Acoustic, A Capella, or Rock n Roll: Stripped Down Lessons vs. Full Ensemble Activities

Acoustic music is music that solely or primarily uses instruments that produce sound through acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means. -Wikipedia 

A cappella music is specifically group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. -Wikipedia

Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar and drums. -Wikipedia

Three different types of music mainly variant due to the instruments that are incorporated into the music or the lack thereof. This got me to thinking. As with music, teachers use different devices and equipment to convey information to their students. It is necessary to use different styles and techniques to make sure we reach every student. Bells and whistles are exciting but sometimes a quiet lesson is needed to engage and focus students. Acoustic is just as exciting as drums and electric guitar when it is performed by magical and talented musicians. While a cappella takes dedication and lots of practice to master it is quite different from other styles as the accompaniment is silence rather than music. These all lead to a different mood, tone, and experience musically.

In the classroom acoustic lessons drive the classroom dynamic. They are the lessons that drive the unit forward, they are played out with a hook and maybe a discrepant event but stay at an even keel with students working together towards a common goal like completion of a mini-project with vocabulary and review being the main focus. They are necessary and can be engaging with the use of collaboration and design and creation. However, they are student-focused and driven and are generally based on a routine and predetermined assignments.

A capella is vocals, loud and energetic. They are more individual centered. Students working on problem-solving independently but them coming together at the end to peer review, share, and discover new ideas together. They begin slow and melodic but then slowly build towards a group ensemble, a combination of voices leading to a conclusion of musical semblance and harmony. These lessons often end in the makerspace building and tinkering to create a final product that correlates all of their individual data into a singular piece of knowledge.

Rock music lessons are often based around organized chaos,flexible grouping, stations activities, labs where students are problem-solving and constructing and the mood of the class is energetic and excitement. The guitar riff is when curiosity becomes discovery and innovation while the drums the anticipation and eagerness that drives students to keep going through any challenges and frustrations that may have been placed in their way. Together the instruments lay the groundwork for fluid, active, authentic learning to permeate the room and the vibrations of creativity bounce off the walls. The classroom feels like a recording studio- the teacher the producer and the students the band writing, editing, bringing new ideas into the world.