Piloting Presenting

– Many projects are in tune intellectually – the presentation just needs a bit of tuning.

Ram Reuven is an associate professor of music theory at the Norwegian Academy of Music. His passion for his field is easy to spot when he talks, but it extends beyond the topic of music.

In Inkeri Jaakkola, lecturer in music theory at the Sibelius Academy, Ram found a partner in crime. They are collaborating to create and teach a joint online course on conference practices.

Being an academic often involves presenting your work internationally, and both Ram and Inkeri have participated in numerous conferences worldwide, interacted with colleagues, learnt from them and developed their own presentation skills over the years. While academic institutions offer training on how to write, cite, publish, and so on, Ram has noticed fewer structured opportunities for presentation training.

– As far as I know, there is no formal training in academic presentation, he says.

That is a gap they intend to fill.

As the coordinator of the international Master’s Programme in Music Theory at NMH, Ram has started with his own students, joined by Inkeri’s students in Helsinki.

Since the project is considered a pilot, Ram thinks it’s easier to polish it to perfection with a homogeneous group. However, the ultimate goal is to expand the method to other fields so that students in other disciplines of music can benefit from the results as well. He gives an example:

– Today, having material beyond your piano or violin, such as a polished speech or PowerPoint slides, is very important. This course, with some variations, can be adapted to presenters’ needs. Presentation skills are essential for every person in this profession.

As part of IN.TUNE, he hopes to share the final product with other institutions in the alliance. An important ambition is to construct a course that lasts and can be repeated, not just a one-time offering.

Teaching the mechanism

Ram also emphasises the value of practising collegial relationships in an international setting.

– That is a very important skill for academics, as is understanding how the conference mechanism works, he adds.

– You need to know how to apply and present your material so it is accepted if you want to speak alongside the best scholars. What should you do during the conference to benefit from it, and what should you do with your material afterwards? How can you promote it further?

Inkeri and Ram have found that the best way to engage the students is to have them use their own master’s theses. Ram’s impression is that watching lots of videos, tutorials and even PowerPoints from an early age, has already made today’s students quite capable.

– They probably do it better than the generation before them. However, they might use inefficient or irrelevant materials, misjudge timing, or be unaware of their communication with their audience.

Simulation

The course consists of eight lessons, each 120 minutes long, fully online. This ensures that anyone can apply, no matter the current economic status of their institution or situation. After the initial guidance and tutoring are complete, the class will simulate a conference.

Students will present their own research in a strict 20-minute format and receive coaching on how to be active audience members and contribute to a good discussion.

– What they prepare could be used for a real conference. Also, presentations are one of the most effective ways to gain momentum, because when you need to prepare it, summarise it, and condense it, it forces you to make some kind of progress.

– Good things happen

Ram also points out that the language – not every student is accustomed to studying in a language other than their own. But since the master’s programme in music theory is fully in English, he knows that it’s possible with some practice.

– This is another big benefit – to experience delivering a good talk in English.

The course starts in September, as the very first of 16 IN.TUNE-funded "innovative interdisciplinary educational formats" applied for and carefully chosen by the alliance in early 2025. All because Ram and Inkeri were part of a group looking for a place to have lunch while attending – you guessed it – an international conference.

– That’s why I recommend that people attend conferences, whether academic or artistic research or any kind of sharing information. Good things come from that, and this course is just one nice example.