Conformity in music education

One of this week's assignments is to post how I think I could use conformity to help in developing successful classes and ensembles.

Though our text this week described many ways of defining conformity, to me it boils down to submitting to peer pressure.  While in many cases this might be a problem, there are ways to help the educational process using conformity.

For instance, in my teaching scenario as a private clarinet instructor, I use a similar method of lesson instruction for each student.  I usually use the process of scales, etudes/solos, and duets.  While each student is a different stage in terms of skill with each of these, when they see each other (either in passing while one student leaves a lesson and another is coming in, or at school for many of my students attend the same one) they can relate to each other and feel a similar sense of "belonging" as they are each experiencing the same process.  When I add other items, like composing or improvising, I make sure each student still experiences a similar lesson based on their level. 

In both private lesson recitals and in larger ensemble concert, I think visual uniformity at performances is a key factor to making sure students do not feel out of place.  Establishing a blanket uniform like black pants and white shirts allows for a little individual expression with outfits, but not so much that some students would ever feel singled out, especially when compared to all the other students at the performance.  It helps to provide a sense of unity just in visual expression and belonging to a group.  When a student does not conform to the established parameters, they will feel singled out and feel like they are detracting from the group mentality.  Uniforms are an easy way to use conformity to benefit musical performances.

Another technique that works well, especially for younger elementary students, is a color code system.  Up on some part of a wall within the classroom, a magnetic or felt display with large block lines of blue, green, yellow, and red are displayed.  Circles with each student's name attached adhere to the colors, each representing a state of participation/behavior with blue being the top, red being the bottom.  The teacher can move up and down the circles during the lessons as deemed appropriate.  Using a box of cheap prizes, at the end of each week (or lesson if you only see the students once a week) those students who finish at blue (or had blue for each day in the week) can choose a prize.  This promotes students to all conform to good behavior and participation, especially when they can see the status of all other students in the classroom, and no student would want to be the individual that did not receive a prize. 

In the case of field trips, I've always found it useful to provide an assignment the student must complete while the filed trip is taking place.  In the example of taking the students to see a professional organization, a list of questions to answer and things to reflect on that could easily be forgotten if they do not write them down as the event is occurring is a great way to ensure the students will have notebooks with them, and be seen writing the answers to the questions as the field trip progresses.  Students will feel the need to fit in and be writing in their notebook as well, especially if some other students who are doing the work look at them questionably if they are not. 

These are just a few examples of how I (and others) could or already use conformity within the musical classroom.  Being honest, looking at this social psychology aspect of developing practices and techniques to use within the classroom is not one I have consciously considered before, and I believe that more developed ideas and techniques are bound to be used in the future as I become more experienced with looking at the topic from this perspective.