Hermann-Lietz School - Haubinda
Westville Girl's High School, Durban, South Africa
Phorms Süd
Teaching Approach
IMPACT is a flexible framework I have developed and used internationally to support mixed abilities and diverse classroom ensembles while building confident instrumental technique, music literacy, and creative musicianship. All students make music together from day one using a range of instruments available in the classroom.
We begin with a shared “common tone,” accessible to every student on every instrument from the very first lesson. From there, we expand the tone range methodically, enabling students to perform musical material within that range while layering parts so beginners and advanced students contribute to a shared musical result.
Classes are practical, collaborative, and structured around steady, continuous progress rather than a single predicted or uniform final outcome. Students enter the ensemble at different levels and progress at different speeds, yet work on the same piece of music through carefully scaffolded parts and roles. At times, students are learners; at other times, they take on the role of peer mentors, supporting less advanced classmates.
When appropriate — particularly in preparation for concerts — students also work on pieces of their own choice, including vocal elements. These are learned and rehearsed in a practical, rehearsal-based way, often without reliance on notation, reflecting how bands and ensembles operate in real-world settings and within each student’s level of ability.
Reflection (short video portfolios as evidence of learning), peer mentorship, and purposeful use of technology keep learning visible, efficient, and motivating.
This establishes a strong foundation for the development of traditional ensembles such as wind or strings, while also allowing the mixed ensemble setting to remain a valid and effective long-term model.
This approach is built on a set of six core principles that guide how learning takes place in my classroom:
Integrated Ensemble Learning
From day one, all students make music together, beginning with a single shared tone. Repertoire expands step by step as tone range and technical control develop, allowing both beginners and advanced players to contribute meaningfully within the same ensemble. Music theory, history, and instrumental skills are integrated through practical, repertoire-based learning rather than taught as isolated units.
Mentorship & Co-Mentorship
Students take on active roles within the learning process, with more experienced players supporting others and identifying challenges that may no longer be apparent to the teacher. This student perspective is a key strength of peer teaching, helping to address difficulties as they are actually experienced in practice and creating a collaborative learning environment in which responsibility is shared.
Advanced students guide their peers and contribute instrument-specific knowledge within the ensemble. The teacher does not need to master every instrument; instead, they lead the musical concepts, structure, and direction while students and teacher learn from one another. In this way, the classroom becomes a genuine learning community in which both continue to grow through the shared musical process.
Personalized Assessment
Assessment is based on individual progress rather than a fixed or unified outcome. The focus is on continuous development, ensuring that all students move forward from their individual starting points rather than remaining static.
Artistic Pathways
Every student is an artist with a unique voice. Performing allows for personal expression, while improvisation remains inherently individual, even within structured frameworks such as harmony, rhythm, and genre. Arranging develops through shared techniques but retains an individual character, and composition is a fully personal creative process.
These elements are woven into rehearsals rather than treated as separate activities. Ensemble work balances cohesion with space for individuality, stage presence, and expression, supported by peers and guided by the teacher.
Cross-Curricular Links
Music naturally connects to culture, history, language, maths, and science. These connections arise directly from the music being studied, rather than being imposed from outside through school-wide concepts, making learning meaningful and relevant without disrupting the flow of the lesson.
Technology Integration
Practical Assistants for scores, tuning, and reference; Progress Tracking through video portfolios; and Artistic Expression with software and recording tools—continuing music’s tradition of evolving creative tools.