EVALUATING SKILLS IN A

MUSICAL SETTING

Aimee Belle G. Oliveros

III-7 BSE Music Education

EVALUATING SKILLS IN A
MUSICAL SETTING
Musical instruction: cannot be clinically approached in

the manner suggested by the use of a taxonomy.

Analyzing factors in musical skills: focus upon them one

at a time

Clinical analysis; teacher

Some objective scrutiny: students skills and teaching

objectives

Synthesis-analysis-synthesis
Experiences: broaden and enrich not confine or restrict

GENERAL
PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION

CONCERTS AND CONTESTS

Individuals can be evaluated through:
Solo appearances with a group
Leadership positions
Recital appearances
Solo performance at contests
Small groups may be observed:
As they accompany a soloist
As featured sections in a composition for concert
Through small ensemble concerts
In ensemble performance at contests
At performances for local civic group of all kinds

 Real evaluative benefit from a structured setting

Evaluation - Opinions of unenlightened parents, exhilaration of the stimulated

performers, and the reactions of the exhausted conductor

Music contest
When conductors are not forced into too crowded schedule = meaningful evaluation

Outside evaluation
Professional and amateur groups
Opinions of the critics: to maintain the highest performing standards
All performers need a similar outside evaluation as feedback to improve the learning

process.

 This type of evaluation is judgmental

Judgements concerning the musicality of a performance are more

complex; but the performer must be skilful enough to express his

musical ideas
In the teaching situation
Adequate outside judgements are given, and where students gain
confidence in performing for critics.
The practice of asking one or more judges to attend each

performance during the year and to submit written

comments can be helpful.

Students, if properly taught, can also make appropriate

judgments on skills

 Employing a professional performer to work

with a group for a short period of time, three

days or a week, with or without a culminating
concert.
Exchange concerts with comparable schools or
comparable groups offer opportunities for
evaluation.
In student evaluation as well as in teacher
evaluation
The problem is to focus attention on the proper

things

SECTION REHEARSALS
Excellent opportunity for the teacher to

evaluate performing skills.

Performance is carefully observed, errors
corrected, improvements suggested and tried,
with a resulting increase in skill, however
slight.

RECORDING DEVICES
Audio and video tape recorders
The advantages of replay
Can be played when the environment is more conducive to thoughtful
observation
May be played as often as necessary
Hearing their own performance, be it a musical item played or

sung or a spoken answer to a thought question, reveals much to

students.

A form for writing down reactions as one listens can be put to

good use both in teacher evaluation of the taes and in student

evaluations.

DEMONSTRATIONS
Student demonstrations, either planned or informal,

can be used frequently with good effect.

Students enjoy the profit from the preparation of a

planned demonstration, and the spontaneous

approach helps keep them prepared.

To increase objectivity, scorecards can be made for

musical performance of any kind.

AUDITIONS
Tryouts, auditions, and challenges for

chair replacement are forms of

evaluation familiar to most
instrumental and some vocal groups.

LESSONS
Private lessons given by the

instructor are probably the most

common and the most reliable
method for evaluating individual
performance skills.