Have you noticed the performer in the back row? by Cecil Adderley

Oftentimes when the audition process is completed, and we have settled into a daily routine, we begin to focus on teaching music. Each day we plan appropriate exercises for the students and hold them accountable.

We believe that everyone in our classroom will grasp the concepts planned for that day, so that we may teach the next one. Most of our students meet these challenges; however, there are those performers who tend to struggle with their assigned parts due to a lack of understanding of how to accomplish certain musical passages. Many teachers have taught students like these: performers who did not audition well and were awarded a lower section placement; and those students who oftentimes do not grasp concepts as well as others in the ensemble. As music educators, what are we doing to help these performers succeed?

Many music educators use methods employed by their former teachers. Some of these methods date back to the “gold old days” when all children were members of a wonderful family, had private music lessons, and had music as a part of their daily home environments. Today we face the challenge of a larger and much more diverse population of students.

Even though certain methods of instruction have provided success for many of our pupils, are we doing all that we can to live up to the MENC motto? – “Music for Every Child and Every Child for Music.” To some music educators this is just another motto.

Too many teachers believe that you should reach those learners that you can while continuing to teach in the manner you have taught for the last few decades. They seemingly hope that adequate information will be absorbed by a sufficient number of learners so that those who have not mastered the task will not be noticed. Other instructors employ numerous learning models that assist students of all abilities to succeed in an ever-changing classroom. What many of us fail to see is that the performer in the back row may be a very bright learner, but s/he needs information presented by non-traditional means. Or that this learner may be a special needs student, who wants to make a contribution, but needs specialized instruction to succeed in a mainstreamed environment. Some students learn a great deal from listening to an instructor’s lecture or by simply digesting chunks of material while reviewing their notes. Conversely, there are others who need to participate in active dialogues so that they can process the information in a manner that more closely matches their learning style.

As you plan future lessons, ask yourself a simple question. “What am I doing to reach ‘all’ of the students enrolled in my class?” Just because we have been taught to rehearse our ensembles in the tradition of those who taught before us, does not mean that we should be afraid to employ creative techniques that may reach more, if not all, of our students. Each student deserves the best possible instruction, even those learners who sit in the back row. It may help us to keep all of our students in mind as we plan our daily music lessons. We must make every effort to state clear objectives and plan activities that challenge the learner as they master each concept. If the sequence of activities is appropriate and individual abilities are considered, then a higher level of success will be demonstrated by the members of the class. As teachers, we must pace our lessons accordingly. Too many of us talk for extended periods of time, without allowing the learner to attempt the task a second time. Provide specific and concise instruction on what was performed incorrectly, and allow the learner to try it again. If they do not succeed after the second attempt, change the manner in which you delivered the information.

Learning styles vary, and each person retains bits of information that others may have ignored or not grasped at all. When some students appear to understand a concept and can perform the task at a high level, and the other learners struggle with the same task, then it is possible that the presentation of information was not appropriate for all students. If you design a lesson that affords opportunities for members of the class who listen to instructions and comprehend, transcribe information and understand, engage in dialogue and identify with what was described, or perform select tasks and appreciate what they have accomplished, then you will begin to notice that more of your students will achieve.

The students in the back row are just as capable of contributing to the overall productivity of our classrooms. Many of them may need our assistance as they attempt to understand the concepts we teach. As music educators, we must remember that very few of our students will seek a career in music; however, they deserve opportunities for success and a chance to demonstrate their mastery of the assigned material.

Hopefully, our students leave our classes with pleasant memories and positive thoughts of how we assisted them in the learning process. These memories should provide them with the tools they need to apply what they have learned in the arts classroom to their life’s work. Even though each of us should teach music to our students for the sake of the art, we often incorporate other skills and acquire new ones that can be applied universally. As we improve music education we enable music and the other arts to stand on their own merits and provide opportunities for every learner to contribute to the creation of art.