On Group Classes, Edutainment and Playful Learning

Another Group Class Week has come and gone. As I sit here trying to get my brain around next year, I'm mulling over how to approach group classes going forward.

Some students just aren't into group classes. While some like the idea of trying out something new (e.g. trying to make a radio commercial) but aren't really that interested in learning and honing their skills in those areas. Some like the ensembles. While some are just too busy for group classes and have missed every single one. You get the idea.

I know, we can't please everyone. To that end, I'm contemplating the idea of making the group classes optional and available to outside students.

Now, one comment that I usually hear from students and parents is how "X has so much fun at group classes." Well that's fine and dandy, but as an educator, I feel duty bound to teach them something. I'd like for them to learn something that will help them become better musicians and listeners.

The classes that they enjoyed the most weren't necessarily the ones where they actually learned anything. The aspiration of having the students create a video game theme, record, edit and then present it at the year-end recital? No dice. All the dreams of having them do a singing and accompanying project throughout the year and then perform it at the year-end recital? Nyet.

They fiddled, they made noise, they laughed a lot. Some made a 30-second radio commercial and saved a file. Others spent 90 minutes learning three types of beat patterns, while others played in a piano combo for the first time.

Is anything perform-able in public? Not without hours of tweaking (practice, editing, rendering and re-recording, etc.). Did they learn something that they can execute on their own? Uh-uh.

At least, they tried something new.

One area that started really slowly but gathered momentum was my Music Appreciation 101: Music & Technology class. It evolved each time a little bit to adjust to the next group of students. The students were fascinated with how music listening devices have evolved, especially with the addition of my retro-player:

Not only did this capture their attention, but the topic of copyright interested them too.

Now, the only group activity that saw any thread of progress and continuity was my student band WEDG as they prepared for the Long and McQuade Music Education Contest and later, the  APTA Festival. That was an optional activity, which impacted only four students - profoundly enough that they are continuing to work together.

My challenge becomes one of creating group classes that will generate enough interest, yet from a pedagogical standpoint, teach them something useful. I've heard the term "edutainment" thrown around in relation to TV shows. However, that doesn't quite sit right with what I'm trying to do here. I suppose that "playful learning" or "learning through play" would be a closer fit. I suppose that really, they're just different terms on the same continuum of learning.

It's a lot of food for thought.

On Surviving September

Ahhhhhh! Where did September go? The students and I are back into the swing of things. The days are long. I typically begin teaching at 3:30 and go till 9 pm. I do have a few day students on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I've even managed to stay on top of reshelving the books used each day and getting some regular practicing in. My former teacher would be pleased that I've pulled out some senior repertoire to muck around with (mixed in with some jazz, improvising and JPop of course). With more intermediate and senior students this year, I need to stay on top of things.

Now if only I could get in the swing of things with my paperwork. I'm behind on my bookkeeping (surprise, surprise) and other admin related work.

I am so excited to have such a great bunch of students this year. Actually, I should say "families" since being able to have a good relationship with the family is fundamental to making the year go well. For the most part, the students are doing well with their practice journals, although a few haven't been keeping track as well as I'd like (or practicing as much as their parents and I would like them to). Overall though, the practice journals seem to be working. The kids are using the forms to ask insightful questions, share what they enjoyed most out of their homework and alert me to what they need help with.

Even Maestro is maturing into his role as "canine teaching assistant". He rests quietly in his "room" (his kennel) most of the time and hasn't tried to steal any stickers. Prizes though, are another story. He bonked his head on the prize drawer a couple of times while trying to steal a peek.

A few students have simply blown me away with their compositions. A few were inspired by a tune they heard, while others have come up with something unlike anything I've heard before.

Students, parents and fellow teachers, feel free to share your feelings on your year so far. As for me, I better go practice...

(c) 2006 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Enter Troppo Crazy Season

Yes, your eyes aren’t deceiving you – this is truly a late night blog entry. We are now into troppo crazy season. I was speaking with a fellow teacher this past afternoon. We talked about how the pace will be prestissimo from now until June; with the mad rush to nudge (er, push) students to get everything memorized/prepared for festivals, recitals and exams, everyone becoming busy with extracurricular activities, work and/or school. I’ve been a busy bee, trying to get as much done by Thursday so I can actually take some time off during Easter Break (novel concept).

The submission deadline for Calgary ARMTA’s newsletter has come and gone, which involved bugging (er, reminding) advertisers that we needed their ad ASAP. The logo design contest is over and I must say I do like our new logo. Check it out at Calgary ARMTA’s website (I just reformatted the fonts on ALL the pages, by the way). My 2006/07 Registration Package has been distributed to most students. My own website got a bit of an overhaul in the Studio Central section. The online Studio Handbook is complete and uploaded to Studio Central. And no list of mine can be complete without bookkeeping. I am nearly done my corrections and will be seeing my accountant later this week. I hope I don’t owe the tax man too much.

Outstanding items? Marking theory, re-arranging Above All for piano duet, arrange a song in lead sheet format for another student, cleaning up, practicing for a wedding gig next week and more administration. I’ll have to start thinking about my summer teaching schedule, but can’t nail that down until a few things are finalized.

My brain is sliding into an ungraceful ritardando. Onto the fun links and then I can call it a night.

Copyright 2006, Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.