Europa InTakt 2022 - Classic goes digital

Dear participants of Europa InTakt 2022 !

First of all, a personal preface. Twelve years ago, at the time of Europa InTakt 2010, I was on "active duty" as a full professor at TU Dortmund University. Designing the professorship "Music Education and Music Therapy in Rehabilitation and Pedagogy with Disabilities" from 1991 onwards was an incredible privilege: I could do what was close to my heart in research and teaching. Throughout my professional life, I have always had at heart an open view of the diversity of musical forms of expression all over the world - including my personal love of the music that is called "classical" in this country - and the communication of this open view in seminars, lectures and further training. Recipients of this open view, which incidentally does not work without a certain amount of self-distance and humour, were and are students, interested people from many professions and people with impairments. For 10 years, in the context of the Dortmunder Modell: Musik project, I led the inclusive choir "stimmig", in which employees from workshops for people with disabilities and students sang together. Shaping university teaching in this way has always been a particular pleasure for me.

For eight years now in so-called retirement, I still can't manage to do what some people expect of a retiree: simply rest. But why should I rest? The social topic of inclusion, the cultural-political and artistic topic of music and inclusion is alive, it continues to develop. The next generations are "digital natives" with new ideas and possibilities. It is the task of thinking and feeling people of all ages to look at new developments with interest and/or joy, or even better, to contribute to them - also critically.

I myself could not have foreseen that the TU Dortmund would once again be a venue for Europa InTakt after a long break. It is thanks to the former rector of TU Dortmund University, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Ursula Gather, who, as the current chairwoman of the Krupp Foundation, thought a 10th anniversary of Europa InTakt would be a good idea. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation provided the largest share of the necessary funds for our event. The Bernd Jochheim Foundation, like the City of Dortmund, contributed to making it possible for Europa InTakt to take place in the form announced here. Thought to take place in 2020, it became 2022 for well-known reasons.

 The past years have had some unprecedented learning tasks not only for European societies. Empathy and looking at essentials in combination with an open view of the diversity of people are just some of these learning chapters. They are obviously being learned at different speeds here and there. Who could have imagined a few years ago that the motto Europa InTakt - the first event of this name took place here in Dortmund in 2003 - would one day take on such a political dimension as it has today?

Some people can't imagine anything else either, on a smaller scale. Music and inclusion is a lot of work, it's true. Art is beautiful, but it makes a lot of work, as Karl Valentin already knew. Music and inclusion is not only, but always as cheerful as it is interesting AND means not always, but always again good music. That is what it is all about.

Europa InTakt 2022 is dedicated to new artistic and technical developments in the field of digital media in combination with traditional instruments. Classic goes digital means three things. "Classic" means the traditional and for human development indispensable activity of touching and setting things in motion, in our case instruments, means the necessity of sensual experience of the law of cause and effect. "Classic" also means musical genres such as baroque, classical, jazz, music of the world - and forms of music-making such as improvisation or reproduction, "Classic" also means interdisciplinary such as music and movement or music and light art. Digital means looking at what traditional instruments cannot do. Amplifying the sound of an instrument so that a person with severe disabilities can play adequately in a demanding ensemble. Turning involuntary movements into music. Playing with effects. And so on. Experiencing the law of cause and effect in a way never known before. Classic goes digital does not want a contradiction, but mutual inspiration.

In this spirit, I wish you all cheerful, inspiring and intact days in Dortmund!