Letting the cat out of the bag: developing and evaluating strategies to promote audiation in the Year 8 pop/rock composition classroom
Annabel Sargent
(PGCE Secondary: Music, 2022-2023)
Email: as3288@cantab.ac.uk
Abstract
Many students lack confidence in composition at GCSE, stemming partly from a lack of direction in how to compose at Key Stage 3. Building on Edwin Gordon’s (1989) research, which identifies audiation – the ability to think in sound – as a foundational component of musical creativity, I developed strategies to promote audiation skills in my students and implemented them as part of a pop/rock scheme of work with a Year 8 mixed-ability Music class. There is evidence to suggest that these strategies provided my students with a clear process to follow and that they harnessed audiation as a central tool in creating their final compositions, supporting motivic development and awareness of stylistic conventions. Findings indicate that developing students’ audiation skills holds great promise in improving outcomes and enjoyment of composition at Key Stage 3 and beyond.
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The full paper is available for download as a pdf file: 001-038sargenta
Citation: Sargent, A. (2024).Letting the cat out of the bag: developing and evaluating strategies to promote audiation in the Year 8 pop/rock composition classroom. Journal of Trainee Teacher Educational Research, Volume 15 pp. 01-38. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.107443