SO UN D I N G T H E T E A CH IN G
2
Exposition
EX A MI NI NG MU SI C LEA R NI NG EX P ER I ENC ES
F I N D I N G S
Observations from the videos taken of
the three groups are described below.
Each group had about six students.
CASE 2
CASE 1
1 ST VIDEO
1 ST VIDEO
The group played with sticks.
One of the girls played the
given rhythm; two of the boys
explored other rhythms while
another just observed.
The group played tambourines.
One boy played the rhythm
while the rest explored their
own rhythms.
2 ND VIDEO
2 ND VIDEO
The boys swapped two
tambourines for sticks and
cabasa as they wanted a
different timbre to make
the contrasting rhythm
more distinct.
The leader told one of the
boys with a stick to create
a different rhythm.
3 RD VIDEO (FINAL PERFORMANCE)
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The group performed after 10
minutes of exploration.
The leader played the rhythm;
the boy next to him played
on his own lap; the other two
boys played the tambourine;
the boy with the stick listened
intently to the group and
followed along.
What Was
Observed
Someone initiated and the
rest explored by playing
rhythms; the leader in
the group kept the group
going.
They influenced and were
influenced by their peers
when they saw/ heard their
peers play something.
Most students held on
to their own ideas and
managed to “fit in” with
the larger group.
Communication was largely
non-verbal.
The girl played and mouthed
the given rhythm.
The boy opposite played
something different.
The boy on his left was
influenced to play the same
rhythm.
The boy on the right explored
something different.
3 RD VIDEO (FINAL PERFORMANCE)
The group performed two
rhythms: the girl and boy
seated opposite played the
same given rhythm; the other
pair played another rhythm.
The group also presented an
exploration of timbre in the
rhythms by hitting the sticks
differently on the floor.
What Was
Observed
One group member
played the given rhythm
continuously as the others
tried to create their own
rhythms against this
rhythm.
There was a sense of peer
influencing rhythmic ideas
to play.
Communication in the
group was largely
non-verbal.
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