Reader Music Education for jazz students of the Conservatory of Amsterdam

Version January 2016.

Teachers: Diego Asenjo, Bodhi Sykora, Vincent Arp

Co-ordinator: Frits Heimans

Index

1. The model of didactic analysis

2. MACK system of evaluation
3. Learning styles
4. Communication and feedback
Chapter 1: The model of didactic analysis.

In order to understand the model of didactic analysis better, the following example
will be used:

rd
You are asked to coach a teenage band (which is also an elective module of the 3
year subject Music Management). This is a group you have not previously worked
with but you are given a few key pieces of information. You have been told about
the music style they play (pop-rock) and the instrumentation (guitarist-vocalist, main
guitarist-background vocals, bass and drums). You also have been told (subjectively)
about the personality of the members and the problems that the band has had in
the past (lack of improvement, stuck with own compositions, conflict of personalities,
etc).
Your natural first impulse might be to trust your instinct and experiences, using them
as your sole set of tools to succeed with solving the problems that this particular
band has. After all, you have probably been in that situation before and you think
that your experience might be just enough to solve the problems.

The truth is that this will only work in very few occasions under determinate
circumstances. And that is why this course suggests: not to only follow one’s instinct
and experience (which is very valuable) but also make use of the model of didactic
analysis.
 The model of didactic analysis is a system used to help us prepare
lessons/rehearsals and cycles of lessons. We can use it as a checklist to be able to
work in a systematic way and as an evaluation tool. Once understood and used on a
regular basis it will help provide an overview of your work, adapt your strategies or
methods, set and reset your goals, evaluate and many other examples that soon will
be explained.

Schedule of the Model of didactic analysis:

Fix goals Starting Lesson

Orientation situation situation EVALUATION

1-Orientation

Before setting goals, there is always a period of orientation, as described in the

introduction of this chapter.
You try to assemble information about the group and the subject you are consulted
about.
In a fixed lesson cycle, you are continuously orientating about the subject of the
lessons.

2-Goals
You start setting an end goal. The end goal of a lesson cycle tends to be a very
general goal, for instance: heighten the level of the band.
But it can also be a very concrete one, for instance, be ready for a performance.
Even for one lesson the end goal is mostly very concrete, like learning a specific
piece
You also always set sub-goals, which are usually smaller than the end goal:

-Improve the improvisations

-Improve the sound
-Expand the repertoire
-Heighten the motivation.
-Make individual members better

You formulate your personal learning goal: what you want to learn from this whole
situation.
For all the group members there is also a personal learning goal, for instance an
aspect that needs to be improved in order to achieve a better balance in someone’s
personal musical profile.
3-Starting situation (primary evaluation)

In the example given, the starting situation would be your first rehearsal.
You might want to start introducing yourself and ask the members of the band
question in order to get to know each other and thus establish a good atmosphere.
If you happen to know it in advance, you might also want to explain what you would
like to do for the coming lessons and how. It is very important to set up a nice work
environment from the beginning rather than correcting a sloppy one.
Depending on your teaching style you might want to use this little chat to start
motivating them from the beginning. Mind that this would be the birth of your
relationship with your students and it will subsequently influence your project as a
whole.

From here it would be great to allow the band to play one of their favorite songs.
You invite them to do so and during the song use the time to analyze their musical
level, the group dynamic and interaction, quality of the compositions, etc. This is
what is called primary evaluation, which is crucial for the following step , namely
the re-setting of goals and sub-goals. Even though the sub goals tend to be
relatively concrete, without prior knowledge of the band it is difficult to have them
accurate. Therefore this step is important to allow your primary evaluation to be
adopted.

Especially for this first rehearsal but also for future meetings it is handy to bring a
recording device with you. Sometimes small details are difficult to pick up live but
also you will get an evidence of the improvement heard during your lessons could
become a motivation tool in the future.

4- Lesson situation

1. Learning content (What)

2. Didactic strategies (How)
3. Learning activities (Which actions)
4. Media (With)
4.1-Learning content.
This is the subject of the lesson/rehearsal. As we already discussed, the teacher
chooses some sub-goals which focuses on specific parameters. For example:
-Rhythm
-Repertoire
-Warming up exercises
The learning content should be suitable for your students!!

