Curricular reform in orchestra teaching: A qualitative study of the pedagogical approach of music conservatories

The changes occurring at a political, economic and social level in recent years and their impact on the educational field have led to a rethinking of educational processes, particularly the methods and resources used in the classroom setting. Music education, especially, that provided by music conservatories ( regardless of whether teaching relates to elementary, professional or advanced levels), requires profound pedagogical and curricular changes. This allows teachers to critically analyse their professional performance by developing and implementing didactic strategies which enhance the teaching-learning processes pertaining to their subject. In this context of curricular and didactic renewal, the present research focuses on music conservatories and aims to identify specific elements of the experience of orchestra classes and other musical groups formed there. An analysis was conducted of documents and semi-structured interviews were performed. This enabled better understanding of the value held by this subject both in terms of the future developments of conservatories and the musical development of their students. The present work highlights the need to reorient the current pedagogical model towards a teaching-learning process that is more focused on group work. This will ensure that individual study extends into different group settings and that such settings will provide the necessary personal motivation to enhance mastery of musical instrument techniques.