End-of-Year Student-Centered Activities for Performance-Based Ensembles (that would benefit them during the year, too!)

Ah….it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Concerts are wrapping up, students have fulfilled their performance requirements, and many have even learned some new skills along the way.

But, wait! You still have four or more weeks left of school, which means four or more weeks left of ensemble rehearsal time, but no concerts! As tempting as it may be to just put in a movie or review everything from the year for the next four weeks, consider doing something you might have not had the chance to do with your students during the height of all the concert preparation for the year.

It’s true, we might not have all the time in the world for getting to more student-centered, socially-driven activities in our ensembles, but the end of the school year is the perfect time to test things out to see if your students respond to these types of activities. Who knows? Maybe you can interject them throughout the next school after you have done a little trial and error with them over these next weeks. Here are some of my top recommendations for things to try with your performing ensembles at the end of the year:

Go on Tour

Arrange performances at local retirement homes, community centers, or charity events. Not only does this give students a chance to perform for a different audience, but it also serves the community. If you teach middle or high school band, this would also be a great time to recruit for next year’s ensembles by showcasing your groups at different schools in your district. Consider creating a program with short explanations or anecdotes about the music to engage the audience. You might even want to take the opportunities to make these mini-concerts an informance, where your students can truly take ownership and run the show!

Collaborative Projects

Consider a last-minute collaborative project with other teachers in your school for some cross-curricular benefits for your students. Meet with other arts department teachers to discuss collaboration opportunities. Choose a theme or concept that can be explored across different art forms. Work together to create a cohesive performance that integrates music, visual arts, and/or drama. Invite students from other schools to come see the wonderful collaboration in action.

Create!

I absolutely LOVE the idea of students composing music during ensemble rehearsals and then showcasing it at a future performance. I also love anything to do with MadLibs. Have your students compose music to match the story of a completed MadLibs. Tie in as many musical elements as you would like. Have students justify why they composed something a certain way. This type of activity is not only very engaging, it really requires a lot of knowledge application when it comes to musical content and skills. As a teacher, that’s a win-win!

Conductor of the Day

I don’t know about you, but I know that most students that I have taught would have loved to have been given the opportunity to be front-and-center on the podium. Teach students the basics of conducting, and let them try their hand at it with the pieces that your ensembles have already mastered and performed in concerts throughout the year. Challenge them to change tempo and dynamics within the piece through their gestures while challenging the rest of the students to do exactly what the “Conductor of the Day” is asking of them. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll identify a hidden talent that you can showcase in next year’s programming!

There is really no right or wrong way to end the school year with our ensembles. But there are lots of creative options that we can try. Whatever you do to wrap up this school year with ensembles, just go for it! Take the risks, involve your students, and see where these activities take you. Although these are not traditional, by any sense, these type of student-centered recommendations might just become a fun part of you ensemble instruction moving forward. Enjoy!