more rewarding because it really feels like some part of your Final Reflections
own vision has been realized. While it is crucial to invest your-
self in the music in any group, a collaborative setting does allow During post-study data collection, students were given a final
for a personal attachment to the music that is not as present in opportunity to offer thoughts on their experience and share any dis-
other ensembles.” He notes that in such a situation “everyone’s coveries they may have made along the way. While many insightful
ideas [are] welcomed respectfully” and “everyone’s musical observations were shared, we will, in closing, hear from two stu-
voice is an integral part of the group sound.” dents:
• Jason believes, “Collaboration also opens up far more opportu- • George: I would say the most significant mechanism for learn-
nities for creativity because everyone is contributing their own ing for me was being an observer of the process as well as a par-
ideas. These additional ideas from everyone spark more creativ- ticipant. Given the opportunity to be a “director” of the group,
ity from the players. Such a reciprocal idea exchange makes for I learned a lot about how difficult it can be to manage different
very creative arrangements.” He also stated it was “easier to get personalities and styles, and especially to keep the group
outside of myself in this kind of collaborative atmosphere.” focused. As an observer, I learned about all of the dynamics pre-
viously discussed: how negative body language and subversive
Challenges of Collaboration behavior can be a significant detriment to performance; how a
lack of energy, focus, and engagement in the task at hand can
While collaboration can offer a framework for focusing on severely limit productivity; how passive aggression can con-
problems and arriving at solutions, it should not itself be viewed as found the verbal and musical communication…I also learned
the solution (Gray, 1989), since the process will often be met with that when quality musicians are openly communicating and
varying degrees of success and will undoubtedly include challenges. receptive to new ideas, the music-making experience can be
As Moran and John-Steiner (2004) note, the act of ‘working togeth- highly rewarding.
er’ in this way “involves an intricate blending of skill, temperaments, • Eleanor: I have learned that collaborative groups can be very
effort and sometimes personalities to realize a shared vision of some- effective and rewarding, perhaps more so than groups with a
thing new and useful” (p. 11). However, there will also be occasions specified leader. I think that when groups are collaborative; have
when unresolvable tensions will exist and exert a less than positive complete control of the artistic direction of the group; and con-
influence on the process. sist of musicians that are all willing to participate and con-
• As George recalls, “During our first group rehearsals, everyone tribute, these are the best groups. In general, when you are gen-
was coming with their own sensibility and way of doing things uinely personally invested in something, you are more willing
and you could sometimes hear the conflict in the music itself.” and excited to contribute your best to the group. Participation
• Rutherford also recognizes the existence of this dynamic and in this group has shown me the potential of self-formed and
mentions that group members had to negotiate their differ- motivated groups, and next year I hope to form a collaborative
ences. He states, “It was challenging having so many different group with other students.
approaches, mindsets, philosophies, and musical styles coming It is this researcher’s hope that more students will have the
together in one place. Group members often had to inhibit chance to experience the type of sharing and exchange that takes
themselves, as in any ensemble, for the sake of group expression. place in such a collaborative and student-centered space as well as
The individual necessarily had to be compromised.” the many benefits of working in this way.
Some students cited problems with negative attitude, cynicism,
and an overall lack of desire to embrace a more collaborative mind- References
set by some as having a harmful influence on the group experience: Bastien, D. T., & Hostager, T. J. (1988). Jazz as a process of organization-
• Joseph: One of if not the biggest challenge, was simply getting
al innovation. Communication Research, 15 (5), 582-602.
along with everyone in the group…I would say that the inabil-
Berliner (1997). Give and take: The collective conversation of jazz per-
ity of some of the members of the ensemble to deal with what
formance. In R.K. Sawyer (Ed.), Creativity in performance. Greenwich,
we were doing in a positive manner affected my playing,
Connecticut & London, England: Ablex Publishing.
Gray, B. (1989). Collaborating: Finding common ground for multiparty
although it is hard to pinpoint how exactly.
problems. San Francisco & London: Jossey-Bass.
• Michael: There were certain members of the group who refused
John-Steiner, V. (2000). Creative collaboration. New York: Oxford
to grow by refusing to open themselves up, to rid themselves of
University Press.
their biases when approaching this [freely improvised] music.
Moran, S. & John-Steiner, V. (2004). How collaboration in creative work
For instance, even until the end, there was this conception some
impacts identity and motivation. In D. Miell & K. Littleton (Eds.),
people had that we were trying to find a missing piece to some Collaborative creativity: Contemporary perspectives. London: Free
puzzle, that there was a way things were supposed to sound and Association Books.
we were trying to figure it out.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psy-
• George: Even if this skepticism is only perceived by me and not actu-
chological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
ally present, that perception may be all it takes to undermine a truly
American Political Science AssociationWildavsky, A. (1986). On collabora-
communal experience. If there is even a little bit of disinterest in a
tion. , 19, 237-248.
particular task or performance opportunity, it not only affects that
person’s input directly but also the other musicians’ input indirect-
&
ly – perhaps by creating an offensive situation.
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