Video recording of practice used in group/ensemble teaching
Group review of practice recordings
An activity for an ensemble or group of students, conducted as part of group instruction. The teacher leaves the rehearsal room, allowing students to practice independently and record video or audio on their own phones. These recordings are then reviewed together by the ensemble/group along with the teacher. Through a discussion of the recordings, students identify specific focus areas they want to work on.
Navigate the different aspects of the activity here
Before, during and after the activity
BEFORE
The teacher
- Plans how many times the activity will be conducted and ensures there is enough time allocated
- Thoroughly prepares the students for what will take place, explaining how and why the activity will be conducted
The students
- Prepare their individual instrumental parts
DURING
The teacher
- Helps students get started on recording
- Watches the videos with the students, supporting them in paying attention to musical focus areas and guiding them in giving and receiving feedback
The students
- Stay attentive to each other and try to act naturally while recording
- Practice being mindful of focus areas and giving/receiving feedback
- Choose the specific focus area(s) they want to work on individually
AFTER
The teacher
- Follows up on the work related to the agreed-upon focus areas
The students
- Continue to work on the agreed focus areas between classes
Experiences with the activity
A brass ensemble at Aalborg School of the Arts has viewed recordings of each other’s practice sessions three times. They recorded both in class and at home. For some, making a quick recording was easy, while others took longer (sometimes too long). Several students had previously recorded themselves in other contexts, practicing with their own recordings (first/second part) and with recordings made by the teacher or found on streaming platforms. The teacher observed that students offered constructive feedback and had valuable input for each other, though it could be “challenging to give feedback to one another, as they’re young and don’t want to ‘say something wrong’ – plus, they lack vocabulary since they are still quite young”.
As a brass ensemble teacher, Ida Hovde developed and implemented this activity in her teaching—hear Ida explain the activity, her experiences, and her reflections after completing it.