Article 2021

Brokering reflective spaces: Experiential learning in a summer opera program

Arts and Humanities in Higher Education
Journal · Vol. 20 · Issue 4 · pp. 426-447
Abstract

Formal music performance studies within university settings strive to prepare the next generation of performers and pedagogues for musical engagement beyond university. Yet literature suggests that these spaces of study do not always lead to a sense of readiness for potential professional worlds, due in part to a lack of opportunities for guided, in-depth, critical reflection that helps students connect theory and practice. This article articulates findings from a study that sought to consider the impact of deliberate opportunities for reflection in The Accademia Europea dell’Opera (AEDO), a university-affiliated summer opera intensive experiential learning program. Utilizing a communities of musical practice framework, researchers worked collaboratively to help participants engage in guided critical reflection as they developed high-level musical skills through rehearsals and performances. This article specifically considers the ways in which a ‘broker’ helped participants develop practices of reflection and personal agency both within and beyond this context. © The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

Author Keywords

communities of practice Experiential learning reflective practice music education music performance

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
College of Fine Arts, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
Western University, London, ON, Canada
Funding & Acknowledgements
Western University, UWO
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article:This study was funded in part by the Western University Teaching Fellows Program.
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