The introduction of the group lessons had an impact on the entire timetable. There are two things that I feel are worth mentioning: Firstly, the students were able to use the group lessons to work on the feedback they had received in their one-to- one lessons and to make improvements, and they were able to perform what they had been working on in front of an audience. Secondly, the students became better and more effective at giving feedback during horn classes, too.

In the interview one student talks about what it is like to be given homework for the group lessons:

«I like it when Julius gives me homework, like “you’re going to play this in the next group lesson”, because it makes me take it more seriously. I’d prefer him to be even more particular about homework, because if I’ve been lazy and not warmed up before a group lesson, I will just play some scales and get less out of the lesson. So perhaps slightly clearer ambitions in terms of what the students should perform would be good.»

I find it very useful to be able to say to a student that “you’ll be playing this piece again tomorrow in the group lesson or horn class”. Sometimes it is only a case of making small corrections, something that does not take a week to perfect. As a teacher you also quickly establish whether the students have understood what is being said in the one-to-one lessons.

With regard to the larger horn classes, you could ask whether it is appropriate to use the same activities (perform – give feedback) as in the group lessons. One student says in the interview:

«We also have horn classes, and Julius uses the same system in these as in the group lessons. In reality that means you have twelve people in the audience who all have to say something positive and something constructive. It’s too big a group, because everyone just says ‘it sounds nice, I liked your sound´. It’s not always easy to find something substantial to say when you’re asked to say something positive, so it gets a bit boring after 10–11 people have said ‘sounds nice, sounds good’.»

Identifying the most appropriate activities for use in the horn classes remains a challenge, since the previous purpose of these classes is now addressed in the group lessons.