rdam in a nutshell

“at the performer’s liberty – improvisational”

By now, I’ve referenced my time at the Royal Danish Academy of Music (RDAM) a ton…but haven’t actually gone into detail about what it has been like – playing my cello here abroad, and everything related to this adjacent/partnered program of DIS. This component of my study abroad experience was what I was most curious about beforehand, and since, has played a major role in informing such. 

This spring, there are only about six DIS students enrolled at RDAM, so though it isn’t a super popular option, I thought I would share my personal “review” and outline my participation in the program.

Before I dive in, for context, my primary major at Vanderbilt is music, more specifically, cello performance. At school, my entire day revolves around my musicology, music theory, musicianship-type classes, with the main priority being my time spent in the practice room. Getting to the music school from my dorm is a brisk ten-minute walk, and though I take classes for my second major on a separate part of campus, the majority of my typical day remains within the walls of the music building. 

Being abroad, coming from this type of routine, was quite an adjustment. Suddenly RDAM and my cello were a twenty-five minute Metro ride away, I was juggling potential practice sesions with times to socialize and make new friends, and confronted with a travel schedule that would keep me out of town for almost weeks on end. To encapsulate just how much I’ve learned from facing this adjustment is an almost impossible ask, but I will attempt towards the end of this post!

My Schedule

A few days before the first day of DIS classes, the three administrators from RDAM (who coordinate the collaboration with DIS) held a welcome meeting and orientation. Here, we were provided with all kinds of information, from how to set up our new DKDM emails and Intranet accounts, to how to get involved with musician’s wellness/yoga classes. After posing for our new photo ID/access cards, we took a tour of the whole building and left with gift bags in hand.

Photos from orientation and our tour of the school

In terms of my schedule, I actually managed to establish some sense of routine after much trial and error. Typically, I get up around 6:30 on the weekdays, leave my apartment by 7:30 to get to RDAM by 8:00, and warm up/practice until 9:30 when I need to leave and walk to my first 10:00 class of the day at DIS. Immediately proceeding class I walk back to RDAM to practice more, for however long is necessary to get through repertoire. I’ve found that if I don’t wake up early for that morning session, I feel too cramped with time after classes to get everything done, and by 17:00, I’ve usually hit a wall and and cannot be productive in the practice room, no matter how much caffeine I’ve ingested. Obviously, every day ends up looking different and like a variation of what’s described, as this schedule does not factor in studio classes, my lesson, group work for DIS classes, travel weeks, workouts, etc.

A studio class and masterclass

Lessons

My teacher at RDAM is Toke Møldrup. My lessons with him are varied, exciting, and inspiring. In general, my favorite lessons are when I leave the room knowing just how much work I have to do on something technique related and/or a specific piece of music, while feeling equipped with the tools and ideas sufficient to get it done; each lesson with Toke leaves me in this wonderful predicament and something I especially appreciate about his teaching is that, in the Danish way (!), he doesn’t hesitate to comment realistically on my progress…or lack thereof.

Despite having left the Copenhagen Philharmonic to allocate more time to student teaching, Toke performs quite a bit and does his fair share of experimentation/composing solo works through published projects. He is constantly creating and exploring new ways to play and develop techniques, many of which I’ve gotten the privilege of working on alongside him as he produces these ideas.

Having him as a teacher this semester has also encouraged me to build a better understanding of what Danish mentorship is like in practice. I remember one reading from my Danish Language & Culture class that discussed the importance and adherence to a “level playing field” between student and teacher – in other words, this relationship looks more like a partnership with equal dialogue. Without losing that apparent level of respect, I’ve felt like my time with Toke has been representative of this concept, in that my work with him has truly been our work.

One of Toke’s concerts

Ensembles

One of the biggest adjustments I’ve had to make while at RDAM is that I am not as involved in ensembles as I thought I would have been. Given the packed, logistically-difficult DIS scheduling with field studies and study tours, I wasn’t able to officially be part of an orchestra project. However, I was able to sub in rehearsals, which allowed me to get a feel for what ensemble playing is like at RDAM. For example, the principal cellist for this opera performance at the Copenhagen Opera House couldn’t make the first rehearsal – conveniently, I was able to step in, and even get the chance to play the cello solo in the overture of Don Pasquale!

Rehearsal at the Opera House – interior and exterior

Logistics

RDAM uses a weekly, online booking system for reserving practice rooms, which is very different than what I’m used to at Vanderbilt. Essentially, what this means is that you need to know your schedule a week in advance so that you can log on and book specific times and rooms before every space fills up. There are plenty of practice rooms, but the system is a little finicky and something to get used to.

The school operates on the policy of if you show up over ten minutes late to your reservation, the room is no longer yours and available for anyone. This also means you can use any space that is not occupied, but I’ve discovered that students are typically very loyal to their planned schedules and you won’t catch many lacking on their booked rooms. 

Luckily for me, RDAM is located directly in front of the Forum stop on the M2 Metro line…which is the line I take most frequently, and leads directly to/from my apartment. Also, as I’ve mentioned countless times before on this blog, the DIS/RDAM walk is not just manageable, but a beautiful stroll through the city. 

General Impressions

My fellow cellists and colleagues this semester have been welcoming and warm. I’ve enjoyed meeting them, hearing them perform, and collaborating with them. This is random and unrelated really, but the bulk of students at RDAM always look professional and put together, no matter what time of day it is. I’ve felt motivated to ditch the sweatpants/sweatshirt combo (of which I’ve relied upon back at Vanderbilt when I am practicing on the weekends) and assimilate into this aspect of the environment somehow…

A classic image outside the concert hall before and during any concert – so many bikes!

Photos from the DIS/RDAM concert, featuring my roommates who came to watch and brought me flowers!

In terms of moving forward after this semester, I look forward to returning to Europe briefly in August to study with Toke in Austria, at the Althofener Masterclasses.

All in all, these past few months abroad with my cello presented an opportunity to deepen my understanding and commitment to skills of discipline and patience, through commuting, practice room organization, less flexibility in my schedule, and a different conservatory environment.

Sometimes I forget that at Vanderbilt, my routine can become and feel monotonous at times – studying abroad within RDAM has been anything but that. My time here has been a gentle reminder and “shove” to embrace unpredictability, spontaneity, while cultivating motivation and a newfound normalcy. A natural byproduct of all of this, has been a strengthened appreciation and love for my involvement in cello and in classical music, which I wouldn’t want any other way!