Collaborative Learning in Higher Music Education (SEMPRE Studies in The Psychology of Music) - Tapa dura

'Music is the most collaborative of artistic practices - it is a universal "glue" of interdisciplinary working - yet this aspect of music making and music learning remains under researched. I very much welcome the explorations in this volume as an important addition to our thinking and understanding of collaboration in music learning.' John Wallace, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, UK 'This book makes a strong case for collaboration in music education, at the highest levels of performance. The chapters are written by the top international scholars and practitioners, the research is fascinating and original, and the chapters have many practical implications for music educators.' Keith Sawyer, Washington University in St. Louis, USA and author of Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration 'This book makes an important contribution to the current discussions and debates concerning the role of collaborative thought and practice in individual and collective learning in music.' Margaret Barrett, University of Queensland, Australia

In higher music education, learning in social settings (orchestras, choirs, bands, chamber music and so on) is prevalent, yet understanding of such learning rests heavily on the transmission of knowledge and skill from master to apprentice. This narrow view of learning trajectories pervades in both one-to-one and one-to-many contexts. This is surprising given the growing body of knowledge about the power of collaborative learning in general, underpinned by theoretical developments in educational psychology: the social dimensions of learning, situational learning and concepts of communities of learners. Collaborative Learning in Higher Music Education seeks to respond to the challenge of becoming more conscious of the creative and multiple dimensions of social interaction in learning music, in contexts ranging from interdisciplinary projects to one-to-one tuition, and not least in the contemporary context of rapid change in the cultural industries and higher education as a whole. It brings together theoretical papers and case studies of practice. Themes covered include collaborative creativity, communities of practice, peer-learning, co-teaching as co-learning, assessment and curriculum structures. Chapters illuminate reasons for enabling collaborative learning, and provide exemplars of innovative practice and designs for collaborative learning environments in higher music education. A central purpose of the book is to scaffold change, to help in meeting the rapid changes in society and to find constructive stepping stones or signposts for teachers and students.