SO UN D I N G T H E T E A CH IN G
2
Exposition
DISCUSSION
WHAT STUDENTS FELT WERE
IMPORTANT TO BE A LEADER
IN THIS CONTEXT
Listening
During discussion
During performance
Respecting members
Ideas
Comments
Choice of instruments
Music decisions
Coaching
Playing techniques
Music elements
STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION
OF THEIR LEADERSHIP
EXPERIENCES
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Each participant, in his own way,
described his experience as a leader in
a positive manner
They found it fun, especially when they
could lead, work and play together
with their members in the music
composition activities
Some described the experience as
fulfilling, especially when they were
able to coach their members and guide
their groups to perform. Some were
observed to have developed leadership
skills through the four sessions after
overcoming the challenges of being
a leader
One common observation that all
members highlighted was that leaders
need to listen to their members. The
leaders felt that the composition tasks
trained them to be better listeners.
They claimed to have listened to their
members, invited all members in join in
discussions, make music decisions as a
group and learned from members. On
top of that, they were satisfied with the
impact on their members in learning
how to drum and compose music
It was observed that most participants
struggled to lead at one point or
another
It was observed that the leaders were
stressed about having to help members
with their drumming techniques/
composition. This is understandable as
most of the leaders had no drumming
background and may not have had
the music ability to help or guide the
members in this matter
All members cited people and noise
management as concerns
When everyone was on task, it was
observed that the stress levels of the
leaders decreased. Somehow, the
composition activities allowed members
to enjoy working and playing music
together
CONCLUSION
Student leadership development in the
context of drumming and composing
allows for more positive experiences.
Despite some negative emotional
impact, the students shared that student
leadership development in the context
of drumming and composing offered
more positive experiences. They had fun
composing together and were pleased
to be able to impact the members’
drumming.
Through this drumming/composing
programme, the students observed that
they had grown and developed in the
following areas:
Self-confidence
Interpersonal skills
Management skills
This was a challenging experience that
helped them grow as student leaders.
EX A MI NI NG MU SI C LEA R NI NG EX P ER I ENC ES
IMPLICATIONS
FOR TEACHERS
Developing leaders in a GMP classroom
– Preparation vs No preparation
In this project, leaders were pre-selected
based on their leadership potential. In
addition, prior to each activity, a short
session was held with the leaders to
delineate clearly the lesson objectives
and to suggest strategies that would help
the groups complete the task. Thus, prior
preparation by the leaders can contribute
to the success of the lesson outcomes.
There are, however, benefits to
carrying out the activities without prior
preparation as we cannot ignore innate
leadership abilities. In allowing leadership
to develop naturally within the group,
we may also be able to observe shared
leadership, particularly in music activities
such as music composition.
Providing platforms for leadership skills
to develop
People management skills
Group facilitation skills
Music decision-making skills
The student leaders raised concerns
about the lack of leadship skills in
the areas of people management and
group facilitation. Thus, the provision
of platforms to develop the above-
mentioned skills would help them in their
journey as leaders.
Even though all Primary 5 students
of the school undergo a leadership
programme, there is a need to provide
more opportunities for students to apply
and hone the skills learnt. Other than
the prefects, class chairpersons and
CCA leaders, the rest of the students
do not have such opportunities. The
study of this programme suggests that
the music classroom can be an avenue
for developing leadership skills. Thus,
music teachers should consider creating
platforms in music activities to help
students develop their leadership.
Music composition as a tool to help
develop leadership
Empowers students
Encourages participation
This project was designed to provide
opportunities for selected student leaders
to take on a leadership role in music
activities. Within the drumming context,
the leaders were tasked to lead their
groups in music composition. Based on
my observation, music composition is a
good tool to develop leadership as:
It is a tool for people to express
themselves. By discussing and playing
their music ideas, the students listen
and think critically as well as hone
their interpersonal skills –these are all
important traits for a leader
Music composition empowers students
to make their own decisions as well
as group decisions. This is clearly an
element of student-centric education
Music composition in a group setting
is inclusive in nature, encouraging
participation while allowing for self-
leadership behaviour to come into play
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