Refining Learned Repertoire for Percussion Instruments in an Elementary Setting

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine teaching effectiveness in an elementary music setting using student achievement as a dependent measure. Because Orff Schulwerk instruction is one of the most prevalent pedagogies in elementary music education, this study examined the rehearsal strategies of recognized Orff Schulwerk teachers as they worked to refine learned repertoire for percussion instruments. Eight instructors and their upper elementary students were videotaped in four regular rehearsals each. Systematic analyses of rehearsal frames in which teachers were working to improve student performance revealed fast teacher pacing and a predominance of instructional directives that were procedural (e.g., where to begin playing) rather than musical (e.g., how to perform more accurately or expressively). The majority of students' performance problems were related to precision, often caused by rushing the underlying pulse. Instructional targets were most often related to technique. Students successfully accomplished proximal goals in 63 % of the performance trials in which the targets were verbalized by the teacher prior to performance and in 74 % of the performance trials when the targets were verbalized by the teachers while students were playing. Students were most successful when teachers used clear, explicit directives and positive modeling.