April 2025
Supported by ArtEZ Conservatorium Masters of Music
European Platform for artistic research in music
I had the opportunity to participate in the European Platform for Artistic Research in Music (EPARM), held in Tallin, Estonia, in April 2025.
My former teacher, Esther Schopman, was invited to speak about Sound City, a project within the Master of Music curriculum that combines artistic research and societal entrepreneurship. She invited me to join her and present the artistic research behind the album Behind Closed Doors, which offers listeners an insight into the world of informal caregiving. This album was created as a collaborative student project during my master’s studies.
Sound City is important in developing artistic research skills. By immersing ourselves in the social fabric, the initiative allowed us students to broaden our perspectives and discover innovative methods to gather data for our creative projects.
At first our artistic vision is based on presumptions, but Sound City taught me that making personal connections with people brings an additional layer of depth to both our artwork and ourselves.
People are either explicitly or implicitly involved in the creative process, which results in works of art that become an integral part of society and substantially address social concerns.
The EPARM also provided speakers with the chance to engage in the “information market” by presenting a project, initiative, or research issue. I effectively presented my Phili Natura viewpoint regarding the role I would like to have as an artist in addressing the climate crisis during the market. The communication method I applied was evocative rather than explicative. Since my intention was to capture interest in my artistic vision rather than offer a comprehensive narrative on the subject, I used music and visuals as the main medium to create something that was both complex and incredibly easy to follow. This proved to be the most direct and effective communication strategy, resulting in numerous conversations afterward.
