Constructivist Practices to Increase Student Engagement in the Orchestra Classroom

our students unpack as soon as they enter the classroom. By three minutes after the bell, they are )warmed up and ready for their conductor to lead them down new musical paths. You take the podium to work diligently for the next forty-five minutes on the four selections you have chosen for the upcoming concert. Mid-rehearsal, you look around the room and notice that you seem to be the most engaged person in the classroom. Two second violins on the back row are bow fighting, one cellist has his head resting upon his instrument, and a viola player is completing a history homework assignment. How can these students be so disengaged while rehearsing such outstanding music? Rehearsal engagement is an important concept sometimes neglected by conductors. For students, to be engaged means -that they are actively involved with the