Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
Drum set education is a specialised field, but its importance is often underestimated in Western Australian (WA) secondary school jazz ensembles. Many secondary school jazz ensemble directors specialise in instruments other than drum set, and consequently may lack knowledge and skills in this area to the detriment of both the drum set student and the ensemble. This research project investigated the interaction between selected secondary school jazz ensemble directors in WA, and their drum set students during rehearsals. In particular, it set out to examine the impact of the jazz ensemble director on student engagement, inclusion, leadership, collaborative learning and technical development. As part of an action research methodology, the study implemented a professional development intervention with the jazz ensemble directors and sought to assess the impact of the intervention in subsequent rehearsals. It noted an increase in positive interactions between ensemble directors and their drum set students. The study affirmed the value in instrument specific professional development for jazz ensemble directors to the benefit of both the jazz ensemble and in particular the drum set student
