What Repertoire should our pupils play? Erika Kalmanczhey considers how teacher and pupil choice of repertoire can facilitate situational learning in music
It is a fundamental question in music education to know what musical pieces our students should play. Should they engage with easy or harder pieces, should they perform classical pieces or popular melodies? Who should choose the repertoire? Are child-chosen pieces of any good quality or is it better to leave it with a teacher? We know that different people would answer these questions in various ways. We are also aware that most musicians would only play a certain genre, tradition or style. Does it mean that we should follow these patterns or should we engage with new trends? How should we educate our students in a modern, multicultural and multi traditional country?
Teacher-assigned
repertoire
Extensive research has been taken on self-motivation and on the
process of learning that has confirmed our worries about teacher-assigned repertoire. The researchers have understood that external motivation (motivation that comes from a teacher) reduces the value of learning in children. This can happen even if the students love music in general. In addition, children may lose their motivation, become bored or sad. They may even practise less with out significant improvement.
Self-selected repertoire Children have a natural, built-in interest towards the world that surrounds them. When they are allowed to choose and play the musical pieces they like, some thing wonderful happens to them. Their natural motivation turns on and they fully regulate their own learning. The students’ attention expands and their cognitive functions increase. The time they spend practising gets longer and their emotional involvement grows significantly. What does this mean to us? Should we just cancel teacher- led musical activities in schools? Should the students only learn the pieces they really like? Luckily, no! Researchers have found the way to ‘trick’ the brain into learning.
