The feedback from both students and teacher is positive and gives grounds for considering whether the concept should be more systematically incorporated into the study programme. Experiences from the project obtained through observations and interviews show that this type of project can encourage more openness surrounding technical challenges in a safe learning environment. The project complemented the one-to-one lessons well, and the students did very well coaching each other. The feedback gradually become more precise, and the students appeared more confident with giving and receiving feedback. The students themselves admitted how the group concept had had a positive impact on their own capacity for reflection.

The students all agree that a forum like this should be a permanent element in their studies, but as an add-on to the one-to-one singing lessons. The interviews with the students revealed that the group tuition has resulted in the students’ finding competition between them to be less prevalent and “healthier”. The forum they have created has laid the foundations for a good peer partnership that could serve as a useful preparation for the various types of co-operation awaiting them when they have completed their studies, either as performers or as teachers. This type of forum does not exist anywhere else in their study programme, and many of the advanced students say they would very much have liked a forum like this in the early stages of their studies, perhaps as a permanent part of the bachelor course for at least two years. Although there is great enthusiasm amongst both students and teacher, research shows that enthusiasm does not necessarily lead to action (Gaunt, H., 2008: One–to–one tuition in a conservatoire: the perceptions of instrumental and vocal teachers. Psychology of Music, 36, 215–245.).

One-to-one tuition is so established in the students’ and teachers’ conscience that a concerted effort is needed for a project of this nature to be established on a more permanent basis. A discussion between both students and teachers will therefore take place to determine whether the implementation of a project in a more permanent form can justify a slight cut in resources for one-to-one tuition, if reassigning time from the one-to-one lessons becomes an issue. Several projects, including Seipp (Seipp, N., 1976: A comparison of class and private music instruction. Ph.D. thesis. West Virginia University), show that students who are taught in groups make quicker progress on their instruments than those who are taught individually. In his well planned project with piano students in groups of three and four, Daniel also found that thestudents became more and more independent of their teacher as exchanging experiences with their peers became a natural part of the learning process (Daniel, R., 2004: Innovations in piano teaching: a small-group model for the tertiary level. Music Education Research, 6, 23-43.).

In this context the teacher’s role is to set the scene for a good atmosphere that inspires co-operation and learning in a safe climate.

There is reason to conclude that the project has generated outcomes that will inspire further investigation into developing an organisational structure whereby principal instrument tuition for singers can be provided as a combination of one-to-one tuition and group tuition with the students as active participants in the teaching process.