Developing pre-service music teachers’ capacities to prepare and lead ensembles in an online environment, through authentic immersion in a cross-campus performance

In 2020, Music education students across two university campuses in different states in Australia participated in a collaborative performance assessment task, designed to reflect the real world of secondary school music teaching. During the COVID-19 pandemic, interactive classes and performance opportunities were necessarily restricted to an online, remote environment. The opportunity to provide authentic music ensemble experiences in this context became a particular challenge.

Each student had responsibility for leadership and teaching of a piece of music representing a non-Western culture. They were required to collaborate with a small group of peers to present ensemble pieces in a public performance. Due to COVID restrictions, one cohort completed the entire task online. Students completed an extended reflection in which they described their learning experiences and outcomes. This included exploration of their professional growth as music teachers, and the impact of the online environment. They were invited to participate in the research by sharing this reflection.

Participants overwhelmingly reported that the project was a positive learning experience, with significant impact on the development of their skills as Music teachers and ensemble directors. In particular, those who completed the task online described powerful learning with regard to expanding their digital capabilities and confidence. These findings suggest that engagement in online collaborative Music performances could contribute to the development of music teachers’ capacities to operate successfully across contemporary education contexts.