Discussion Questions 1. Do these projects presented today focus most heavily on musicianship, composition, performance, musicology, or a considered balance? 2.Does the assessment design capitalize more on extrinsic or intrinsic motivation to improve music outcomes? 3.What is the applicability of this approach to music assessment in other jurisdictions? Are there opportunities to pivot practice in other jurisdictions?
In recent years, music students at Brisbane Girls Grammar School have undertaken ambitious collaborative composition projects in order to discover the ‘pleasure of the rigour’ of music learning. From interpreting a production brief by Taylor Swift in the middle school through to recomposing full orchestral scores for pre-existing films and full-scale reinterpretations of the works of iconic artists and poets, students immerse themselves in targeted activities designed to develop skills in improvisation, composition, performance and recording.
This workshop will engage participants in specific examples of the measured steps taken in the classroom, demonstrating formative learning experiences through the teenage years and highlighting ways teachers can encourage students to produce high-calibre, polished performances of original works. Example student responses will be used throughout to illustrate end products.
Across the suite of activities in the workshop, participants will experience first-hand the five-year evolution of skills required for a final culminating group composition. Active music making in the session will reinforce the applicability of an aural-vocal programme when designing programmes to ensure students are equipped with skills to compose in a real-world context.
