Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Berklee College of Music

Universitat de Barcelona

Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya - ESMUC

Conservatori Superior Municipal de Música de Barcelona

Music and Arts Leader, Consultant, Educator and Researcher

London, England, United Kingdom

Throughout my career in the music, arts and education sectors, I’ve developed expertise in:∙ Leadership, management and organisational culture∙ Cultural and social research ∙ Curriculum design and pedagogical innovation∙ Higher education and professional development∙ Arts management and production∙ Audience development and engagement∙ Quality assurance (QA)∙ Project design and management∙ International relations and networks∙ Cooperation and entrepreneurshipAs a consultant, I make available my expertise and experience to: ∙ Music, arts and cultural organisations∙ Schools, colleges, universities and higher education institutions∙ Public administrations, foundations, trusts and charities∙ Venues, ensembles, bands and orchestrasI’m currently working on a new project, Intercultural Music Dialogues, which will bring together musicians and educators from different musical cultures, genres and traditions, offering a programme of performances, lecture-demonstrations, workshops, educational activities and community work. The aim is to celebrate musical diversity and foster intercultural dialogue and creativity.I’ve implemented innovation and strategic development initiatives in the institutions and programmes I’ve led and, as an independent consultant, I’ve advised and created projects for organisations such as the ABRSM (UK), the SGAE (Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers), the American School of Barcelona, Fundació Ribermúsica (Barcelona), 21st Century Music School (Madrid) and the Jaén Conservatoire (Spain).I’m a peer-reviewer for MusiQuE (Music Quality Enhancement), an external evaluation body dedicated to the continuous improvement of the quality of higher music education across Europe and beyond. In November 2018 I took part, as a member of the Review Team and Secretary, in the review of the Bachelor of Music Programme of the College of Music, Mahidol University, Bangkok (Thailand).

Independent Consultant

Music, Arts and Education Consultant

I advise Berklee College of Music’s Valencia Campus on the Accreditation and Quality Assurance of their Graduate Degree Programmes: MA in Global Entertainment and Music Business; MMus in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation; MMus in Scoring for Film, Television, and Video Games; and MMus in Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration).  I work with Berklee Valencia’s Chief Executive, Dean of Academic affairs and Programme Directors, as well as the Dean of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation in Boston, to improve QA processes and procedures. I’m also responsible for writing and preparing the documentation, and selecting the evidence required to accredit and/or reaccredit the Master’s Degrees with the Valencian and Spanish higher education accreditation and QA agencies: Agència Valenciana d'Avaluació i Prospectiva (AVAP) and Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad y Acreditación (ANECA). My role also involves liaising with Berklee Valencia’s main accreditation partners: Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) and Institut Superior d'Ensenyances Artístiques de la Comunitat Valenciana (ISEACV).

Accreditation Consultant

My main research interests are live music – as a social, artistic and relational activity – and music’s capacity to foster empathy and understanding among culturally diverse people and communities. In 2011, I started a project to study the relationships between audiences and musicians and their influence in the processes that lead to the generation of emotions and the creation of meaning. A paper with the results of this investigation has been published by Digithum (2015): “A New Approach to Relationships in Live Music: Redefining Emotional Content and Meaning”Through my work, I’ve developed my own approach to qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methodologies, which I use to support educational and organisational innovation, change management, audience engagement, quality assurance, marketing, etc. Research is also one of my main teaching subjects as a lecturer, which has offered me the opportunity to supervise, and learn from, many research projects addressing a wide range of subjects.I regularly write articles for the prestigious Spanish music magazine Scherzo, after creating its education section in 2003. More than 60 have already been published. Other publications include “New Approaches to Entrepreneurship in the Performing Arts” in Arts and Humanities in Higher Education Journal (Special Issue August 2016).

Independent Professional

Researcher and Writer

I’ve had the role of Associate Director of Research and Innovation (2018 – 2019) at ESART Campus Barcelona, a music and performing arts higher education institution offering bachelor’s degrees from Bath Spa University (UK), as a franchise. My responsibilities were to:• Support and coordinate the research modules and units across all degrees (Music, Dance, Acting, Musical Theatre and Arts Management).• Promote research activities, lead ESART’s Research Working Group and foster academic innovation.• Develop joint projects with Bath Spa University’s research groups and other European institutions.• Build strategic alliances and relationships with the professional sector and the creative industries.

ESART Campus Barcelona

Associate Director of Research and Innovation

This post involved the duties to liaise with Bath Spa University, develop the curriculum, manage the academic staff and implement and monitor quality assurance procedures in teaching, learning and assessment. I developed the relationships with our link tutors, external examiners and other academic managers at BSU, and their feedback and reports were excellent.The aim of the programme was to support students in the creation, production and promotion of their own artistic projects, acquiring the competences that would allow them to insert themselves in the professional world. The results obtained by our graduates are the best testimony of the work I did, together with the rest of the team.

