The Collab Ensemble- Exploring Mutually Supportive Informal and Formal Learning in a Young Community Chorus Ensemble

• Amalia Messick, Music Education, University of Delaware

• Aimee Pearsall, Music Education, University of Delaware

In creating the Collab Ensemble, I sought to explore how simultaneously using formal and informal learning, combined with democratic decision-making, would foster authentic engagement in a community chorus setting for young singers. Pearsall (2023) found that mutually supportive informal learning and formal learning in high school choral programs can improve musical progress and foster community throughout the ensemble (Pearsall, 2023). The positive contributions of these methods are not limited to younger ensembles. A study conducted within an adult community choir showed that the adult singers “appreciated the informal self-directed mode of learning which enabled the need to fulfill their individual learning goals” in a “non-threatening, enjoyable, and explorative” manner (Mok, 2020). Despite the few studies related to informal learning in choral settings, few researchers have explored how mutually-supportive informal and formal learning can function in a community choir varying in age and levels of musicianship. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to create the Collab ensemble while engaging in a reflective teaching cycle. Over three weeks and six ninety-minute rehearsals, I and 20 participants, aged 11-19 years, engaged in informal and formal learning and democratic decision-making to prepare repertoire for an open recording performance. Using an action research design, I served as both the facilitator of this ensemble, recording my reflections and through journals. I also conducted participant interviews. In my presentation, I will discuss the findings, implications, and suggestions for future research on mutually supportive informal and formal learning, combined with democratic decision-making in a young community chorus setting.