Pedagogy in Orchestration Practice Workgroup
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Summary
The Pedagogy in Orchestration Practice Workgroup aims to develop modular educational resources that synthesize ACTOR members' research and current pedagogy, with the goal of enhancing and expanding orchestration education by providing educators with flexible, accessible tools designed to deepen students' understanding and practical application of orchestration across a wide range of music education approaches.
Workgroup Leaders
Kit Soden, Victor Cordero, Fabien Lévy
Contact: christopher[dot]soden[at]umontreal[dot]ca
Overview
As the ACTOR project enters the final year of its 7-year partnership grant, we believe that our workgroup plays an important role in synthesizing and implementing the project's cumulative findings and innovations. By drawing on ACTOR's groundbreaking research and current pedagogy across partner institutions, we aim to create flexible and accessible tools that deepen students' understanding and practical application of orchestration across various musical fields and contexts.
Our mission is to provide educators with adaptable, targeted resources that maximize the accessibility and impact of ACTOR's research. These materials will be designed for easy integration into existing orchestration courses or combined to create standalone units on orchestration-related topics. By employing a modular design, we hope that educators can easily incorporate new insights and methods into their courses.
Building on successful models like the Teaching Timbre Topics modules, which organizes teaching materials drawn from timbre-themed courses at various institutions, our workgroup will extend this approach to orchestration more broadly.
Through this work, we hope to lay the foundation for a new era in orchestration education, one that reflects the richness and relevance of the field as illuminated by ACTOR's initiatives. We invite educators, researchers, and music professionals to collaborate with us in this essential endeavour to advance teaching and learning about the art of orchestration.
To learn more or get involved, please contact christopher[dot]soden[at]umontreal[dot]ca
Subgroups
To be defined at the 2024 ACTOR Y6 meeting at UBC in Vancouver, BC.
Envisioned Projects
As the main goal is to create output, the plan revolves around Modular Resource Development:
Identifying Key Themes and Current Practices
Survey ACTOR's research outputs and existing orchestration curricula
Survey how other institutions teach orchestration
Creating Adaptable Modules and Submodules
Develop self-contained units on core orchestration concepts, techniques, and applications, drawing on ACTOR's findings
Design materials to be scalable for different educational levels and customizable for various course formats and durations
Piloting and Refining Resources
Partner with educators at ACTOR institutions to test modules in real classroom settings
Gather feedback from students and faculty to optimize content, organization, and usability
Dissemination and Support
Make modules widely available through online platforms and partnerships with music education organizations
Offer workshops and guides to help educators effectively incorporate modules into their teaching
