ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the concept of letting creative professionals teach their art/craft in schools – a core tenet in the Popakademie's pedagogical work. The main concept behind the project is that artists visit schools to teach their art by creating music in peer groups, and to perform the songs in different bands in front of an audience. The Popakademie, founded in 2003, was the first institution of higher education in Germany to include a bachelor's degree programme dedicated to popular music. Popular music is often seen by musicians as a field where formal education is more of a hindrance than an asset. The main pedagogical aim was to create a space for aesthetic experience through composing and performing popular music. The Pop macht Schule approach also influenced the conceptualization of the master's degree programme, Popular Music, introduced at the Popakademie in 2011.
