The students develop their listening skills through observation and by articulating their thoughts. They become more conscious of what they are hearing. They are able to discuss things that were both good and less good and to justify their opinion. One student says in the interview:

«You have to actively listen during the group lessons, because Julius will be asking for your opinion. You have to actively listen and think: ‘If I were the teacher, what would I say?’ As a result I’m now more critical in my listening, so I think my listening skills have improved. I’m much more in a problem-solving mode now: ‘What does this person need?’ I’m being challenged to think about what is needed to help him or her improve their playing and really make progress.»

Many students are positive about assuming the teacher role and putting themselves in that problem-solving mode. One example is this student, who said in the interview:

«It’s the first time I’ve had to think about how to solve other people’s problems. I’m not studying pedagogy and I have no teaching experience, so this was the first time I’ve had to put myself in a teaching mode. It was great fun to see how my problem-solving can help others, too. It was a genuinely nice experience.»

By being part of a group, the students get clearer feedback. One student says:

«It’s good that there are many people listening. If someone says there is a problem with your intonation, then you might just think to yourself that it’s no big deal, but if seven people are saying the same thing…»

It is also useful for the students to see the progression in each other’s development, both for those performing and those listening. One student puts it like this: “It helps when people can compare my playing with last week’s.” I hope this gives the students an insight into how the learning process works; that it takes time, and that it is small improvements over time that make all the difference.

The fact that the students get to listen to their peers’ experiences can also be beneficial. One student describes in her diary how she feels it is important for her to talk about and share her experiences.

«You have a group of people with multiple experiences that can be shared. We can use the group lessons for more than just listening and commenting. It can be important to discuss things. I think we learn when we perform music, when we listen to music, and when we talk about music. I don’t mean like chatting in the canteen, but a proper debate. I think that’s important.»