Conformity

Conformity can be a powerful tool in teaching. Of course, conformity is something that occurs naturally for people; we want to have our sense of reality confirmed by those around us. Adolescents are particularly eager to conform to their peers as they develop their own self and search for acceptance. Harnessing this desire for conformity can have positive effects for music education

      First, having students conform to the rules and expectations of the classroom can aid in the teaching and learning of music. Students that do not conform in this way can become a distraction and limit the amount of time available to actual learning in the classroom. In my orchestra classroom, I use a “rest position” when giving directions or teaching information directly. Students all know what to do physically when I say “rest position” and they conform to this expectation. This allows me to introduce a new war-up without students trying to play it before I am done explaining. It also gives a visual cue to me that students are listening. I also explain to my students that “rest position” is a sign of respect to me, their peers, and the orchestra as a group. “Rest position” confirms their role as students in the classroom. Those students that do not conform to this expectation feel a sense of non-conformity that is powerful. As an 8^th year teacher in my district, all of my orchestras know this expectation and follow it well.

      For awarding grades or recognizing good student work, it is important that recognition is regarded favorably in the eyes of students. I experienced this first hand as my 6^th grade middle school culture was one that did not celebrate the high achievers. As a result I was not motivated to complete work and received poor grades. In 7th grade my family moved to a new school district where the students with the best grades were “popular” and my grades and desire to work improved. For music, it is important that rewards not be seen as “cheesy” or dumb. My 4^th grade students have been motivated by a “recorder karate” style of achievement. Students receive a belt for each skills test they complete. The skills tests are songs in their book that require certain skills that build upon one another. The students attach their “belts” to the tailpiece as a visual symbol of their achievement. This same recognition would not work with my 8^th grade or high school students. Often, they don’t want to stick out in a crowd so a more subtle reward or verbal praise work better.

      My orchestra students do wear a uniform outfit of concert black, but not an exact uniform. The reason for this is more based on the idea that the visual appearance of the ensemble affects their audience’s opinion of the quality of performance. The marching band does wear a uniform and students do take pride in what the uniform means beyond just the need for marching bands to appear uniform. Students feel they are part of the group when wear the uniform and this sense of unity and conformity is appealing. I have attempted to convince orchestra students to purchase a polo or other clothing item to improve group cohesion, but most students do not want to spend the money. Having multiple festivals or competitions might change that attitude as students enjoy wearing uniforms as a group when surrounded by other schools and performing groups.

      During field trips, I remind students that they are representing our school and our town. I expect them to be quiet when listening to other groups, listen to clinicians, and play their best with great posture when on stage. This expectation has been developed over time and students mostly conform. Often the orchestra is “self-policing” in this regard; students who do not conform to expectations are reprimanded, often non-verbally, by their peers.  While I do have consequences for poor behavior on a field trip, they are rarely needed because of the level of conformity developed in the orchestra. Similar attitudes and behaviors are expected for public performances and assemblies. The orchestra does not often perform for assemblies, but they do conform to common public behaviors such as sitting quietly and being respectful of others. Our public concerts also contain expectations, but they are a bit looser. The warm-up before the concert is often a little less contained. More might be done to help students develop a pre-concert routine that would become the normal expectation and encourage conformity.

      When students help pick music there is a great deal less conformity. Often, students do not agree on which song (of two or three I have prepared for their selection) they should perform. More time spent educating students on the value of certain pieces or including them in how I pick literature might improve this. On the positive side, not all of my students want to pick popular music. Often, they pick songs that sound challenging or selections they think an audience might enjoy. This thinking outside of themselves is a positive development, but far from the norm. Continued education towards these attitudes and behaviors might develop a conformity of opinion.

      Generally, conformity is necessary in classroom management and is useful in reinforcing desired behaviors and attitudes. However, there should be room for creativity and divergent thinking. The selection of repertoire and the sharing of ideas may be areas where less conformity is desired. Creativity is also a desired part of music education.