This article presents results from a survey investigating the competence of music teachers in Norwegian primary and lower secondary schools, and their choice of educational content in music lessons. Thus, the survey presents a descriptionVol.
This article reports on a pilot project conducted in Australia and Norway evaluating new approaches to collaborative chamber music instruction in higher education settings. Following suggestions from the literature on collaborative and group learning in music, chamber music tuition was chosen as a suitable context to examine the possibility of teaching-through-playing and the impact of such an approach on students’ collaborative learning and their induction into the professional music community. Two groups of staff and students in each institution volunteered to participate in the project and implemented their own rehearsal schedule. Student focus group interviews were conducted after the final performance of rehearsed repertoire, and transcripts were analyzed by two researchers independently for the emerging themes and refined through iterative discussions. Key findings include students being inspired by working with experienced staff in a professional setting, learning the skills of ensemble playing such as effective rehearsal techniques, understanding of stylistic conventions, specific technical, musical and co-ordination skills, greater experimentation, positive impact of group discussions, and a more collaborative atmosphere. Students found it challenging to alter power roles, as the ingrained attitudes of teacher-led approaches prevailed. This project has shown that teaching-through-playing chamber music is a viable approach for developing students’ musical and social skills by providing them with authentic professional experiences. We propose an alternative model of higher education performance teaching that is more collaborative and participatory.
This article reports on a pilot project exploring the viability of a teachingthrough-playing approach in chamber music instruction in higher music education. Literature suggests that teaching traditions such as the oneto-one setting need renewal, and socio-cultural theories of learning propose that collaboration and participation are a way forward. To explore this new approach, a multiple case study of four chamber music groups with teachers as playing participants was set up in two institutions in Australia and Norway. Participants were interviewed to examine their attitudes, use of teaching and learning strategies, and perceived challenges and benefits of the approach. The findings suggest that working with professionals in a community of practice in a real-life setting intensifies and broadens learning of musical, social and general skills relevant for chamber music performance. However, the study revealed challenges regarding power relations that need to be resolved. In conclusion, the approach seems to be a promising supplement to existing teaching traditions. The master-apprentice model is through this approach re-imagined as a master-apprentice relationship of guided participation. The guidance comes from social partners' feedback and from the hands-on involvement in and observation of the action culture of chamber music performance demonstrated as a professional practice.
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