Academic Head of the Music Department

I've been a senior lecturer of the BA (Hons) Commercial Music and the BA (Hons) Arts Management and Production where I taught Creative Arts Research Skills and Music in Context, and supervised the Level 6 research projects and dissertations.

Senior Lecturer

A new senior management position at Catalonia’s National Conservatoire, reporting directly to its CEO. The role had been created to develop the ESMUC’s national and international relationships, represent the organisation at the European Association of Conservatoires (AEC), create de Alumni Office and contribute to the overall development of the institution. Through my different responsibilities I was able to:• Position the ESMUC as a respected institution among the European network of conservatoires.• Establish collaborations with other educational and cultural institutions.• Foster partnerships with Catalonia’s network of music schools and pre-college music centres.• Support the artistic and professional development of the conservatoire’s graduates.• Improve the coordination of the school’s services.

International Relations, Institutions and Alumni Coordinator

I joined the senior management team of The Sage Gateshead’s Learning and Participation Programme to lead its Vocal and Instrumental Learning strand. I was involved in the development of the entire project before this iconic venue opened to the public in December 2004. Quite soon it became an international model for 21st century music centres, offering a rich programme of concerts, festivals and events, and delivering one of the largest and most innovative music education and participation programmes in the UK. My main responsibilities were to:• Direct the Vocal and Instrumental Learning Programme, which included the Weekend School and six regional youth ensembles (Symphony Orchestra, Big Band, Folk Orchestra, Choir, Symphonic Wind Band and Steel Pan Band). • Create the curriculum of specialist music education for 7 to 19-year-old students. • Build partnerships with the Music Services of the region.• Develop links and projects with Northern Sinfonia.I designed a programme of study for the most talented and committed young musicians of the area, regardless of their social and cultural background, quite a challenge in a region where nothing similar had been on offer before. I also devised an audition process that would look, not only at existing musical skills, but also at discovering untrained raw talent and creative potential across all music genres. All the students that completed the programme obtained places at the best Conservatoires and University Music Departments, something unique for the North East.We had the difficulty of supporting the less privileged students, but as a result of my advocacy role and negotiation abilities with the Department for Education’s Music and Dance Scheme, we were the first institution in the UK to become a Centre for Advanced Training (CAT) and obtain their new grants for all our students, as well as securing a substantial funding commitment for the development of the programme, a critical and significant achievement.

Sage Gateshead

Head of Vocal and Instrumental Learning

I’ve participated in and promoted the creation of national and international networks, sector associations and forums. They have included:European Music Cooperative  -  2014 – 2017 I promoted the creation of the European Music Cooperative and became its General Coordinator, with the aim of building a collaborative network of music professionals and organisations from different countries to support live music and advocate its cultural value.AEC – European Association of Conservatoires  -  2009–2013 I’ve been a member of its International Relations Coordinators Working Group and I was able to incorporate the ESMUC as a partner institution in the European project “Polifonia” and other EU funded collaborative programmes. I’ve also actively participated in many activities of the AEC: Annual Congresses (Valencia 2011, Warsaw 2010, Maastricht 2009 and Aarhus 2008); Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators (Porto 2011, Istanbul 2010 and Bucharest 2009); Early Music Platform (Geneva 2011 and The Hague 2010); Jazz & Pop Platform (Graz 2011). Music and Dance Scheme National Forum (UK)  -  2004–2008 Representing The Sage Gateshead’s Weekend School, I participated in this forum that brought together the Centres for Advanced Training, Jr Conservatoires and Specialist Music Boarding Schools, providing a platform to collaborate and advocate for the development of specialist music education in the UK.EMMEN – European Modern Music Education Network  -  1999–2001 I took part in the creation of EMMEN, a European association of schools working in the fields of jazz and popular music. I was President of the Pedagogic Committee and Member of the Administrative Council.

European Music Cooperative, AEC, Specialist Music Schools Forum and EMMEN

Member of National and International Networks

I directed MusicMaster, a project that brought together a team of musicians, software specialists and graphic designers to develop software applications for music education (1992–97). It was presented at the MILIA in Cannes (France, 1997) with the support of Apple and one of its outcomes was the CD-Rom “Guía de los Instrumentos de la Música Actual”, released by Anaya Interactiva (Spain).The termly publication “MÚSICA CREATIVA, The magazine of the musician without frontiers”, with a circulation of 11,000 copies (2000–01) and a multi-genre Music Language method published by Carisch (1999 – 2001) are some of the editorial projects that I’ve been responsible for.

