Enhancing the popular music ensemble workshop and maximising student potential through the integration of creativity

Ensemble work is a key part of any performance-based popular music course and involves students replicating existing music or playing covers'. The creative process in popular music is a collaborative one and the ensemble workshop can be utilised to facilitate active learning and develop musical creativity within a group setting. This is a report on a reflection into the practice of the ensemble workshops within the author's own further education context. It is proposed that in order to unlock creative potential, develop active group learning and add value to the student, a new approach to pedagogy within ensemble work is required. This approach involves scaffolding learning through the setting of collaborative, creative tasks and provision of a mentoring environment in which students can feel safe to experiment.