Let’s play together: teacher perspectives on collaborative chamber music instruction

This article reports on a pilot project exploring the viability of a teaching-through-playing approach in chamber music instruction in higher music education. Literature suggests that teaching traditions such as the one-to-one setting need renewal, and socio-cultural theories of learning propose that collaboration and participation are a way forward. To explore this new approach, a multiple case study of four chamber music groups with teachers as playing participants was set up in two institutions in Australia and Norway. Participants were interviewed to examine their attitudes, use of teaching and learning strategies, and perceived challenges and benefits of the approach. The findings suggest that working with professionals in a community of practice in a real-life setting intensifies and broadens learning of musical, social and general skills relevant for chamber music performance. However, the study revealed challenges regarding power relations that need to be resolved. In conclusion, the approach seems to be a promising supplement to existing teaching traditions. The master-apprentice model is through this approach re-imagined as a master-apprentice relationship of guided participation. The guidance comes from social partners’ feedback and from the hands-on involvement in and observation of the action culture of chamber music performance demonstrated as a professional practice.