4.2-Didactic strategies
In general didactic strategies stands for all the different methods a teacher can use
to facilitate the students to learn.
Here you have the six different didactic strategies and examples that will help you
relate to them:

-The interrogative method: asking for a student’s opinion about his/her own playing,
or simply asking whether he/she understands something. You can also ask for
someone’s motivation. there are open and also closed questions (goal: Reflection).

-The informative method: explaining a style, an odd measure, a skill exercise, etc
(Goal: enhancing information)

-Giving assignments: giving homework, or asking the student to focus on one aspect
during his/her playing (goal: applying information, practicing skills).

-The demonstrative method: the teacher plays first to show how something should
sound, or let the students listen to a recording (goal: imitating, experiencing the
whole).
-The guidance method: monitoring the student in his/her learning process adapting
the learning activities (3.3) to the circumstances (goal: giving direction).

-The consolidating method: repeating repertoire over and over again until we get
familiar with it, summarizing the material, making connections to existing knowledge.
(goal: anchoring)

4.3-Learning activities.

All the actions a student has to perform, to learn.

For instance, if you want to learn a tune by heart, unless you have a lot of
experience or an incredible memory you will have to break down the process into
different learning activities, for example:

- Listen to the tune

- Analyze it
- Play it in different keys
All exercises a student performs to achieve a goal, can be considered learning
activities.
In a lesson the teacher chooses some ways to transfer the information to the
student, and as a result, the student starts a particular learning activity. There is a
strong relationship between didactic strategies and learning activities.
4.4-Learning media
This means: all the material you use in the lesson/rehearsal:
-The room
-The paper sheets
-The instruments
-The amplification
-Video Recording equipment

5. Evaluation : see next chapter

Assignments using the model of didactic analysis.

Assignment 1.
Let the group learn a tune, and use all the six didactic strategies.

Assignment 2.
Think of three warming up exercises, for the following aspects: *Interaction/
communication *dynamics *rhythm
Chapter 2: Evaluation

You can analyse the causes of a certain problem and focus on the suitable didactic
approach. As was described in the Model of Didactic Analysis, evaluation is a very
important tool in teaching on all levels. For this reason we dedicate a separate
chapter to this subject, and give some examples on what could be evaluated. In the
conservatory, we use a device called the MACK system.

The focus is on the different musical parameters that are active in situations where
people play music: Motoric, Auditory, Creative, Knowledge, and the overall attitude
with which the playing takes place. Thus, we come to the following subcategories:
(see next page)
These categories are of course working in both directions: the students are being
judged and at the same time the teacher is evaluating his/her own changes in
approach or behaviors.

Assignment 3.
Testing the AMACK system.
Prepare a lesson for the ensemble for next week in which you involve the skills that
are mentioned. Think of exercises and repertoire that develop motorical, auditive,
and creative skills
Assignment 4.
Testing yourself
make an assessment of yourself in terms of the AMACK system.
M-Motorical: A-Auditive:
-Technical abilities
-Pitch intonation
-Posture
- Recognize intervals,
-Breathing relaxation
progressions rhythmic
patterns etc.

C-Creative: K-Knowledge:
-Composing abilities -Theoretical knowledge

-Improvisation -Historical knoledge

-Interpretations -Kmowledge of the

instrument

A-Attitude
-Flexibility
-Discipline
-Social abilities
-Motivation
Chapter 3: Learning styles/dimensions.

It will of course be quite common that persons use different learning styles at once,
especially on a professional level, but by introducing a completely unknown problem
you can check what their first tendency is.

Should you work in the student’s preferential way, or on the other hand, stimulate
his/her weak points?

We discern four different styles/dimensions:

1. Creative Style/dimension.

This person is oriented towards experiencing, has a communicative attitude, and is

strong in imagination and experimenting.

This means that he/she will have the tendency to follow one’s intuition, own
preferences, and learns easily in group situations.

The assignments for learning should leave a lot of space for creativity and personal
interpretation.

