The Future of Education

Recent researches in psychology and neuroscience demonstrated the special role of music lessons in human personality and brain development.

Considering  it, let’s analyze the Russian experience of music education based on the principle that " music education is an education not only of a musician, but first of all of a human being" [Sukhomlinsky]. Its mass character and availability is provided by a unique system of music schools, covering all municipalities, where every child can receive musical training at a good amateur level (5-8 grades). It is well known the highest level of Russian performing musicians (especially pianists), as proved by numerous wins at the prestigious international competitions. What is the secret of this success?

First of all, it is a perfect marriage of the massive and democratic character of the primary musical education provided by an extensive network of music schools, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, the highest level of exclusive musical training, guaranteed by 15 specialized  music boarding schools for gifted children, which provide training in the amount of 11 grades. Of these, we can name the famous Central Music School (Moscow), the Moscow Gnesins’ School, Special Music Schools founded at St. Petersburg and Kazan conservatoires.

Analysis of these schools’ activities revealed the following basic principles:

• early professional orientation; involvement at the very early age (from 5-6 years old);

• creation of a special creative atmosphere, “full immersion” in the music;

• involvement of leading teachers, professors of conservatoires;

• mandatory performing practice, concerts outside the school;

• providing maximum time for the daily music self-training on the instrument;

• a high level of learning difficulty.

An important role in pianists’ training still belongs to continuity with the traditions of the Russian piano school (brothers Rubinstein, Rachmaninov, Ziloti, Zverev): technical skills, beauty and melodiousness of the sound, highly artistic and spiritual performance. However, there is also a number of problems associated with the ongoing modernization of the Russian education. These questions will be examined in the report on the example of Secondary Special Music School (college) at Kazan State Conservatoire named after Zhiganov, where Pletnev, Egorov, Urasin and other famous pianists studied.