Recent posts View all
Home of real teaching & learning
  • Full support for teachers
  • Focus on critical thinking
  • Engaging classroom activities
  • Integrated student eBook
  • Assessed tasks / qBank
  • Practice exam questions
Find out more Download brochure

The InThinking Guarantee: Our sites are written by expert practitioners and not by AI

See our AI policy

Disclaimer: InThinking subject sites are neither endorsed by nor connected with the International Baccalaureate Organisation.

Don't miss out, find out!
IB Approved Workshops
Music
IB DP Category 1&2

Berlin, Germany, 30 October - 1 November 2026

Find out more
Virtual Think-Ins
Focus On: IB Teaching – A Practical Guide for Teachers new to the IB

20 November 2026

Find out more

Find all InThinking events at
inthinking.net

The Case for the Performing Ensemble

IB and the Performing Ensemble 

I’ve been a practitioner of IBDP music for more than thirty years. Prior to that, the majority of my music teaching was focused on teaching high school bands. If someone were to ask me about my profession at that time, I would respond by saying I am a high school band director. 

To be honest, when I first became aware of the IBDP music program around the mid-1990s, I was skeptical. At that time, the school made a decision to adopt the DP program. I feared the IB was going to diminish the successful music and arts programs in the school. I raised countless questions about the IB and the arts and feared the performing ensemble program was going to be significantly compromised. 

The school eventually adapted the program and developed a healthy DP music program complementing robust DP theatre and visual arts programs. Numbers in the performing ensembles were indeed compromised during the last two years of high school. However, it was also true that the IB brought more inclusivity into the program, and the number of overall students participating in the arts remained constant and, in some instances, actually increased. Not only did we manage to maintain healthy performing ensembles, but we were now delving into studies of music technology, composition, audio production, and global music. 

CONNECTING THE PERFORMING ENSEMBLE TO ATL

  1. As my understanding and practice of the IB developed, I found that many of the values I’ve always tried to model in the performing ensemble were consistent with the Approaches to Teaching and Learning (ATL) skills in IB practice. I tried to embody these skills in the performing ensemble long before I knew anything about the IB. Is it not true that most performing ensemble directors (band, choir, and orchestra) practice at least some version of ATL? 

    1. Thinking

    2. Communication

    3. Social

    4. Self-Management

    5. Research

Consider the following:  See: Pedagogical Framework with Lesson Ideas 

THINKING 

  • Analysis - The ability to identify the main musical elements of the performed work.

  • Evaluation - The ability to make connections between the skills learned in the ensemble and the application of those skills in performance.

  • Making decisions - The ability to make musical decisions that support the purpose of a performance

  • Generate new ideas and perspectives - The ability to improve and recreate musical ideas based on experiences gained in the ensemble. 

  • Application - The ability to apply new ideas across musical contexts using developed musical skills and proficiencies

COMMUNICATION 

  • Listening - The ability to listen to the leader and fellow musicians to relay a musical idea.
  • Interpretation - The ability to know that the same musical phrases can be performed in a multitude and diverse ways.
  • Reading - The ability to give meaning to written symbols on a page.
  • Watching - The ability to watch the leader’s gestures to produce musical meaning.
  • Connect with an audience - The ability to non-verbally connect with listeners

SOCIAL

  • Trust - The ability to trust the people one is performing for and with. See:  Building Trust

  • Respect - The ability to respect fellow performers and understand their intentions.
  • Emotional Intelligence - To understand that music is what emotions sound like.
  • Social Intelligence - The ability to know how to cooperate and reach common goals.
  • Resolving Conflict - The ability to celebrate differences.

SELF-MANAGEMENT

  • Managing self - The ability to be ready for rehearsals/performances.
  • Time management - The ability to manage one’s time effectively both in and outside of the music environment.
  • Goal setting - The ability to have intrinsic and extrinsic targets.
  • Perseverance - The ability to know that every mistake is an opportunity to learn.
  • Resilience - The ability to overcome failure and bounce back stronger.

RESEARCH

  • Formulating and Planning - The ability to find the tools necessary to build one’s musicianship.
  • Gathering information - The ability to apply research to performance.
  • Integrity - To form conclusions based on the authentic application of research.
  • Consider multiple contexts - The ability to know that music will be interpreted in a multitude of ways, pending diverse musical personas. See: 3.Nailing the CONTENT
  • Ethics - The ability to be principled and respect the ethics behind musical choices.

OWNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP

I’ve always felt that participation in performing ensembles developed two of the most important characteristics I found imperative in teaching music, those being the development of student OWNERSHIP and LEADERSHIP. Looking back a my years of teaching, the most rewarding and cherished moments were the times when students took over. As my career proceeded, I found myself becoming less of a band DIRECTOR and more of a music MENTOR. These values are very much a part of the IB ATL vision and absolutely consistent with meaningful student ensemble experiences.

IB and the PERFORMING ENSEMBLE

As I continue to travel and work as a consultant to international music educators, I often hear the same concern. Students would love to continue the study of music in the ensemble, but their schedules will not allow for it. This is one of the main reasons why co-author Dr. Anton Luiten and I are in the process of developing practices for the performing ensemble teacher as part of the InThinking IBDP Music site. It is our belief that students will be able to use this section of the site, allowing them to work semi-independently within the ensemble and still include music as a part of their IB package.

LET US KNOW YOUR REPERTOIRE IDEAS

We’ve come to the realization that the selection of repertoire plays a big part in the inclusion of IB study within the ensemble. We already have an array of work across ensembles posted on the site. Every school has different needs based on schedule, community, proficiency level, and more. That’s why we encourage many of our readers, especially those leading school ensembles with limited time on their hands, to take a look at this section of the site. We think you will find it useful as well as time saving. See: 5. IB in the Performing Ensemble  

Further, we invite you to send us your repertoire ideas. We may be able to help you develop plans and ideas for your ensemble while addressing IBDP Music concepts. Let us hear from you. We're all part of the GLOBAL COMMUNITY

Jim Yarnell 

August 2025

Help