We’re just about to head into concert season, and many of us have been preparing for these upcoming events for weeks. While the thrill of getting students ready to showcase all of their hard work is always exciting, for me, it has also always been daunting. Having taught preK-8 everything I am no stranger to the constant demand for performances throughout the year. And not just for my band and choir kids. Whole-grade, schoolwide concerts featuring all students in my general music classes was common. This was just something that was expected of me. The teachers I replaced did it. The teachers before them did it. It was the thing to do.
I did not like it one bit. The stress of putting on concerts with my general music students impacted my teaching in such a way that suddenly my general music classes were structured like my band and choir rehearsals. In the weeks leading up to my general music concerts, I would take away precious learning time to prepare my students to put on polished performances, practicing the same music over and over again until students were bored to tears.
In all of this, I lost sight of what mattered most—my students. Sure, some of them enjoyed it. But others would dread the idea of performing on a stage in front of hundreds of people. The joy, excitement, and feelings of security that I worked so hard to instill in my classes would often be undermined by the pace of concert prep.
After a few years of doing things the way they’ve “always been done”, I had enough. Something had to give. After convincing my principal that the students needed a change, the transition from formal performances to grade-level showcases and celebrations of learning and growth began—informances had officially become a part of the school culture (and my general music students, bands and choirs all came along for the ride!).
Informances through the lens of equity
While much of music education has traditionally been centered around creating polished performances for audiences, informances have the potential for becoming more impactful for students because they allow them to showcase what they have learned in a more authentic and meaningful way. More simply put, traditional performances center a polished product, while informances are more concerned with showcasing the process of learning. For my schools, it wasn’t just a showcase, it was a celebration.
Highlighting the learning process. It’s a compelling idea. And as an educator who is all about adapting and meeting students’ needs, it’s an idea that I can totally get behind.
What I personally love about informances is that they support student equity on a whole new level. Consider, for example, your students and all of their various needs. What do your students need to be successful in your general music classes and ensemble rehearsals? What would success look like for them outside of school? And how can we help support and showcase that?
For me, students’ needs have always been constant: They need to be seen, heard, validated, have ownership, have opportunities to experience learning and share that learning in a variety of ways, and more importantly, in ways that honor who they are as individuals. They need to authentically connect school music to what’s happening for them outside in their own world.
Including informances in your curricular goals with your students provides more opportunities for students to have their needs met while welcoming all forms of participation. That’s one of the key things about equity—welcoming and including each student for who they are and what they bring to the table. Below are some examples of how informances can promote equity for our music students.
