): seminar
5. Timetable
PM lessons and seminars take place throughout the first as well as the second semester. The individual lessons, including the coachings/combo's or duo lessons, are scheduled in consultation between student and tutor.
Music theory seminars (EMT) are offered multiple times throughout the week. Students can apply for the lesson time that best works within their Leiden University study schedule. You will be able to subscribe in August. The PM-coordinator will send you the details by mail.
All instruction takes place at the Royal Conservatoire (Juliana van Stolberglaan 1, Den Haag; at walking distance from Den Haag Central Station), or virtually via Teams.
To apply for your lessons, please check your KonCon-mail as soon as you can. The contact details of your teachers will be send to that address.
6. Assessment method
A single year of PM is concluded with an main subject exam in front of a small committee of tutors. The exam takes 15 minutes, or 20 minutes for pianist/harpsicord-players and takes place in May or June. The musical programme is compiled in consultation with the student's main subject tutor.
Musical theory 1 (EMT 1) is concluded with a written exam in May of June.
7. Honours trajectory
It is possible to take a PM Honours Trajectory. For more information, please visit Practicum Musicae Honours College.
8. Registration and information
In case you wish to apply to the PM programma, please send an email with a short introduction of yourself to:
The PM coordinator PM@Koncon.nl
Applications can be sent until 1 March 2020, applying after this date is only possible in exceptional cases.
9. Remarks
Only Leiden University students can participate in the Practicum Musicae programme.
If you would like to take Practicum Musicae in the free elective space of your Bachelor curriculum and you would like to use the obtainable study credits (10 EC per year each for PM1, PM2 and PM3) as such, please request permission from your Bachelor study programme’s Board of Examiners before the start of the PM programme. This is necessary because Practicum Musicae is a set of elective courses, not a minor.
For all other elective courses on music, fine arts and design, please visit: [Keuzevakken muziek en beeldende kunsten](https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/academy-of-creative-and-performing-arts/tuition "Keuzevakken muziek en beeldende kunsten")