The project “From Notes to Narratives: An Interactive Study of Latvian Music” (NPJR-2025/10329) was implemented under the Nordic-Baltic educational cooperation programme Nordplus Junior.

The project aimed to deepen students’ understanding of Latvian musical heritage through engaging, interactive and technology-based music history education. Developed in cooperation between Kaunas 1st Music School in Lithuania and Ikšķile School of Music and Art in Latvia, this initiative promoted international educational exchange and strengthened cooperation in music education across the Baltic region.

The project provided twenty eighth-grade students from Kaunas 1st Music School with the opportunity to take part in a structured learning experience in Latvia, where they explored the country’s musical traditions through expert-led lessons, practical workshops and comparative analysis. By integrating digital tools and interactive methods, the project sought to modernise the teaching of music history and strengthen students’ cultural awareness. The teacher exchange also contributed to professional development and long-term institutional cooperation.

• Six sequential educational activities were implemented in Latvia during the project. On 7 May 2026, the first three activities took place at Ikšķile School of Music and Art, where three joint interactive lessons were held on Latvian musical culture, its origins, genres and composers.
• On 8 May 2026, the fourth activity took place at Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Music Secondary School, where students became acquainted with the Latvian music education environment. The fifth activity took place at the permanent exhibition “Procrastination and Creation” of the National Museum of Literature and Music in Riga.
• On 9 May 2026, the sixth activity took place at the permanent exhibition “SongSpace” of the National Museum of Literature and Music in Mežaparks. This activity was dedicated to exploring the tradition of the Latvian Song and Dance Celebrations.

One of the key outcomes of the project was the development of digital learning resources, including video recordings, structured lesson plans and interactive content, which were integrated into the music history curriculum of Kaunas 1st Music School. This ensured that the impact of the project was not limited to the participating students, but would also benefit future learners and teachers.

Based on the activities implemented during the project, as well as on the experiences of students and teachers, six sequential lessons were developed to provide a comprehensive introduction to the development and heritage of Latvian music. These six lessons, prepared as the main outcome of the project activities, will be officially integrated into the eighth-grade music history curriculum at Kaunas 1st Music School from the 2026–2027 school year.

Music history teachers and students in the seventh and eighth grades of other Lithuanian music and art schools are also invited to use the outcomes of this project – the six developed lessons.

For more information about the implementation of the Nordplus Junior project “From Notes to Narratives: An Interactive Study of Latvian Music”, the educational activities carried out in Latvia on 7–9 May 2026, and the project results, please read the article „KAUNAS 1ST MUSIC SCHOOL’S NORDPLUS JUNIOR PROJECT IN LATVIA”.