Classic Express Research project by Ilona Sie Dhian Ho

In a combined qualitative and quantitative research the influence of storytelling in concerts for children is analyzed. In a controlled setting, The Classic Express (mobile concert hall), groups of schoolchildren attend either a concert with or a concert without storytelling. The groups, similar in socio- economic background and age, are compared. In a quantitative research the involved listening, the felt emotional intensity, the interest in classical music and the interest in actively playing an instrument, will be measured. For quantification new grading systems are developed by scientists and musicians in a collaborative process. In a qualitative research on the influence of storytelling the focus is on children with severe learning disorders. The emotional responses of these children in concerts with and without storyelling, and in combination with participatory elements (moving, gestures) are observed by teachers and caretakers, They compare their observations in the concert to the normal behaviour of their pupils. Both Interviews with the teachers and their grading of arousal, attention and emotional levels in the concert will provide data that will be analyzed by the reserachers. This research is the first study of The Classic Expression Research Group, a group of researchers from the Royal Conservatoire and Leiden University, collaborating to provide new insights on the impact of presentation techniques in classical concerts.

Ilja Venema

Ilja Venema started her violin study with Ilona Sie Dhian Ho in 2012 as a member of the Young Talent Class of the Prins Claus Conservatory of Groningen. Later she started her degree in Biomedical Technologies at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. She obtained her bachelor of science in 2019, writing a thesis about perceived emotional intensity in musicians and non-musicians. In 2019 she started the master Biomedical Engineering at the TU Delft. One year later she finished her bachelor of violin cum laude and started the pre-master of violin at the Royal Conservatory Den Haag where she studies with Peter Brunt.

Ilja was a member of orchestra Morgenstond, were she organized a project for primary school children.

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Ilja Venema