After consideration of the data gathered to this point, I planned a one hour long Between-Cycles Professional Development Seminar (BCPDS) and this was undertaken by all four participants in the music department of the high school where David was employed (see Appendix C). The BCPDS comprised three main themes that were derived directly from the Cycle 1 data. Three separate actions were suggested to go along with each theme and participants were asked to implement at least one action from each main theme prior to our stage 3 interview. Following are the three main themes listed, along with a sample of the participant responses and video observations from which they were derived:
Technical Understanding
There were several points throughout the stage 1 interviews where participants claimed to lack technical drum set knowledge. For example, Neil stated:
“I can play a few styles but when it comes to jazz that’s, like a whole other
instrument, so I’ve not been able to kind of really pick up the kind of jazz technique like when it comes to drums.”
There were also observations made in the stage 2 videoing, where participants demonstrated a lack of technical knowledge. An example occurred in Davids’ rehearsal:
The drum set student begins practising the traditional swing hi hat pattern, in
preparation for the next piece. He is playing it with the opening on the quaver offbeat of 2 and 4 “ta tishup ta tishup”, instead of the open hi hat on the crotchet duration of 1 and 3 “tish tita tish tita”. David addresses this with the drum set student and says that he isn’t exactly sure what he wants; but attempts to sing the correct pattern. After a false start, David sings the pattern correctly but clicks his finger on beats 1 and 3, which doesn’t imply the light upbeat feeling of clicking on two and four.
Procedural Development
Procedural development was the term used to address findings from stage 1 whereby participants had described not possessing enough drum set specific knowledge to include drum set students effectively:
“When it’s something that I can’t help them with, something technical it’s taken to a teacher, we’ve got (drum set teacher name). He’s really conscientious and if I’ve got an issue and I’m like I don’t know how to do this, the drummers will take it to him and he’ll sort them out with something, so that issue is out of the way.”
The term was also used in relation to drum set student participation which observed as developmentally ineffective or where the drum set student was being excluded from potential learning:
The drum set student is clearly struggling throughout the warm up (the whole band playing a swung rhythmic phrase using the blues scale) and not receiving any
instruction. The drum set student does eventually get the warm up phrasing a little bit better, however he is still rushing and not phrasing the correct note values and cut- offs. This type of warm could include the drum set student playing time on the ride cymbal, while ‘audiating’ the rhythm in the context of their primary role. If the drum set student was then able to eventually play or ‘comp’ the rhythmic phrase with their left hand on the snare, it would be a much more beneficial use of their time and a better drumming warm up. Not to mention the benefit to the rest of the ensemble in hearing what would hopefully be a nice solid pulse to play to.
Teaching Useful Habits for a Drumming Mindset.
Teaching useful habits for a drumming mindset was a concept designed to give participants ideas about how they can encourage drum set students to grow into their role as a timekeeper and leader. The stage 1 interview findings indicated that participants were aware of this:
“Well they drive the ensemble, they keep it going, the conductor will start it and then the rhythm section the drummer will take it from there. Yeah, they are very, very important part.”
“Yeah and a lot of them come with a rock attitude background and it takes a while for them to come to support and lead the ensemble jazz ensemble because it’s different too.”
Stage 2 videoing showed that this concept was demonstrated effectively by some participants:
Neil asks the trombones to play through a section, and adds that he would just like the hi hat on beats 2 and 4. As the drum set student begins to play the hi hat, Neil tells the band that they should listen to the hi hat, because it will always be there as a constant, and that they need to subdivide in their heads. This seems like a great instruction to the band, which also serves to recruit the drum set student as a partner in the
conducting process. It also provides a gentle reminder to the drum set student that this should also be part of his primary focus.
However, this skill was lacking in others:
Nothing specific said to the drum set student throughout lots of rehearsing the horns without the drums. Stephen clicks his fingers throughout most passes and conducts a little bit. Recruiting the drum set student to keep time just on the hi hat might have given a better outcome because this song never really sat that well once they rehearsed it with the drums. A missed opportunity across all themes, especially leadership and inclusion.
4.2.1 Reception of the BCPDS.
The BCPDS represented an opportunity for the participants to gain some new information on a range of drum set specific topics from the ideal set up based on the size of the drum set student, drum stick grip, posture and tuning, to simplifying parts so that they are playable by a beginner drum set student without compromising the fundamental style. The seminar also discussed the benefits of recruiting the drum set student into the role of ‘co- leader’ wherever possible. The participants were actively engaged for the seminar’s one hour duration and while the BCPDS wasn’t planned like a traditional drum lesson in which drum set is taught technically; the participants all took an active part in an examination of optimal posture, demonstrations of setting up the drum set, various ways to hold the sticks, vertical strokes and their effect on dynamics/tone, along with lateral movement of the sticks around the drum set. I also demonstrated any concepts that required specialised drum set skill, such
as simplification of a drum part or the effect of dynamic balance between limbs. The participants observed and took an active part in discussions around these issues. While the participants may not have acquired the skills to play everything demonstrated, they had gained knowledge of what these concepts are and how these along with the previously mentioned aspects of drum set up, stick grip etc, could enhance their engagement of drum set students.
In conclusion, section 4.2 has discussed the content of the of the BCPDS and the way in which it derived from the data collected in Action Cycle 1. This section also explained the active role that the participants took in the seminar. This participatory action along with the BCPDS design drew upon the overlapping of the reflection, planning and action stages from Action Cycle 1, and is consistent with participatory action research.