(Part 2 player will be available here when the free version is released.)
In part two of this two-part conversation, Dr. Scott Jones returns with Steve Shanley and Alan Feirer to apply the idea of teaching for independence to the most practical – and often most emotional – parts of the job: grading, evaluation, and repertoire selection.
Building on Part 1’s skill buckets and culture work, this episode explores:
- What grades should represent in a performance-based class
- Rethinking points for attendance, bringing an instrument, and “showing up”
- Aligning evaluation with the individual skills that lead to independence
- How a focus on independence can shape repertoire choice and long-term planning
Scott also shares how he has wrestled with these questions over his career and how his current grading approach reflects what he most wants students to learn and become as musicians.
About Scott Jones, PhD
Scott A. Jones is professor of music, associate director of Bands, and director of the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. His primary teaching responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Band and leading the undergraduate conducting curriculum.
A deeply collaborative musician and educator, interdisciplinary partnerships frequent Jones’ teaching and creative work. Collaborative partners with ensembles under his direction have included visual artists, composers, folk artists, the literary arts, digital media, dancers, and choral ensembles among others.
An ardent supporter of living composers, Jones has commissioned more than 40 new compositions for wind band and chamber winds. A firm believer in creating opportunities for students to interact with great artists of our time, the musicians under Jones’ leadership have also collaborated with Libby Larsen, Frederick Fennell, Eiji Oue, Aaron Jay Kernis, Frank Battisti, Seiji Ozawa, Augusta Read Thomas, Eddie Daniels, The Empire Brass Quintet, The American Brass Quintet, the Imani Winds, and a host of other distinguished musical figures.
Jones has been honored with an Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching at Ohio State is a two-time recipient of the Ohio State School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award. His guest conducting engagements regularly include All-State Bands and Honor Bands.
Resources:
- Émile rhythm website
- Collaborative Rehearsal Resources
- Midwest Clinic session video: “Inspired by Orpheus: Collaborative Rehearsal and Performance in the Large Ensemble Setting”
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