Music education & creative music projects

Music projects for schools, youth centres and adults

Music as an experiential space for expression, community and self-efficacy

For more than 15 years I have developed music workshops that connect people through rhythm, voice and collective creativity, including programmes for schools, youth centres and adult groups in Germany, Italy and Spain.

In these workshops, music emerges through listening, trying things out, expression, flow and spontaneity, supported by a clear framework and shared rules of collaboration.

Fields of Work

Music project at a school

Schools & music education

Music workshops, project days and project weeks for grades 1–12.

Music workshop for young people in a cultural space

Youth centres & cultural spaces

Rap, beatbox, beats, DJ and digital music for young people aged 12–21.

Team music project with a large group

Team music projects

Large-scale programmes with several artists for schools and camps.

Training for adults and educators

Training & professional practice

Creative workshops for adults, educators and inclusive groups.

Working method

How I Work

I understand workshops as experiential spaces. Participants should be able to encounter musical means, try them out and bring them into their own form of expression. It is about rhythm, voice, language, body, technology and ensemble work, not as abstract content but as tools with which something of their own can emerge.

Clichés can also be material. You may know them, use them, exaggerate them and leave them again. Only when you recognise codes can you change them. This often opens a transversal space in which music, language, body, technology, history and everyday life connect, with small narratives, cross-connections, curiosity and room to try things out.

What matters to me is a balance between individuality and collectivity. Individual voices should become visible, especially the quieter and more reserved ones. The room should not only be shaped by those who speak or show themselves immediately.

I first take children, young people and adults as they are, without prejudging them and without wagging a finger. The roles are not artificially blurred: I lead the process and bring in experience, structure and professional guidance. At the same time, I take the participants seriously. They should be able to voice opinions, express criticism and develop their own forms of expression, a language that makes them freer and also moves the group forward. They should be able to take charge of and shape their creative process; I support them in developing their ideas.

Children working in a music workshop with microphone, mixer and looping technology Music workshop in a classroom with microphones and instruments Children with instruments and technical equipment in a music workshop

Transcultural perspective

Growing up in eastern Germany with Vogtland, Russian and Kazakh roots, while Italian and Spanish later became lived realities, made me familiar with the question: what am I, actually? For me, multiple belonging is not a deficit. You can move between languages, roles and cultural codes, with the emotional quality of one language, the humour of another or the clarity of another system. This in-between does not have to create shame; it can enable mobility, expression and freedom.

What I Offer

Participants learn musical foundations while also experiencing how to express themselves, overcome inhibitions and create something together. They help shape what emerges.

Formate

Format Duration Description
Introductory Workshop 2–4 hours First encounter with music, rhythm and creative expression
Project day 1 day Introduction to rhythm, beatbox, voice and movement
Music Lab 2–3 days Deepening: rap, beatbox, loopstation, producing, DJ, singing, percussion, songwriting
Project Week 3–7 days Flexible project week with final presentation

Modules

Rhythm & Body Percussion Beatbox & Vocal Percussion Voice & Singing Rap & Spoken Word Digital Music & Producing DJ & Mixing Songwriting & Improvisation Transcultural Elements Instrument Building

All modules can be freely combined depending on age, time and interest.

Teamprojekte

For larger groups (40–120 participants), I assemble a team depending on the project, with musicians, dancers and theatre or circus educators. In one-day workshops, groups rotate through different stations; in multi-day projects, they work in fixed module groups.

What Is Needed On Site

  • A room (ideally a music room); existing materials can be used together
  • Amplifier, if available; otherwise I bring one
  • On request I can advise on buying equipment (e.g. DJ console)
Musical instruments and technical equipment for workshops

Experience & Approach

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Experience

Over 15 years in music education. More than 150 workshops, 20 project weeks and 10 creative camps.

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Approach

Embodied learning meets transcultural perspectives. Rhythm, voice and movement connect with global traditions.

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Network

Professional network of musicians, dancers and theatre and circus educators for projects with 40–120 participants.

Background

Jazz trumpet and music education (HfM Dresden, diploma 2011). Ethnomusicological research into music and ritual in Morocco. Artistic work as a multi-instrumentalist, live-looping performer and composer for theatre and performance productions. Member of Banda Comunale Dresden since 2006.

Full biography & professional context →

Orientation Framework

The prices listed serve as orientation. I prepare offers according to format, duration, location, team size and funding framework. If the budget is limited, we can check whether a smaller or funded format is possible.

Format Duration Price (included)
Introductory Workshop 2–4 hours from €200
Project day 1 day €350–500
Music Lab 2–3 days €700–1,200
Project Week 3–7 days €1,200–2,800
Teamprojekte 1–7 days on request

Funding possibilities: GTA funds, school support associations, cultural funding, small-project funding

Process – how it works

Planning a workshop or music project is straightforward. Together we define the structure according to your goals, group size and available time.

1

First Contact

Share dates, group size and workshop type

2

Concept proposal

A suitable format for your context

3

Planning

Clarify logistics, materials and financing

4

Delivery

On-site workshops or team coordination

5

Follow-up

Presentation and possible further collaboration

Let’s Talk About Your Project

Whether you are planning a single workshop day, a project week or a large creative camp, I support you in developing a programme that fits your context, goals and participants.

Arystan Petzold
Musician · Music Educator · Workshop Leader

📧 info@arystan.de
📞 +49 178 142 54 83

Get in touch