The influence of collaborative music-making on student practice habits and self-evaluation

Abstract

Through the course of this five-lesson project, second year players in both sixth and seventh grade ensembles worked collaboratively with their peers to self-evaluate the implications of their personal practice. I have long noticed a lack of uniform understanding and application of effective practice techniques in younger students I have taught. I wanted to understand the strategies that students currently use to evaluate how to improve their practice to be more efficient and effective. Using instructor-created, commercially purchased, and publicly available resources, students progressed through a performance-driven sequence of lessons to introspectively evaluate their learned practice habits. The project culminated in a teacher-student duet classroom performance demonstrating their progress and acquired skill through the project. Open-ended guiding questions and student choice were essential elements determining choices made in each step of the project. My time in the Kansas State University Master’s Program has served to instill a sense of self-validation and enhanced desire to actively engage in practices that embody the ideals I wish to see portrayed in the world. The coursework and role models I have observed through this program have altered my fundamental sense of being as well as my outlook on my contributions to the profession of music education. Attention to detail and a drive to continually improve rather than perfect are now at the forefront of my approach to not only my profession, but my everyday life. Changes I have made in my perspectives have had noticeably positive outcomes of my classroom teaching as evidenced by student participation, success, and growth in my program.