Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance: CMP Insight: Let's Do an Informance

Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance - Teaching wiht Intention... Performing with Understanding

Let's Do an Informance

From the Spring 2003 Issue of CMP Insight

In a time when advocacy, standards implementation, and accountability are forefront in the minds of educators, administrators, and communities, an informance offers a music program the opportunity to share student learning with the public in an informal performance setting. An informance allows (and perhaps challenges) the performance ensemble teacher to share teaching goals (outcomes, strategies), student learning and understanding, and classroom processes with their audience — enabling the audience to enjoy a better understanding of the multiple experiences students encounter in the learning process that takes them to a particular performance. Parents have commented over the years that they really appreciate this informance-type concert and that they learn something new.

What to share with the audience? There are so many possibilities. Consider short varied activities for each ensemble. There may also be simple ways to involve the audience in participating in some of the activities — even singing along. Here are some ideas and examples for you to try:

Technique Demonstrations
This is a great area for the beginning ensembles to demonstrate. Contrasting good and bad technique can be a little humorous and easy for the young musicians.
Ear Training and Solfeggio Work
So much of working with young singers is helping them to learn to listen and to practice the intervals of music. Focusing the audience attention on some of these processes can be interesting.
Performance Expressiveness
Music study in ensembles leads to performance — a sharing of the musical expression. Physical, facial, and affective presentation of the music is an important aspect of the student's development. Share with the audience important expressive elements from within the music.
Performance
Sight read a piece on the concert. Have students demonstrate the improvisation process. Share a student composition with the audience.
Form and Texture Analysis
Demonstrate the analysis or form of the music. For instance, share with the audience thematic material, texture, augmentation and diminution.
Historical or Cultural Connections
Students can research historical or cultural information and share this information and connections with the audience.
Affective Connections
The sharing of activities that helped students make affective connections with the music can profoundly influence the affective experience of the audience members too. Students can share journal activities. Students can share thoughts on the subject or emotional expression of a particular piece. Students can also relate the musical expression to aspects of their experiences.

Presenting an informance can be an exciting way to share student learning with parents, administrators, and the concert-attending community. Students are often excited to share their learning experiences, processes and journal entries along with their music performances. Though the full music curriculum may not be apparent after an informance, we have found that this type of performance can help share our teaching and learning goals with our audience members. An informance can also serve as an advocacy tool, as we demonstrate the vital role that music education plays in the overall education of our youth.