Two musical acts to continue in Nótuna
Two acts from the Hafnarfjörður Music School were selected this weekend to take part in Nótan – the music schools' harvest festival. The school's symphony orchestra and a guitar duo, consisting of Sóley Arna Arnarsdóttir and Valgerður Bára Baldvinsdóttir, were successful in progressing.
Nótan (the music school's harvest festival) is approaching, but regional concerts are taking place around the country these days, where seven acts from each region are selected for the Nótan final, which will be held at the Hof cultural centre in Akureyri on 6th April. Two acts
from Hafnarfjörður Music School were chosen at the weekend to take part in the harvest festival. The school's symphony orchestra and a guitar duet consisting of Sóley Arna
Arnarsdóttir and Valgerður Bára Baldvinsdóttir managed to advance.
Nótan has been an annual event since 2010 and is intended to raise awareness of the work of the music schools and at the same time provide music students with recognition for the results of their work.
About the Note
NÓTAN – the music school harvest festival was first held in the 2009-2010 school year and is an annual event in the Icelandic music school system. The harvest festival is a new dimension to the activities of music schools. The festival is both professionally inspiring and an enjoyable contribution to the school's activities for all those connected with the schools, both inside and outside their walls. The festival is divided into three parts and is organised so that everyone can take part. The participants are:
- from all over the country,
- of all ages and
- at all levels of music education
Music schools operate according to an overall policy on learning and teaching, as set out in the National Curriculum for Music Schools. The curriculum is divided into three main stages: basic, intermediate and advanced, and ranges from integrated music education in the pre-school to university-level music studies. In line with the emphasis on school autonomy and flexible school operations, the work of music schools is extremely diverse, and the specialised and local objectives of music schools play a key role in the development of a strong, nationwide music school system. There are around 90 music schools in the country, and approximately 15,000 students study within the music school system.
The harvest festival shines a spotlight on the music school community and recognises the students' achievements. The primary mission of educational institutions is to promote general education and the all-round development of students. as well as strengthening their self-identity and self-confidence, well-being, creativity and ability to face the challenges of daily life. NÓTAN aptly reflects the broad value of music education and the role of music schools as educational and cultural institutions. NÓTAN – the harvest festival of music schools is a collaborative project between the Association of Teachers and Managers in Music Schools, the Association of Music School Principals, Tónastöðin, Töfrahurð and the National Music Museum of Iceland. In 2016, the Amateur Symphony Orchestra joined the group of partners.