Leading music activities: What's involved
Leading music activities requires a range of skills. This guide outlines what you should consider when delivering music projects and activities. From planning your sessions to engaging your participants, you will need to be flexible in your approach and open to new ideas:
- Why
Make sure you know why you’re leading the music activity. If you’re not sure of the aims of the project, it will be harder to give the sessions a proper sense of direction. Knowing why and how you have been asked to work with the group should govern everything else that follows. If you are commissioned to work with a group or class, find out exactly what the expected outcomes are.
- Who
It’s important to understand that different groups (e.g. adults, children, people with special needs) require different approaches, and some demand specialist skills. Make sure that are well equipped to work with the group in question, and that your skills match the needs of the group. If you are asked to deliver a music project for an early years group for instance, some prior experience with under 5’s is likely to be a requirement. Understanding who you are going to be working with, and what needs they may have might seem obvious, but this needs to be considered in the initial planning stages of a music project.
- Where
The physical environment (e.g. spaces, equipment, lighting) all play an important part. Some working environments may not have purpose-built facilities, so be aware of the scope or limitations of the space that you will be working in.
There are various ways to help young people discover their musical potential,
but this often depends on the context of the music session and the students’ own
method of learning. The following approaches are not mutually exclusive, but they
are the most commonly defined:
- Teacher
A teacher will normally deliver music activities within the framework of a curriculum. For the most part, they tend to deliver music activities in formal settings such as schools and colleges.
- Facilitator
Community musicians often describe their approach as facilitating rather than teaching. It is usually defined as more learner-led, and flexible in delivery.
- Mentor
Mentoring involves advising and guiding young people according to their interests and abilities. It is less ‘hands-on’ than either of the approaches above, and broader in scope as it frequently ties in with the personal and social factors affecting the student’s development.
- Negotiation skills
If you have been hired by an organisation to deliver a music project, you will need to be able to work collaboratively with them, to ensure that the purpose of the music activity is clear. Make sure that you know what the scope and aims of the session(s) are. You will also need to apply your negotiation skills to your group of students. An overly-directive, demanding style will not encourage the group to take ‘ownership’ of the music, so ensure that you strike the right balance between instructing and supporting the group.
- Project management
You may be involved in project managing the music sessions, and will need to be aware of what this involves. For more detailed information, read MusicLeader’s guide to project management.
- Planning
To work effectively you will need to plan your sessions. Make sure you allow time for supporting your students, either on a one-to-one basis, or by breaking the group up into smaller numbers. If you are working in youth justice settings for example, behavioural management is likely to feature in your day-to-day work, so be aware of what will make demands on the time that you have in each session.
- Striking the right balance
There is always a balance to be struck between the musical and social aims of a music project. You will need to deliver a musical experience of quality, within the constraints that may be in place. Constraints could range from the participants’ level of ability, to the length or frequency of the sessions. The ‘non-musical’ project aims may also have an impact on the music making itself, so make sure you are aware of the project’s limitations.
- The end result
Although the ongoing progress of your music sessions will be the main focus of your work, it can be motivating to mark the end of a project or activity with a presentation or concert of some sort. Show casing student’s work can raise their self-esteem and help to raise the profile of the music sessions. Funding partners and potential participants can be invited along to share in the experience and reinforce the value of the music activity. For more information on marketing your music project, read MusicLeader’s guide to Marketing and advocacy.
Author's credit: "Leading music activities" has been written by David Price.