MusicMaster and EMC

Multimedia and Editorial Producer

Since 1988, I’ve produced concerts and festivals and I’ve worked and collaborated with musicians, ensembles and orchestras in a variety of genres and styles, from big bands and early music orchestras to classical, jazz and flamenco artists (Spira Mirabilis, Ensemble Dialoghi, Lorenzo Coppola, Tim Garland, El Teatre Instrumental, Northern Sinfonia, Scott Stroman, Ara Malikian, Serouj Kradjian, José Luis Montón, Camerata Creativa, etc.).One of my latest projects has been “Dialogues with Music”, an annual concert cycle that I created and produced for the European Music Cooperative in the magnificent setting of the Lluís Domènech i Montaner Hall of the Sant Pau Art Nouveau Site in Barcelona (2015–17). The aim was to engage audiences in a dialogue with music, inviting them to discover and experience the richness of emotions and meanings that music can offer. The programme included international ensembles such as Spira Mirabilis or Ensemble Dialoghi, alongside local groups like Murtra Ensemble or El Teatre Instrumental, and many of the concerts were broadcasted by Catalonia’s National Radio.As a record producer, I worked with some of the most representative musicians of the Spanish creative scene, releasing several albums with Taxi Records (1988–93), a record label that I founded and became its General Manager. More recently, I’ve been involved in the production of the Ensemble Dialoghi’s first recording: the Mozart and Beethoven quintets for piano and winds performed on period instruments (2015).

Independent, European Music Cooperative and Taxi Records

Music and Record Producer

I founded the Escuela de Música Creativa (Creative Music School) with the aim to offer an innovative music education programme, and I became its CEO and Academic Director. Under my leadership, the school experienced a constant growth, catering for 700 students with an international staff of 60 teachers and becoming one of the leading music schools in Spain. Its different programmes, from beginner to professional level, covered a variety of music genres (jazz, classical, popular…) and offered regular public performances by both students and tutors.My role involved organisational, financial, pedagogical, marketing and communication responsibilities; it was a team effort, but I was responsible for all the strategic decisions that led to the success of the school.

Escuela de Música Creativa

Founder, CEO and Academic Director

My ability to communicate with audiences and advanced multilingual skills (English, French, Spanish and Catalan) are an important asset when I’m invited to contribute to conferences and congresses as speaker and panellist. Among them I can mention:• Reflective Conservatoire Conference: Creativity and Changing Cultures. Roundtable: “Entrepreneurship and the Performing Arts: Connecting with Audiences and Building Community”. Guildhall School of Music & Drama (London, 2015).• AEC Annual Congress. Session: “What Implications for Tomorrow’s Conservatoires?” (Valencia, 2011).• Jornadas Escuelas Municipales de Música, organised by the Spanish Department of Education. Lecture: “A model of music school integrated into its social and cultural context” (Córdoba, 2009).• Excellent! Symposium, a Music and Dance Scheme initiative. Communication: “Social and educational needs of students at the specialist music schools” (London, 2008).• II International Congress of Music in Catalonia. Session: “Different models of educational centres in the world” (Barcelona, 2008).• The Art of Music Education, Creating Mindsets for Concert Halls, symposium organised by Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Körber Foundation. Presentation: "The educational programme of The Sage Gateshead". Panel discussion: "Potential for the city/region (cultural identity, urban development, integration)" (Hamburg, 2008).• Association of British Orchestras Annual Conference. Presentation: “Creating and Maintaining Partnerships” (Bournemouth, 2004).

Conferences and Congresses

Speaker and Panellist

As an educator, my aim is to inspire music students at all levels and from all backgrounds, and support the artistic and professional development of those who aspire to a career in the cultural and creative industries. I started teaching Harmony, Composition, Arranging, Improvisation and Trumpet, privately and at the L’Aula de Música Moderna i Jazz (1981–85, Barcelona and Madrid), and later at the Escuela de Música Creativa (1985–98, Madrid).I've been a senior lecturer at ESART Campus Barcelona / Bath Spa University (2014–19), I’ve lectured at the Master UAB-ESMUC in Organisation and Direction of Music Education Institutions (Barcelona, 2010–12) and I taught in several continuing professional development courses for music teachers about the use of software applications in the classroom (1993–94).The curriculum is an essential element of any music and arts education programme, and it has to reflect the objectives and pedagogical values of the institution that offers it, but at the same time it needs to be flexible enough to support the changing needs of students and society. For this reason, I’ve been directly involved in the creation of music education curriculums, from beginner level to higher education, as well as directing the teams that have developed them, notably at ESART (2016–19), The Sage Gateshead (2003–08) and the Escuela de Música Creativa (1985–2001).

ESART, ESMUC, The Sage Gateshead, Escuela de Música Creativa and L'AULA

Teacher, Lecturer and Curriculum Designer

During 17 years I was active as a composer, arranger and jazz trumpet player. I founded and co-led the contemporary jazz ensemble “Arco Iris” (1982–84), performing extensively throughout Spain after winning the First Prize in the Jazz-Rock category of the Festival Rock Villa de Madrid (’82). In addition to Arco Iris, my compositions and arrangements have been played by various ensembles and premiered in prestigious venues and festivals, like the “EMC Big Band” at the Mardel Jazz ’93 Festival (Buenos Aires, Argentina), and “Tete Montoliu & Big Band de l’Aula” at the Palau de la Música (Barcelona, 1981). I’ve also performed, among others, with “Un Poquito de Todo”, one of the first Latin-Jazz orchestras created in Spain, and “Catalonia”, a contemporary jazz group.

Joan-Albert Serra

Joan-Albert Serra