Group Classes: Techniques for Success

By Julia Kossuth

At the Studios of Sarah Strout, we offer a variety of group classes for our youngest students. This creates a fun environment for our kids to receive an introduction to music while learning basic skills of making and understanding music.

The dynamic of a group class is, needless to say, quite a bit different than the dynamic of a private lesson. With this dynamic comes elements of classroom control and musical ensemble between all participants. Because our group classes are for ages 4-6, the maturity of our students also contributes to the dynamic of the class.

For my group piano classes, I’ve found two things particularly helpful for maintaining a good classroom flow. The first is having plenty of theory worksheets and activities on hand for moments when I need to work with a student one-on-one. This maximizes productivity in the classroom. The second thing that has been so fun in one of my group classes in particular is pairing the students up to work on duets. We’ve begun by having the primos learn their part together and the secondos learning their part together, and then gradually working towards playing the duets with their partner. This has created some wonderful listening and following skills in these students.

For my group ukulele class, one of the biggest challenges is disparate levels of dexterity among the students. This means that we move at a slow pace, with lots of time spent on each new chord before moving on. Consequently, this means our song choices are limited. In order to make practicing our chords and limited selection of songs fun, I let the students tell stories with their song. For example, when we play Three Blind Mice, we play it with our eyes closed. We also might play it three times, once at a moderate tempo and volume, once very slow and quiet as if sneaking past a cat, and once loud and fast as if we’ve been spotted by a cat! This gives the students such a great experience in expressing themselves through music, while still practicing their musical skills.

What are some successful activities that you use in your group classes?