Abstract
In the current debate concerning the Swedish Schools of Music and Performing Arts (SMPAs) the concept of flexibility is frequently used. Here it mostly describes the necessity to take students’ requests and needs into account in teacher education and the institutions’ ability to adapt to changing demands for artistic activities among children and adolescents. In contrast to this view, this study examines flexibility as a central competency of the teaching profession and particularly in a curriculum-free environment such as the SMPAs. Resting on the assumption that teachers with a large toolkit have a certain advantage in practising flexibility, the study is based on interviews with three multi-instrumentalists, all of them experienced music teachers in SMPAs. The analysis suggests three forms of flexibility that are related to the teachers’ use of instrumental tools, each of them emerging in particular kinds of teaching activities: problem-solving flexibility in instrument-related counseling, method flexibility in ensemble leadership, and role flexibility in group music-making. The findings are discussed in relation to ideals of teacher specialization and versatility, and the notion of tool-based flexibility is distinguished from improvisation as a teaching skill.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
