EDUCATOR

Yaniv Nachum is a music educator, musician and e-learning specialist whose work brings together teaching, curriculum development and innovation in education. At the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he leads Jazz Winds and CvA Online, he works with students and colleagues to develop both musical practice and the learning environments that support it. His starting point is the individual: understanding each student’s abilities and ambitions, helping them realise their potential, and developing the confidence to pursue a musical direction of their own.

 

Nachum began teaching at the Conservatorium in 2004, initially giving improvisation lessons. His work subsequently extended across jazz, classical music, pop, electronic music and specialised master’s programmes, encompassing ensemble coaching, composition, research supervision and curriculum development. He has also been a longstanding faculty member of the Summer Jazz Workshop, contributing to its artistic and educational development alongside teaching saxophone and leading ensembles. Working with students, colleagues and visiting artists has kept his educational practice closely connected to the rehearsal room and the demands of musical collaboration.

 

His approach encourages students to connect knowledge with practice and develop confidence in their own judgment. Clear objectives provide direction, while space for individual interests, experimentation and exchange allows students to take ownership of their development. This thinking informs his work on curriculum renewal: bringing subjects into closer relationship, creating opportunities to learn through playing together, and helping students recognise how different parts of their education contribute to their growth as musicians.

 

His guiding principle for feedback is straightforward: be kind, be specific, be helpful. As a research supervisor and adviser, he developed systems intended to help students excel by making their progress visible and creating opportunities for reflection. Bringing together the perspectives of students, teachers and supervisors provides a fuller picture of each student’s development and supports a continuous cycle of feedback, assessment and further learning. The purpose is to help students recognise their strengths, understand what needs attention and make informed decisions about their next steps. His ongoing work on assessment explores how this process can combine clear expectations with respect for individual artistic direction.

 

Nachum’s work in digital education extends from the design of individual lessons to the development and implementation of complete programmes. Having helped develop CvA Online before taking on its leadership, he has worked closely with subject teachers on approximately 1,000 online lessons, alongside the design of multiple courses, programmes and curricula. His involvement connects pedagogical development with audiovisual production and the practical organisation of teaching: giving courses a clear structure, creating meaningful activities, and considering how interaction, feedback and assessment support learning over time.

 

He has also designed and implemented learning management systems, bringing educational priorities into the organisation of the digital environment. Supporting teachers is central to this work, helping them translate their knowledge and teaching experience into courses that invite students to participate, experiment and reflect. Across curriculum, faculty development and technology, his experience encompasses the process of taking an educational idea through development and into use.

 

This work has included online programmes for TSM in Mumbai and jazz and classical piano programmes for Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou. As co-founder and project leader of AEMA Hybrid, he contributed to its curriculum, lesson development, studio facilities and learning platform. His own CvA Online course, Harmonic Upper Structures and Superimpositions, brings the same attention to educational design into his work as an improviser, connecting musical understanding with practical exploration.

 

Nachum’s teaching extends from early musical learning to conservatory education and the continuing professional development of educators. Through his work with Global Conservatoire, the Royal Danish Academy of Music and Netzwerk 4.0 der Musikhochschulen, he designs and delivers courses, training programmes and workshops for teachers. These address curriculum and course design, assessment, interaction and engagement, alongside the practical demands of digital and hybrid education. He helps educators translate their knowledge and experience into learning activities, reflect on their teaching and develop approaches suited to their own students.

 

Within Global Conservatoire, he also contributes to international curriculum development and collaboration between institutions, participating in its steering and technical groups. His courses in free improvisation and online music pedagogy connect his work as a musician with his experience in educational design, bringing artistic practice and the development of teaching into a shared conversation.

 

A milestone in his work with low-latency collaboration was a historic transatlantic multipoint performance connecting musicians across five institutions. The project began with Nachum’s artistic vision of an ensemble making music across the Atlantic. Working with partner institutions and specialists at CESNET, he coordinated the collaboration and contributed to the testing and technical development needed to realise it. The performance formed part of his Free Improvisation Techniques course, bringing together his roles as educator, ensemble leader and initiator of the project. The musical ambition guided the technology, with each stage of development shaped by what the musicians needed to listen, respond and create together.

 

His belief in education begins with the opportunity to encounter music early and continues across a lifetime. For Nachum, education, art and community belong together at every age and level of experience. This conviction led him to co-found Concertino music school, which he directs, and to establish the MOCA Foundation, of which he is chairman. Through lessons, ensembles and opportunities to perform, these organisations create space for music to become a lasting part of people’s lives.

 

He recalls an observation by his teacher and colleague Justin DiCioccio that expresses something central to this work: music education helps shape the next generation of music lovers, whether or not its students become professional musicians. Learning to play can also deepen the capacity to listen, appreciate and participate. This wider purpose finds a practical expression in projects such as the performances at Beth Shalom, where children and adult musicians meet older residents through music, singing and shared activity. Here, education continues beyond the lesson, through the experience of making and enjoying music together.

 

Whether working with an individual student, supporting a colleague or developing an international programme, his goal is to help people realise their potential and gain greater independence in their learning. For his students, this means gradually becoming their own teachers: learning to listen critically, recognise what they need, seek out knowledge and find ways forward. The lasting purpose is to develop lifelong learners who can continue growing long after a course or formal education has ended.