SCHEME – Steering Committee for the Harmonization of European Music Education

The Association Européenne des Conservatoires, Académies de Musique et Musikhochschulen (AEC), the European Association of Music in Schools (EAS) as well as the European Music School Union (EMU) have a good history of cooperation: through the Music Education working group of the European Music Council (EMC); in the development of Learning Outcomes and Quality standards for both musical performance and music pedagogy; in work on pre-college music education (within the AEC ‘Polifonia’ and ‘Full Score’ projects); in joint policy statements and in the organisation of joint events. To further enhance the areas and levels of cooperation between these three networks, they have created SCHEME, the Steering Committee for the Harmonization of European Music Education.

Joint actions

  • Each organisation identifies one or more persons who are delegated with the authority to act as representatives on a given occasion or event.
  • Regular contact based on series of high-level joint meetings designed to deepen mutual understanding, reinforce knowledge management and cooperative expertise between the three organisations. This includes regular exchange, at least once a year in the frame of the EMCs European Forum on Music.
  • Exchange of information between the administrative centres of each organisation that are in charge of the task of disseminating information to their respective members. Such exchanges include schedules of events and meetings, notifications of publications and information about those projects that would benefit from wider participation. The information is passed on through, for example, reciprocal announcements of each other’s activities in newsletters and the publication of links on websites.
  • AEC, EAS and EMU share any relevant existing data, documentation, research results, etc. relating to European music education in all forms and at all levels. They announce each other’s events on their respective websites (responsibility lying with each institution to provide the relevant information about its events) and members’ participation in each other’s events and activities is encouraged.
  • Any costs associated with the above actions are met by the organisations or their members whilst, jointly and separately, the organisations will seek funding for collaboration.
  • Up to two representatives are invited to join each other’s annual conference without any conference fee and membership required. (Travel and hotel expenses are not covered.)
  • Consideration is given to the organisation of joint events and/or engagement in joint projects.
  • These terms are reviewed regularly by the organisations and any proposed amendments will be submitted for consideration by their boards.