2_0_ScanMag_70_Nov_2014_Text:Scan Magazine 1
5/11/14
16:03
Page 73
Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Education in Denmark
TOP LEFT: ”I wanted to test my musical skills,” Anders Stæhr, 20, says about his reason for attending the acclaimed music school. LEFT: A high percentage of the sound engineering students at The Music Conservatory come from Den Rytmiske Højskole. RIGHT: Each semester the students go on tour for a week.
Find your own beat at Den Rytmiske Højskole Figuring out your future can be a tough nut to crack. Den Rytmiske Højskole could help you to decide if music is your path. By Ann Bille Simonsen | Photos: Den Rytmiske Højskole
“I had been here for a party once and the atmosphere really appealed to me,” 21-yearold Amalie Kusk says, explaining why she decided on a four-month stay at Den Rytmiske Højskole, located in beautiful surroundings an hour by car from Copenhagen. Initially she was inspired by her mother. “It sounded so amazing when my mum talked about her folk high school,” she recalls. Ultimately, the decision to enrol at the acclaimed music school was not hard to make for Kusk, who loves music and has been singing for “a very, very long time”. Reality check The school is renowned for being a steppingstone on the way to the Rhythmic Music Conservatory or a professional life in music. Dreaming of going professional is
not a must, however, explains principal Lars Gjerlufsen. "Some of our students already know that they are heading in another direction, but just want to dedicate a few months to their music hobby before embarking on their studies. Others come here to figure out if their wings can fly – if they are really prepared for a life with so much practising every day – which a professional life in music demands. They have the opportunity to test that here.”
here,” he says, referring to the music as well as the alternative motive for his stay: developing his social competencies. Kusk agrees that she has learned a lot about herself too, for instance where to set her boundaries. At first, however, she was overwhelmed by constantly being amongst so many people. “But when I managed to find the right balance between being social and having some alone time, it was just great. The best thing about the school is being surrounded by all these amazing, creative people – and with people you might not like, you can still meet them through the music.”
Finding the right balance 20-year-old Anders Stæhr was in doubt whether to go for the music or to choose the engineering path. "I've always played a lot of music, and I wanted to test myself musically one last time, before making my final decision. I’ve learned so much
Principal Lars Gjerlufsen joined the school shortly after its founding in 1991.
For more information, please visit: www.drh.dk
Issue 70 | November 2014 | 73