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“I like this note, but not that one”: Unlocking musicians’ voices on orchestration in an amateur symphony orchestra
Geudens, Thomas
LUCA School of Arts, Associated Faculty of the Arts, KU Leuven, Belgium
Large amateur or school ensembles such as bands, choirs and orchestras often face criticism for their conductor-centered practices, leaving little room for students’ voices concerning the music they rehearse. This practitioner study aimed to bridge the feedback gap between musicians and score, informing my practice as a conductor and arranger by incorporating musicians’ perspectives.
Adopting a praxial perspective (Small 1998; Elliott, 2009), I viewed orchestration as an arrangement not only of sounds but also of amateur players’ music-making. I sought to identify large ensemble music-making principles from amateur musicians’ feedback on their parts. I wrote a challenging arrangement of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas for a youth orchestra, which closely collaborated with several surrounding music schools. After preliminary sight-reading and rehearsal, 55 musicians annotated their parts and participated in focus group discussion within 12 instrument sections. The complexity of the piece intensified feedback, while the annotation method, using stickers and colors, added a playful element that reduced inhibition. Focus groups discussed, prioritized and formulated alternatives based on these annotations.
A reflexive thematic analysis of annotated sheet music and focus group transcripts revealed a focus on the enjoyability of the written music. Playing the melody and fitting the affordances of the instrument were key contributors. Physical and cognitive effort and efficiency played a large role, as did being able to follow the group, for which time-related (e.g. rhythm, tempo) parameters were essential. Experienced players had a leading role.
The findings inform my practice as a conductor and arranger, and contribute to the limited research on musical meaning-making in (large) ensembles. They illustrate the educational interaction between ensemble scores and amateur musicians’ music making. Such interactions in a nonformal setting can contribute to authentic ensemble experiences in instrumental school ensembles.
The Role of Choral Singing in Promoting Youth Wellbeing – Qualitative Study
Blagojević, Jovana; Habe, Katarina
Academy of Music, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Background
Many studies have explored the benefits of choral singing for wellbeing in adults, but research specifically focused on youth remains scarce. Choral singing in youth has shown physical, emotional and social benefits (Acquah, 2016; Clift & Hancox, 2001; Linemmann et al., 2017). In order to address this gap, this qualitative study aims to gain a deeper understanding of experiences of youth choir members, which will then inform a subsequent quantitative phase. Aims The study aims to understand the connection between choral singing and wellbeing in youth, specifically: motivation of youth to join and maintain engagement in choir, the perceived effects of choir participation on their wellbeing, why they consider choir singing as beneficial for their wellbeing, and factors within choir participation that may potentially diminish their wellbeing. Methods This study employed a qualitative research approach, as a part of a larger research. Focus group interviews were conducted with five groups of 4-7 Serbian youth choir members, aged between 15 and 24 years, including female/mixed choirs and school/extracurricular choirs. Interviews focused on: motivations, experiences during rehearsals/performances, social connections, and the role of the conductor. Thematic analysis was performed using MAXQDA. Results The findings suggest that choir participation supports youth wellbeing, through: social support within the choir, emotional benefits, and traveling for performances, which fostered participants’ commitment. Members reported improvements in self-confidence, musical and social skills, and described rehearsals as both relaxing and enjoyable. The conductor’s role was essential, in providing both musical and emotional support, fostering positive environment. Challenges included performance-related anxiety and balancing choir with other responsibilities. Conclusion This study highlights youth choir participation as a valuable contributor to wellbeing, supporting social connections, emotional expression and personal growth. These insights provide a foundation for the next quantitative phase, aiming to further examine these effects on a larger sample.
