Learning Through 'The Creative AR​TS'

Music Performances

 

During my time as the director of music at Lara Secondary College.  My task was to design a quality music program year 7- year 12, in particularly a year 7 program.  Due to my training (in the ability to play all instruments in order to be able to teach them) gained through the unique nature of Australian Catholic Universities bachelor of music and graduate diploma of music education.  I knew that an inclusive instrumental program at year seven (preferably much earlier in a child's education) was key to musical success. I introduced a concert band program at year 7 and 8 (and at Covenant grade 5 and 6) to give students the opportunity to experience the joy of group music making and playing an instrument. As many families had no way of affording lessons, this program opened opportunities that students would otherwise not been able to have. To set the tone of the unit we went to see the New Orleans Jazz band (one of the world's best). This was to engage students in big band music. I used many types of class lessons structures including "whole, part, whole" to keep learning fresh and exciting. At the start of a session I used learning intentions and success criteria's for reflection. When students were to learn new skills I used direct instruction. When through a carefully designed assessment rubric and criteria sheet it became clear that students Zone of Proximal Development showed they were ready for independent learning, I adapted activities to become group based.  I used approaches such as: mixed ability groups, similar ability groups, Kodaly music theory cards, Orff dance, movement and chants, American musicianship counting and rhythm beat allocation, to help year 7 ( or grade 5 and 6's at Covenant) apply their newly learnt skills.  I provided extensive training in

• music appreciation,

• aural skills, solfeggio,

• music history,

• music styles,

• music transcription,

• composition,

• graphic notation,

• music investigation,

• music performance through web or ICT based tasks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In every class students took part in demonstrations, peer assessment and giving constructive feedback.  I provided fully worked examples of performances and tasks to show what an "A" looked like.  I also trained students in the learning strategies that led to an "A".  I created supporting materials such as: play along CD's (Sibelius and Garage band) and video clips, to help students practice.  I developed my own student work book that included all work for the semester within a theme of movie music.  Students learned to perform together, conduct, run rehearsals and to reflect on how they could do better. The result was that students performed a high calibre performance and demonstrated emergent independent musicianship. A 46% increase in student enrolments was a natural consequence of other students seeing the performance.