Learning how to play music together represents an experience of social exchange, a symbolic space where a complex plot of beliefs, images, feelings, actions, dreams, hopes and plans are disseminated in the child and in the young people who participate in it.
For the result to be successful, everyone’s collaboration is required, and this reinforces trust and fosters empathy that reaches out to the entire group. This leads to the sense of union, reduces conflicts and improves individual well-being. While playing music together, interaction is promoted, because it is important to listen to the other, to achieve the correct tuning, the right balance, to play or sing at the right time, just as you should act in everyday life.
The teacher’s training program
The Dream Orchestra teacher’s training program attends both the teachers as the more advanced students who are growing up in the orchestra. The training is focused on improving the teacher’s competencies as an orchestral trainer, prepared to stimulate the development of musical-, technical- and socioemotional skills in the young students through the practice of playing together in the orchestra.
Providing personal-, pedagogic-, musical- and management tools, this training contributes to the quality of the teaching performance through a holistic approach.
Dream Orchestra’s teachers are passionate musicians, who love to share all they know with their students. They are interested in their student’s background and life and treat them with affection and respect. Inviting the students with enthusiasm and creativity to participate in the intensive orchestral activity, the teachers take the time to also work explicitly on the development of social and emotional skills of the students.
As a caring observer, the teacher creates a safe environment where everyone learns at its pace, always aware of the responsibility they have as a role model. Applying different strategies to help the student to overcome the instrumental technical requirements, to learn how to read and understand the score musically and to explore and understand the stylistic and musicological issues of the chosen sequential repertoire, they prepare the young musicians to present their achievements in a concert.
Young Leaders Program
From the very first day starting your activities at Dream Orchestra, you’re part of the orchestra and become an artist with a date for a first concert in your agenda.
In sectional and general rehearsals that take place several days a week, the musical and technical challenges are overcome in an accompanied and guided way which will help you to feel motivated and safe.
As like-minded individuals, Dream Orchestra’s young leaders have grown up musically together over the past 4 years and have created a sense of community. Aged 15 to 19 years old, they are passionate about making a difference and show commitment with the orchestra.
As a young leader you’re invited to learn about the different aspects that shape the Dream Orchestra dynamics. Once a month there is a leadership training in which, with the help of specialists in four different areas, you prepare your action plan for the next marathon day. As part of this training, you also learn about problem solving, team building, public speaking and personal leadership.
Being part of one of the four rotating teams, you learn how to choose the right repertoire for the orchestra, how to manage the social activities and special projects and how to communicate about Dream Orchestra with the rest of the world.
During the marathon day you help your younger peers during the sectionals and rehearsals to overcome technical and musical challenges and together you share fun activities during fika time.
Courses and workshops
The Dream Orchestra teacher’s training program as the young leaders program, train both students who are growing up in the orchestra as well as volunteers and professional musicians, in the methodology of making music together.
The learning model is supported by a methodology of experimentation-reflection-action-transformation.
Methodology
Learning to play an instrument in Dream Orchestra is a versatile, cyclical, transformative, disciplinary, interactive and systematic but not immovable activity that considers its members as peers and places the musical pedagogical action as a field for renewal and reflection.
I have learned about music theory, to play an instrument that I never thought would be possible for me to play, I have learned about other cultures and to have more empathy with others.
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