From March 31 to April 4, 2025, a group of teachers from the string and vocal departments of the Vysoké Mýto Art School participated in a mobility program in Zagreb. Together with the children’s choir Rubínek, we visited the Osnovna glazbena škola Ivana Zajca (Ivan Zajc Elementary Music School).
We felt very welcome at the host organization, as all meetings took place in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere. The teachers were accommodating and always ready to help, explain, or solve anything that was needed.
During our stay, we had to adapt to the program, daily schedule, and new environment. This experience helped us grow personally, especially in terms of patience and compromise.
Through shadowing, we found inspiration and improved not only in our professional fields but also in our language skills. We encountered a different approach to teaching that draws from Croatian folklore. From the perspective of the vocal department, we explored the use of chest voice, supporting the singing through the diaphragm, relaxing the throat, and applying phrasing and cantilena in songs. We attended not only individual violin and cello lessons but also string orchestra rehearsals. The lessons were marked by student discipline and focus. Due to the different mentality, the classes were full of temperament – from both students and teachers. We can now apply this knowledge in our own teaching, and many of the skills we observed can contribute to our professional development. The joint work of students and teachers culminated in a festive concert, which featured solo performances by students of the local school, the string orchestra, and a Czech-Croatian performance by the Rubínek children’s choir.
A great benefit of the trip was getting to know the capital city of Zagreb and visiting its most famous buildings, landmarks, and institutions. The symbolic icing on the cake was the visit to Plitvice Lakes and the unique waterfall-filled village of Rastoke on our journey home.
We would like to thank the school principals for organizing the trip and giving us the opportunity to travel and compare the educational systems of different countries.
J. Andrlová, M. Zerzánová, J. Hošková
