This week was our penultimate Integrated Arts input and thus, we were beginning to draw our learning to a conclusion. Over the past few weeks we have been developing new skills in both dance and music. This week, we were able to create pieces of art that we could take pride in, with limited guidance from lecturers.

Dance
In this week’s dance workshop, we completed the choreography for our final dance. We finalised our group dances and slotted them into our class dance. We also added transition moves to the choreography (see below).

Curriculum for Excellence states that creativity and the creation of dance should be at the heart of dance lessons (Scottish Government, n.d.). In conjunction with this, our dance is made up of the cohort’s own ideas. Zara taught us the ten basic dance steps and provided limited guidance throughout the process, allowing the final dance to be shaped entirely by us. This autonomous learning allowed us to develop our creative skills.

Music
In previous music inputs, we have looked at various learning processes that can be used to teach children to read conventional music notation. This week, we had the opportunity to play music on the glockenspiel using written notation (see right). I found this input challenging yet enjoyable. I was able to read the music but could not do so quickly. If I were to play the correct notes in time to the backing track, I found I had to read the music before we started playing.

We also had the opportunity to improvise. Improvisation is defined as a “free performance of a musical passage” (Encyclopaedia Brittanica, n.d.). It allows for self-expression and develops higher-order thinking skills (Biasutti, 2017). Individually, we each took turns at playing 16 beats of music using the notes C, D, E, G and A to the backing track ‘Hit the Road Jack.’ Many members of the cohort, myself included, felt nervous about this because we are not confident in our musical abilities. However, despite this everyone in the section quickly realised that if we kept time quite well, we could make a lovely piece of music. This meant a quick growth in confidence and resulted in feelings of pride following the activity.

I imagine children would react similarly if presented with this task. As a practitioner, I feel it is vitally important to develop children’s confidence and ability to perform or speak in front of a group. However, teachers must be aware of nerves and self-consciousness and thus, I feel we should build these skills gradually and without making children feel uncomfortable.

Each of the tasks we completed this week, afforded us the creative autonomy to decide, within a broad context, what we created. Giving children creative freedom has been found to spark a growth in confidence and a love of art (Drummond, 2006). I have found that my confidence in my musical and dance ability has grown dramatically throughout our latest inputs and I have thoroughly enjoyed the tasks.

Overall, I feel a great sense of pride in the artwork that I created this week. I enjoyed being able to share the experience of creating art with my peers and sharing my artwork with the remainder of the cohort. At the start of these inputs, I did not consider myself to be particularly good at music or dance and would not have thought that in a matter of weeks I could create something that I was proud of in either of these disciplines. As such, as a practitioner I aim to afford my pupils the same opportunities to develop both their artistic and creative skills and their confidence.

Reference List
Biasutti, M. (2017) Teaching Improvisation through Processes. Applications in Music Education and Implications for General Education. Front Psychol. [Online] Vol.8(911). Available: Frontiers in Psychology. [Accessed: 19 November 2019]

Drummond, M. J. (2006) Room 13 Case Study Report. [Online] Available: room13international.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Room13-Case-Study-Report-Nesta-2006.pdf [Accessed: 19 November 2019]

Encyclopaedia Brittanica (eds). (n.d.) Improvisation. [Online] Available: https://www.britannica.com/art/improvisation-music [Accessed: 19 November 2019]

Scottish Government. (n.d.) Curriculum for Excellence: Expressive Arts Experiences and Outcomes. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/Documents/expressive-arts-eo.pdf [Accessed: 19 November 2019]