The AEC Pop and Jazz Platform meeting 2022 (PJP) took place at the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music in Łódź, Poland, from 10 to 13 February 2022 under the title “Roads Less Travelled – Directions, connections and deviations.”
This year’s edition was the first Pop and Jazz Platform meeting organised in a hybrid format, with 68 participants enjoying the sessions and real-life networking in Łódź, while 126 joined online.
During four days, over 40 speakers contributed to 25 sessions. The programme offered the usual mix of keynote speeches, open floor sessions, on-stage conversations, discussion groups and networking, giving participants many opportunities to meet and exchange ideas.
“There is so much surprise in learning about the similarities and differences in what we do, and everybody is so generous to share their knowledge and experiences”, shared the PJP Working Group Chair Linda Bloemhard.
The event was preceded by Pre-Conference Sessions. Three parallel meetings were held for Jazz, Pop, and World & Folk music, giving the participants a chance to discuss matters concerning these specific genres. Students also had the opportunity to connect in a separate student meeting, giving the in-person and online participants a chance to meet and be introduced to the soon to be established European Performing Arts Students’ Association (EPASA).
This year’s programme featured Tigran Hamasyan, Rafał Sarnecki, Kamila Drabek and Patrycja Wybrańczyk as main speakers. The conference programme also included a presentation by Marek Hojda and Tamara Kamińska from Music Export Poland and a presentation of the Erasmus+ project News in Map. In addition, participants had the chance to enjoy performances by the Grazyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz University of Music in Łódź students and meet new colleagues during the networking activity “New connections”.
On Sunday morning, VoCon was organised as a spin-off event. VoCon is a platform for the exchange of best practices among Jazz, Pop and all other interested teachers and students in higher music education. Vocal department students kicked off the day with performances before the programme continued with presentations by Diana Torti, Annemarie Maas, and Susanna Mesiä.
Curious about what happened at the #AECpjp2022? The complete programme, as well as all presentations, are available on the AEC PJP conference webpage.
AEC would like to warmly thank everyone who made this platform gathering possible, particularly the hosting institution in Łódź and the PJP Working Group members, and all the participants who have always supported the platform with their enthusiasm and engagement.
The next edition of the Pop and Jazz Platform will take place at Saint Louis College of Music in Rome, Italy, from 16 to 19 February 2023.
Photos by Paweł Wołowicz, Akademia Muzyczna im. Grażyny i Kiejstuta Bacewiczów w Łodzi
