Abstract
This paper examines what goes on in an improvising jazz combo in a secondary school in Scotland, where teaching follows Rogoff's three-stage sociocultural process, moving from an initial apprenticeship model through one of guided participation to one of participatory appropriation. Using a case study research design and interpretative phenomenological analysis, and drawing on sociocultural perspectives, the music-making and participation of three participants is discussed and presented through narrative account. Three key themes emerged as perceived benefits: (1) personal effects, (2) social effects; and (3) jazz effects. The development of confidence was seen as the main outcome of learning in the jazz combo. This study suggests that learning in an active participatory jazz combo with pedagogy more appropriate to an informal learning style may help to foster the development of learner voice and help enable a creative disposition, in line with the philosophy of Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
Highlights
The study of jazz improvisation in Scottish schools tends to be minimal
Three significant themes emerged from the data analysis that were fundamental to all participants:
There was a wide range of perceived benefits from learning in the jazz combo, with all participants unanimous that confidence building was the key skill that each had benefited from
Summary
The study of jazz improvisation in Scottish schools tends to be minimal. This paper examines what goes on in a small-scale study in a secondary school in Scotland where one teacher/ researcher, through personal enculturation in jazz, foregrounds jazz and jazz improvisation in the school. The paper presents the experiences of the young people and the perceived impact of their active engagement in music-making through jazz as they gained initial mastery of jazz improvisation. There are clear limitations to this study It is based on self-reports from a small sample of young people from one school. There is encouragement to embed creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation across learning in Scotland in order to foster the development of critical thinking skills and learner voice: Scotland needs to prepare its young people for life and work in an uncertain economic and social environment if they are to thrive in an era of increasingly rapid change. How do young people reflect on learning in an improvising jazz combo in an active participatory setting?. How does a young person’s participation in an improvising jazz combo change as they are guided through a developmental process?. In the discussion that follows, participants in the study are referred to as ‘N’, ‘L’ and ‘J’
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