Amateur orchestras as a learning environment for music academy students

Abstract

Orchestral playing is a common form of ensemble playing within higher music education. However, students sometimes participate in amateur orchestras outside of their formal education. This study focuses on what students learned by participating and what the educational institutions gained. The study is a case study of a music education institution and four amateur orchestras and consisted of eight interviews with conductors and administrators. The study shows that learning in the amateur orchestra is similar to learning in formal education contexts, such as developing knowledge of repertoire, in which both institutions contribute to the student’s overall knowledge. Nevertheless, some aspects are better learnt outside of formal education such as educational roles, the creation of a professional identity as a musician and knowledge of different social contexts.

Benefits, co-operation and development—The relationship between a music academy and four amateur symphony orchestras

“…Two of the orchestras are located in this city, and two in a smaller city nearby with about 100 000 inhabitants. The full study was published in Swedish (Lonnert, 2019b) and an article based on students' participation and learning, mainly based on interviews with conductors, was also published (Lonnert, 2020). The study can be seen as a case study based on Merriam's (2009) definition of studying 'a bounded system' (p. 40).…”

“…While amateur orchestras could be viewed from all three perspectives, the third perspective applies most directly since normally orchestras are directed by a musical leader or conductor. However, as shown in Lonnert (2019bLonnert ( , 2020, the conductor can have the role of an educator in an amateur orchestra compared to a professional orchestra. This might also be the case in an orchestra within music education (Harrison et al, 2013).…”

“…There are differences in, for example, how the orchestras rehearse where an amateur orchestra cannot expect or demand all members to attend all rehearsals or to practice their parts. There are usually other differences, for example amateur orchestras often rehearse once a week where professional orchestras works in new projects every week (Lonnert, 2019b(Lonnert, , 2020.…”

“…This leads to questions about what is learned in amateur orchestras, and whether it is something different from what is learned within educational institutions. Lonnert (2020) addressed these questions in an article which reported on part of a larger study (Lonnert, 2019b) leading to further questions about the relationship between higher music education institutions and community music symphony orchestras, which are addressed in this study. This article is based on empirical material from the larger study (Lonnert, 2019b) and centered around one Swedish higher music education institution and four surrounding amateur orchestras.…”

“…Lonnert (2020) addressed these questions in an article which reported on part of a larger study (Lonnert, 2019b) leading to further questions about the relationship between higher music education institutions and community music symphony orchestras, which are addressed in this study. This article is based on empirical material from the larger study (Lonnert, 2019b) and centered around one Swedish higher music education institution and four surrounding amateur orchestras. The higher music education institution is referred to in the study as the music academy.…”