Creative Drama in the General Music Classroom

Introduction

How do students learn? This age-old question continues to be the subject of research and scholarly debate. Many scholars have developed their own theories for how students develop and learn—Piaget (Ginsburg & Opper, 1988), Bruner (1960, 1966), Vygotsky (1978), and Skinner (1953). Gardner (2006) proposed a theory of a possible eight multiple intelligences an individual may possess, one or more of which are dominant. The eight intelligences are the following: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, and naturalistic (p. 8-19). Educators have suggested that teachers should examine these intelligences to inform teaching and serve as a guide in creating instructional strategies.

Barbe and Swassing (1979) theorize that individuals process information most effectively through a preferred sensory channel: visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Students within a class will vary in their learning styles and preferences, requiring the teacher to present the curriculum in a variety of ways to ensure the information is accessible to all learners. As teachers, we tend to teach to our dominant modality; therefore, it is essential to always consider the other types of learners and assess whether we are reaching all learners. Bruner (1966) suggested that a learner must actively participate in the learning process. Students’ personal feelings and values must be incorporated into lessons, making the knowledge personalized.

Creative drama can serve as a successful pathway for actively engaging students in learning and for providing multiple pathways to learning. Creative drama allows students the opportunity to personally interact with the information presented. In her book Creative Drama in the Classroom and Beyond McCaslin (2006) lists several learning objectives that are combined with creative drama: creativity and aesthetic development, critical thinking, social growth and cooperation, and improved communication skills (p. 6).

In music, students actively engage in music making and musical play. However, one area where active engagement may be absent is in presenting historical background during music classes—commonly referred to as music history. Music history is viewed by some as somewhat mundane, and music teachers often neglect teaching historical aspects of music due to either time constraints or students’ lack of interest. One strategy for actively engaging students in a music history lesson is to integrate creative drama into the elementary music classroom. Teachers can bring music history topics to life while actively engaging the students in the learning process. Creative drama can be integrated in multiple ways for various topics. The focus of this article will address music history. The purpose of this article is to present a brief overview of creative drama, provide suggestions for teaching music history using creative drama techniques, and provide a sample lesson.

Types of Creative Drama/Theatre

There are several varying types of creative drama and theatre that can occur in the classroom. The first, and most important, distinction to make is the difference between creative drama and theatre. According to McCaslin (2006), creative drama refers to “informal drama that is created by the participants” (p. 7). Theatre activities are often intended for a performance to an outside audience, while creative drama is more often performed in a group setting or classroom without the intent of public performance. The activities outlined in this article are designed to occur in a classroom for teaching purposes, but your creative drama exercises can become part of a formal performance if so desired.

Creative drama builds on what McCaslin (2006) refers to as “dramatic play.” Dramatic play is “the free play of very young children, in which they explore their universe, imitating the actions and character traits of those around them” (p. 7). Examples of dramatic play include playing house or pretending to be a grocery store clerk. Many of these activities are scenarios children have seen and/or experienced, which they choose to reproduce in play. Dramatic play is a natural and healthy aspect of “growing up” and should be encouraged by adults (McCaslin, 2006, p. 7).

Creative drama is a term used to describe several types of drama and playmaking. One important concept to remember is that creative drama is always improvised (as opposed to working with a script) with a leader, rather than a director, guiding participants. According to McCaslin (2006), “the leader’s goal is the optimal growth and development of the players” (p. 8).

Process drama, often called “drama in education,” is a term used to “describe the ‘pre-text’ . . . and the development of a drama” (McCaslin, 2006, p. 8). Process drama is often used with stories or literature as a means to “read between the lines of a book,” create empathy for characters, and learn about the plot firsthand. The lesson plan provided at the end of this article is an example of a process drama lesson. I chose this genre of drama as there is always a need for supporting reading and reading comprehension in the classroom; drama activities can serve as a successful tool for supporting reading. While I am addressing this article to music teachers looking for a new, inventive way to teach music in their classrooms, please note that this lesson is suitable for the general classroom as well.

Why Teach Theatre/Drama?

