Sunday 9th May
Last year during the lockdown I spent some time learning new skills. One of the first things I tried out was the online Jazz Improvisation Course by Berklee College, from www.coursera.com. The module worked like this (see flowchart):
What made the course so interesting for me was the reviews: I got to learn a lot about how my peers from around the world were playing, what their opinions were about what I had posted. It kept me glued to the course throughout the 5 weeks of its duration.
My students come from varying backgrounds, and I wanted them to see what the others are doing, learn from them, critique them, and try to express their musical opinions. Hence, we had presentations at the Summer Recital. The process went on for a month before the recital.
1. Students were categorized into 4 groups.
2. Each student was given a topic to present: for example- How to practice effectively, how to sight-read better, how to clap rhythms and include them in practice, notes and rests, etc.
3. A brainstorming session followed during the lessons where the students came up with ideas on what they could include in the presentation. For the next week, they had to read up on some articles and come up with more ideas on the topic.
4. Once the ideas were in place, the students had to start work on the presentations. Some preferred to speak directly to the camera, some decided to use whiteboards & flashcards, and some used PowerPoint.
5. Once the final drafts were submitted, they were uploaded on Google Drive.
A feedback form was made where they could review the presentations.
Performances:
We had done a series of 9 Recitals at Studio Meraki a month ago- ‘Zoom State of Mind’.
A similar format was used here. The Students performed online on Zoom, each student performing 2 pieces.
Over 150 reviews were submitted by the students- which included
· what the viewer liked about the presentation,
· what they learned and
· what could have been better in the presentation
2 guitar students of Liberty Music Works (Aniruddha Gaikwad) also participated in the event.
Students received a list of reviews. Those who submitted more than 6 reviews got a special Super Supportive Peer certificate!
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