Introduction: A collaborative journey

This chapter introduces the reader to the phenomenon of European music schools, extracurricular organisations for instrumental and vocal education that are embedded in different larger cultural contexts and educational landscapes but united by a single understanding of what a music school should do: bring music to society, empower people to actively make music, and nurture talented young people. The editors argue that in order to be able to sustain these core activities and to fulfil the responsibilities that come with public funding, music schools also need to respond actively to changes and crises in contemporary societies. Meeting wider societal challenges requires larger visions of collective responsibility, and the editors therefore suggest that the concept of collaborative professionalism provides a helpful theoretical framework for understanding how music school education can be developed. The introduction presents the large variety of collaborative settings and innovative practices featured in the book, illustrating how many music schools are already finding ways of working together with other actors in society to overcome institutional and social boundaries, share and exchange knowledge, and pursue joint aims.