About üben & musizieren

üben & musizieren

üben & musizieren is the German-language specialist journal for instrumental pedagogy and musical learning, published six times a year by Schott Music in Mainz. Founded in 1983 with the participation of leading music educators and performers, it is the only German-language journal addressed specifically to instrumental teachers. Each issue combines scholarly articles on instrumental didactics with practical guidance for teaching, reports on musical learning research and discussion of the professional concerns of music educators. Published by one of Europe's oldest and largest music publishers, it has accompanied the professionalization of instrumental pedagogy in the German-speaking world for more than four decades.

Overview

üben & musizieren, with the full title "üben & musizieren – Zeitschrift für Instrumentalpädagogik und musikalisches Lernen," is published six times a year by the Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, Weihergarten 5, 55116 Mainz. The journal appears in print and digital form and is, according to its publisher and reference works, the only German-language specialist journal specifically for instrumental pedagogues. Its circulation is reported at around 5,000 to 6,000 copies.

The journal's readership consists of instrumental and vocal teachers at music schools, conservatories and universities, students of instrumental pedagogy, and all those professionally concerned with how musical instruments are taught and learned. Its editorial program bridges musicological research, pedagogical theory and teaching practice: scholarly contributions on instrumental didactics stand alongside practical articles on practicing methods, lesson design, the psychology of musical learning and the use of new media in instrumental teaching.

The editorial leadership has been in the hands of Rüdiger Behschnitt since 2004, who succeeded Andrea Raab (1993-2004), Rolf W. Stoll (1990-1992) and the founding editor Ingrid Hermann (1983-1989). The journal's co-editors, who vouch for its program, are Prof. Dr. Barbara Busch and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Herbst alongside Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mahlert, who has been associated with the journal since its founding in 1983; Reinhart von Gutzeit served as co-editor from 1983 until 2019. Regular contributors include Ulrich Rademacher, Wolfgang Rüdiger, Kristin Thielemann and Kerstin Weuthen. The journal is listed by the Deutsches Musikinformationszentrum (miz) as a central institution of German musical life.

History

The first issue of üben & musizieren appeared in 1983, founded with the participation of some of the most prominent figures in German musical life: Reinhart von Gutzeit, Richard Jakoby, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling, Ulrich Mahlert, Aurèle Nicolet, Igor Ozim and Christoph Richter. This founding circle brought together music educators, conservatory directors and internationally renowned performers, signaling the journal's ambition to connect the highest levels of artistic practice with the everyday work of instrumental teaching.

The early 1980s were a period of growing professional consciousness among instrumental teachers in Germany. Music schools were expanding, conservatories were developing dedicated programs in instrumental pedagogy, and there was a recognized need for a publication that would treat instrumental teaching as a discipline in its own right rather than as a mere appendix to performance. üben & musizieren filled this gap, giving instrumental pedagogues a forum for exchanging ideas about practicing, lesson methodology, the physiology and psychology of playing, and the training of young musicians.

Over the following decades, the journal accompanied the development of its field. The founding editor Ingrid Hermann led the journal through its first six years, followed by Rolf W. Stoll and then Andrea Raab, who headed the editorial office from 1993 to 2004. Since 2004, Rüdiger Behschnitt has been the responsible editor at Schott Music. The co-editorship has provided continuity: Ulrich Mahlert has been involved since 1983, Reinhart von Gutzeit served for 36 years until 2019, and the current co-editors Barbara Busch (since 2019) and Sebastian Herbst (since 2023) represent the academic leadership of contemporary music pedagogy.

The journal's publisher, Schott Music, founded in 1770 by Bernhard Schott in Mainz, is one of the largest music publishers in Europe and the second-oldest music publisher in existence. Schott's engagement with music education has been a constant of its publishing program, and üben & musizieren fits into a portfolio of specialist journals that includes Das Orchester, the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, Musik & Bildung and others. More than forty years after its founding, the journal remains the central German-language publication for the theory and practice of instrumental teaching.

Content and Sections

The content of üben & musizieren is organized around the needs of instrumental teachers. Scholarly articles on instrumental didactics form the core of each issue, addressing questions of teaching methodology for individual instruments and voice, the structure of instrumental lessons, and the didactics of practicing. These contributions draw on music education research, performance science and the psychology of musical learning, translating research findings into insights for teaching practice.

Practical guidance is a second pillar. The journal publishes articles on practicing methods, on the physical and mental aspects of instrumental playing, on motivation and talent development, and on working with beginners, advanced students and adult learners. Reports on new teaching materials, editions and literature for instrumental teaching keep readers informed about the resources available for their work. The journal also addresses the professional concerns of music educators: training and career paths, the situation of music schools, cultural policy and the public standing of music education.

Discussion and debate form a third element. The journal provides space for controversial topics in music pedagogy, for responses to published articles and for the exchange of experience among teachers. Regular contributors such as Ulrich Rademacher, Wolfgang Rüdiger, Kristin Thielemann and Kerstin Weuthen give the journal recognizable voices and ongoing thematic threads. The combination of scholarly articles, practical guidance and professional debate makes each issue a working tool for instrumental teachers and a record of the current state of instrumental pedagogy in the German-speaking world.

Publisher and Organization

üben & musizieren is published by the Schott Music GmbH & Co. KG, based at Weihergarten 5, 55116 Mainz. Schott Music, founded in 1770, is one of Europe's largest music publishers, with a program encompassing sheet music, complete editions, books on music and musicology, and a portfolio of specialist journals. The company's long-standing commitment to music education makes it a natural home for a journal of instrumental pedagogy.

The editorial office is led by Rüdiger Behschnitt, who has been the responsible editor since 2004 and can be reached at the Schott Music offices in Mainz. The co-editors, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Mahlert, Prof. Dr. Barbara Busch and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Herbst, represent the academic side of the journal's program and connect it to the universities and conservatories where instrumental pedagogy is taught and researched. The journal is published six times a year in print and digital editions, with advertising accepted. Current circulation figures beyond the reported 5,000 to 6,000 copies are not publicly confirmed in detail.

Digital Presence

The journal's online home is uebenundmusizieren.de, where Schott Music presents the publication, its current issues and subscription information. The digital edition complements the print journal, giving subscribers access to the journal's content in electronic form. The journal also maintains a social media presence, including a Facebook page under the name "üben & musizieren," through which it reaches teachers, students and the broader community of music educators.

For a specialist journal in music pedagogy, the digital presence serves the professional routines of its readership: teachers can consult current issues, follow debates in the field and stay informed about new teaching materials and professional developments. The journal's listing by the Deutsches Musikinformationszentrum connects it to the central information infrastructure of German musical life. The combination of a stable print journal, a digital edition and a social media presence positions üben & musizieren as the central German-language forum for instrumental pedagogy, adapting to the media habits of a new generation of music educators while maintaining the scholarly and practical standards that have defined it since 1983.