A classroom activity - class performance work (instrumental skills)

It is possible to offer highly effective opportunities for pupils of all abilities (and especially those with special talents) when engaging in whole class work. For example, the teacher may wish to make an arrangement of a piece of classical music, a popular song, a jazz standard or a work in a world music style. In devising these class performance pieces, they may use repetitive ostinati and rhythmic patterns and riffs. The piece may be divided into a number of separate parts ranging from the 'simple repetitive' (requiring the pupils to repeat simple melodic or accompanying lines) to the much more complex musical ideas (which may require some notation reading skills or a much more developed aural memory). Talented pupils may be required to contribute to these latter parts. In addition, the teacher may create instrumental or vocal 'breaks' where the very able are given the opportunity to be much more creative and inventive using the given harmonic and melodic framework. Not only will this test their instrumental abilities but it will enable them to be much more creative, and perhaps more confident on their chosen instrument. The teacher may also allow a talented pupil to contribute to the development of the performance by taking a lead in the conducting/ leadership of the piece, provide more complex riffs or accompaniments and more extensive melodic ideas.

Although the opportunities may be carefully planned through the choice of material, the teacher will also need to analyse critically each performance and have a number of further musical tasks for use if pupils exceed what might be expected of them.