Although I have found innumerable posts on flipped classrooms in almost every other imaginable subject area, I have yet to find a single one on flipping a band class. I was very excited to find Clintondale High School, an entirely flipped highschool in Michigan and thought for sure this would present me with my flipped band model, but sadly I discovered that English, Math, Social Studies and Science are the only subject areas that are advertised on the Clintondale High School website. I did some detective work on Clintondale High School, and discovered that there are indeed sports and music programs at the school, but unfortunately the only online profile these areas have are via teacher created facebook pages, google sites and youtube videos. After watching Clintondale High School’s principal and teacher’s promote the flipped model, I was surprised to see that a school that believes so strongly in its cause for improvement on student success, would not have cross-over philosophies in the band classroom. And so I really spent some time to consider why.
Having taken a look at articles and websites like: Vodcasting and the Flipped Classroom ; Learning4Mastery; Reverse Instruction: Dan Pink and Karl’s “Fisch Flip”; The Flipped Classroom Model: A Full Picture; 3 Keys to a Flipped Classroom; and How the Flipped Classroom is Radically Changing Learning, I see the flipped classroom as one that is typically characterized by:
- pre-learning preparation experiences (practice) by students
- action oriented classroom activities where students apply preparatory learning and often taking more control of their own learning and accomplishments
- teacher acts as a coach and troubleshooter rather than dispenser of knowledge, helping students in applying and personalizing knowledge and skills, stretching students to appropriate challenges
And then I realized it – the reason why no one talks about flipped classrooms in band is that if you look really quickly at what happens in a band, the band classroom actually looks like a flipped model. In a typical band class students are given music and exercises to go away with and practice. Students bring the music back and put their skills into action applying the practice, and then the teacher troubleshoots and coaches to make sure that there is success. Sounds like a flipped classroom right? I found at least one undergrad that in her blog Teach, Play, Sing also made the connection between flipped classrooms and classic performance-based music instruction classes.
Flipped classroom!
This is oftentimes similar (thought not quite the same) to how many of my music classes work. For example, in my voice lessons I’ll actually work on something with my instructor, receiving instant feedback and help, and then proceed to master it on my own. The same in ensembles – you work the part as a group, then master it on your own later. The initial questions are answered, and it’s only the practice that is left.
BUT, is a typical band classroom really flipped? And if it were flipped, why wouldn’t Clintondale High School have also shown the band class on their flipped high school website?
Although there is great potential to flip some aspects of learning in the band classroom – I am absolutely convinced that the typical band class is NOT a flipped model and should never be confused as such. The major difference between a flipped classroom and a typical band class is the role of the students in the class. The typical band is directed by a conductor who is the focus of the students during performance and the students depend on that conductor to take them through their performance. The conductor in a typical band most often diagnoses rather than troubleshoots with the students, offering quick fix answers for how to solve the problems that unfold in the music. In a flipped classroom – students would not be dependent on the teacher to carry them through a performance related task and in contrast would have developed independence through the challenges set in the classroom. They would not need the teacher to give them the answers as to how to fix the problem, but would rather have the teacher point them in a direction for effective problem solving.
But the typical band classroom is not the only band classroom out there and fortunately there are a growing number of music educators dedicated to developing independent musicians through the band program. The MENC’s National Standards for Music Education contain the language and philosophy of developing independent musicians through performing experiences, and here’s where the flipped model could really help further improve our situation in the band classroom. Studying how educators from other disciplines have effectively implemented a flipped model helps me to make changes in how I teach in the band classroom.
Although I didn’t know I was flipping at the time, one flipped-unit I have implemented in grade 6 band was a solo unit where students choose their own music to perform as a solo, practice it and then post the pre-recordings on a shared web-site, students provide feedback to each other as to what went well in the recording and how to solve the musical dilemmas that occurred in their music, they practice some more and finally have a virtual chamber recital that contains the final performance of their solo. As the teacher, I spent my time observing their rehearsal process, and intervened where necessary, but basically the students did everything on their own and I was not the center of their performance. The students were motivated to practice because they chose the music and were sharing it with their peers. They chose music that in quite a few cases I thought was a little bit too challenging, but they wanted to do it and lo and behold, they accomplished more than what I thought they would achieve. As a class they moved faster and further than previous classes and I think this unit was the “thing” that pushed them to the next level. This year we will implement the unit into the other grade levels as well.
Adding a further face lift to band and inspired by Brian Bennett (and tired of grading “busy work”), I am abandoning the traditional band practice record and instead having students use individual practice portfolios. Instead of the students recording the number of minutes that they practice and me having to grade their total practice times, students will maintain a practice portfolio that shows the process of their practice. In addition to students posting recordings of some of the things that they have been practicing, students will also provide commentary about the next goal that they will work towards (i.e. My recording is of scale study #2 at metronome marking trying to get the excerpt they have been practicing to a metronome speed of quarter note = 90.) Since we have many students that are at different levels, the portfolio will contain options for students to choose different practice items that will be appropriate to the performance goals/skills/techniques that we set for them and options to work towards improvement in a particular area of their instrumental -playing technique. Students will also have the option of selecting practice items that will contribute to their performance grade. I’m hoping that by changing to a multi-option, goal-centered practice portfolio that I will be fostering a practice experience where students will develop greater ownership of their learning/practicing in music as well as increased independence in performing music.
Perhaps an entirely flipped classroom is not completely natural to band and other performance based music classes , but the principles behind flipping, reverse instruction and mastery learning are most certainly applicable to teaching of any subject, including band. Creating flipped units and projects that are geared towards greater musical independence (a product of mastery learning) couldl help to transform music education into a system that is far more inclusive than what it is now. Music education systems have created a culture of dependence and a society that believes that only a few “special” people are talented in music, and unfortunately for our children the “special talent” subjects often end up being the first to be cut from schools all over the world. The future of music relies on a renewal of music teaching practice that will help to correct this false-special talent paradigm and allow every child an opportunity to be successful in music. Clintondale High School created their flipped high school in response to the large number of failures occurring in English, Math, Science and Social Studies, perhaps it’s time for music education to respond to the large number of failures in music and perhaps flipped instruction is one such means.
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