This person often needs a nice atmosphere before they can start working

2. Practical style/dimension.

This person is focused on doing, has a goal-oriented attitude, and is strong in

following a fixed path, with small steps. He/she likes to be instructed with a series of
one-dimensional assignments.
Experimenting can take place on a small scale (trial and error working). This person
is strong in realizing goals, and in effectuating processes.

3. Reflective Style/dimension.

This person is oriented on thinking, has a reflective attitude, and likes studying in
general, but mostly on a theoretical and philosophical level.

This person is strong in abstracting, analyzing and connecting. He/she will have a
holistic way of working and need some distance before they can start.

4. Methodical Style/dimension.

This is a person that is oriented on knowledge, and has a systematic attitude.

Learning takes place by investigation, and the adapting of systems.

This person is strong in precising, objectivising and reasoning.

Most of the time they are well-organized in respect to studying. They often need a
frame of reference before they start working.

Assignment 9
Use the Reflective style
The style of learning is dependent of the way you organize your lesson.
This time we want you to stimulate the reflective style.
Think of a subject and/or a tune and approach it in a holistic way, with
emphasis on giving information, abstracting, analysing and looking for
connections.

Assignment 10.
Instant composing.
Goal: to learn some interpretations of the concept of instant composing.
Procedure: You give the group assignments along with which they are
going to make their own piece.
In order to keep the rehearsal in a good structure, you will have to make
very clear assignments.
Work for instance with metaphors, or give them a rhythmic figure or a
key.
You can also think in terms of harmonic items, such as counterpoint.
Chapter 4: Communication and feedback.

Communication is an important item in playing and teaching music.

It is necessary to recognize communicational patterns in a systematic way, and for

this reason we will present several general aspects of communication:

First some definitions:

Communication is the exchange of information of one living being to the other.

Information is the content of the communication.

Sender is the one who is giving the information

Receiver is the one who is receiving the information.

Channel is the road along which the information is being transported. The roles of
sender and receiver change continually!

Noise is everything that disturbs a transparent communication.

Examples of noise:

Negative attitude or disposition of the sender or the receiver.

Distance, sound, technological inabilities.

Disqualification of one another.

Using contradictory information channels

Nonverbal behaviour.

Functions of nonverbal behaviour:

1. Nonverbal behaviour gives cues about the attitude of a person: is he certain or

uncertain, democratic or authoritarian, nice or not etc.
2. Nonverbal behaviour supports and regulates verbal behavior (or the other way
around).
3. Nonverbal behaviour can replace verbal behavior completely.
4. Nonverbal behaviour regulates mutual relations.

Aspects of nonverbal behaviour:

1. Appearance.
2. The way someone speaks.
3. Body posture and motorics.
4. Distance
5. Angle.
6. Silence.

Often made mistakes in communication:

1. Rambling, not making a line in the conversation.
2. Not letting the other person finish his sentences.
3. To come up with your own reactions too soon.
4. Jumping to conclusions
Feedback is necessary because reactions of others can sharpen or change the image
you have of yourself.

Feedback illustrates relationships between people.

Rules for giving feedback:

1. Describe concrete behavior.

2. Tell the other one what it does to you.
3. Don’t wait too long
4. Don’t be just negative.
5. Give suggestions for improvement.
6. Be inviting to reactions to your feedback.
7. Be realistic as to the possibilities to improve.
8. Don’t overload the other person.
9. Watch the nonverbal behavior of the other.
10. Be as short as possible.
11. Mind the other one’s borders.
Rules for receiving feedback:

1. Listen.
2. Summarize in your own words.
3. Ask for concreter formulations.
4. Ask for second opinions.
5. To accept is not the same as to agree with the criticism.
6. Do show fairly what it does to you.
7. Make up your mind if you want to change your behaviour.
Assignment 11.
Working on improvisations.
Giving feedback.
You, as a band coach, are trying to improve the level of the improvisations.
Use for this purpose a piece which you know very well and have a clear concept
about.
You can also use a piece of yourself.
The difficulty is, of course, that it is very unusual to say something about someone
else’s solos.
It should partly be a feedback, meant as pure information for the players, on the
other hand you should have a kind of master plan to make the concept of the piece
stronger, and the improvisations are only a part of the bigger idea.
Think, in giving advices, in terms of :building up, energy, sound, accompaniment and
backgrounds.