Name
1699 - Visualizing Sound: Immersive Interdisciplinary Music Pedagogy through an Artistic Dialogue between Barbara Dietzsch and Sybille Springer
Date & Time
Monday, July 27, 2026, 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Description
This paper presents a research project addressing the challenge of integrating visual arts and live music in a pedagogically meaningful way within contemporary music education. While interdisciplinary approaches are increasingly valued, practical models combining historical and contemporary art forms through immersive and multimodal techniques remain scarce. Traditional music instruction often neglects the engagement of multiple senses required to foster holistic musical experiences and deeper aesthetic understanding. This gap limits educators’ ability to implement innovative curricula that promote creativity and cultural reflection.The project explores the integration of visual arts and live music through a cross-temporal artistic dialogue between Barbara Dietzsch, an 18th-century painter known for her detailed botanical illustrations, and contemporary artist Sybille Springer, whose work reflects the complexities of modern life. By combining visual material from these distinct artistic periods with musical performance and sound design, the study examines how interdisciplinary and immersive approaches can deepen students’ auditory perception, enrich aesthetic understanding, and stimulate critical reflection.Grounded in theories of embodied cognition and multimodal learning (Dewey, Eisner, Barrett), the project employs immersive pedagogical techniques such as multimedia installations, projected visuals, and interactive environments designed to engage multiple senses. A series of pilot workshops will be conducted with music students and educators. In these sessions, live musical performances and improvisations will accompany the visual projections, enabling participants to experience a direct dialogue between sound and image in real time. These artistic interactions serve both as creative expressions and as pedagogical experiments in multimodal perception.The forthcoming empirical phase will gather qualitative data from reflective discussions, observation notes, and participant feedback. It is anticipated that the workshops will demonstrate enhanced creative engagement, stronger emotional connection to musical concepts, and broader awareness of the cultural and temporal contexts shaping artistic creation. These expected outcomes align with previous research emphasizing the potential of embodied and sensory-rich learning environments to foster deeper musical understanding.The paper argues for a pedagogical shift towards interdisciplinary and experiential curricula that connect historical and contemporary artistic practices. Such integration promotes aesthetic literacy, student engagement, and reflective practice. The project contributes to the ISME 2026 theme “Unity in Music Education: Building Bridges for All” by creating connections between visual and auditory arts, between past and present, and between artistic performance and educational inquiry.
Location Name
210A - Poster Gallery
Session Type
Poster Presentation
Presenter(s)
Fiona Zimmermann
Poster Board
2