Why teach theatre or drama in the music classroom? The simple answer: “Because the teaching standards demand it!” Of course, there are more justifications than that. Just like music, drama in education has had its “ups and downs.” According to Bowell and Heap (2001), “At times it has been highly valued but other times has fallen out of favor, a victim of a ‘back to basics’ approach to education” (p. 1). Many music educators are familiar with the “back to basics” approach and empathize with those teachers whose arts programs are cut. Music has been more fortunate than drama/theatre in most educational settings, especially at the elementary school level. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics Analysis Report, approximately 89% of public elementary schools received music instruction, while only 4% received instruction in drama (Parsad & Spiegelman, 2012). Therefore, teachers, both classroom and arts educators, must assume the responsibility of integrating drama into their curriculum. Fortunately, for music teachers, drama can be integrated as much or as little as a teacher sees fit. My suggestion is to start using drama to teach music history. It is a fun, engaging way to get students interested in music history.

How Do I Do It?

With a full curriculum, integrating drama into your music lessons may seem a daunting task. But please remember it can be as simple, or elaborate, as you wish it to be. One way to integrate drama into a music history lesson can be in the games you play. (Please note this is great for other musical concepts as well.) For example, feature a new composer each month. Each day, students are given a composer fact. Throughout the month, students learn more facts. To review these facts and assess comprehension, use a theatre game created by Viola Spolin (1986) called “Name 6” (p. 112). In this game, students make a circle and pass a ball (or other object) around in a circle while music plays. Music by the featured composer provides yet another avenue to hear specific selections the class has been studying. (When the music stops, the student with the ball begins passing the ball around the circle. The goal is to name six facts about the composer before the ball makes its way around the circle. This game encourages students to think quickly about what they have learned. You can also play this game as a listening lesson. Rather than listing composer facts, have the student list six musical elements he or she heard in the music. This example is one of many that can be taken from Spolin’s book and adapted to the music classroom.

Another strategy used in drama-in-education is to go “into role.” When a teacher or student goes “into role,” he or she personifies a specific character and interacts with others as that character. For example, tell students a brief story about the premiere of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Provide insight into Beethoven’s life leading up to this point. Put on a hat or glasses appropriate for the period and go into role as a newspaper editor. Have your students in role as journalists and tell them, “I need you to cover the concert of the decade tonight! Beethoven is conducting the premiere of his Ninth Symphony. Take notes of everyone you see, and find out what they think of tonight’s concert.” Then play Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (or an excerpt), and have the students write about their experiences before sharing with the group. An important note to remember about going into role is to always tell your students, “I am going into role.” Students will then know they are to go into role as well. In this brief example, you have given students the opportunity to role-play while listening to and writing about music critically. Be sure to remind students to base their “in-role” activities on prior knowledge. For example, the students will be creating their own characterization of a journalist, giving them the opportunity to be creative, but their news article will be based on what they know about Beethoven and on what they hear in the music. You have also provided an opportunity for them to imagine what that last concert for Beethoven may have been like for himself as the composer and conductor.

Carole Miller and Juliana Saxton wrote Into the Story: Language in Action Through Drama (2004). The authors present strategies for reading through a story and experiencing the story through drama. The authors offer 10 story lessons for use in the classroom. I found their drama-in-education technique very interesting and have modeled my sample plan after their book. The authors’ concept is to literally “fall into the story.” Rather than reading the story first and then doing activities, the authors stop several times during the story to do an activity that deepens understanding before continuing in the book. This strategy can be time-consuming, depending how many activities one has planned, but it is also very effective. Choose a book (for this article, I’ve chosen When Marian Sang by Pam Muñoz Ryan, published in 2002) and begin dividing the story into sections where you can stop to do an activity. These story lessons can be as long and detailed or as brief as you like. Music teachers have a limited amount of time with their students each week, so dividing one story into several class sessions may be a successful strategy. This way you are not committed to spend an entire class period on music history and process drama. Take your time reading through the story and feel free to take time to delve further into some of the musical elements. When Marian Sang quotes several African American spirituals throughout the book and can easily be integrated with an African American Spirituals unit. It is not a new idea to dramatize a story, but Miller and Saxton’s (2004) approach might be unfamiliar to some music teachers. One of the benefits of a process drama lesson like this is that you can use as much or as little as you have time for in class. Students will be eager to hear more of the story with each class meeting!

In a world where the arts continue to take a “back seat” in education, music educators have the opportunity to expose students to art forms they might not otherwise experience. I encourage you to look at the various possibilities to teach music through creative drama, dance, and the visual arts. Seek out those connections and make it your goal to teach your students as much art(s) as possible!

Sample General Music Lesson: Process Drama Example

When Marian Sang by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick

Grade Level: Upper elementary and middle school

Teacher Notes

Why Did I Choose This Story?

Key Understandings and Questions

National Standards for Music Education (MENC, 1994)

National Standards for Theatre Education (American Alliance for Theatre and Education, 1994)