As mentioned previously, one key objective of the project was to trial an AT programme that involved interaction between the AT teacher, students and principal instrument teacher. The idea is that such communication can maximise the benefits to the students.

The six students who received both one-to-one lessons and AT classes were asked to compare the one-to-one sessions with the classes where both the AT teacher and their instrumental teacher were present and then evaluate their strengths and any weaknesses, similarities and differences, and the balance between them. Only three students responded to this request, but they were fully in agreement:

It was important to have both one-to-one lessons where they could apply AT to their own habits as well as group sessions with their peers where both the AT teacher and their instrumental teacher were present. They argued that it was the one-to-one lessons that provided the greatest insight into their own practice and playing habits. But at the same time it was useful to be present during the classes where their fellow students performed and were given guidance, as this harp student writes: “Most of the time it was a real eye-opener to see the changes in the body [of a fellow student] before and after applying AT. Most of all, it was a shock to hear the changes in the sound.” The learning aspect was clearly present: “During the classes it was really interesting to learn to understand and compare all the different habits of your fellow students, because this better enables you to know what to do while you play and to try to change things that aren’t good for your body.” The balance between one-to-one lessons and classes was deemed to be good.

The students also commented on the instrumental teacher’s role during the classes. They describe the teachers as being active by asking questions and (to some extent) participating in the same way as the students. One of the students also describes how the two teachers together made her understand something she had failed to grasp during the one-to-one AT lessons.

Having the teachers observe the students while they receive AT-based guidance also enables the students’ mental and physical habits to be addressed during the one-to-one instrumental lessons. Only one of the students mentioned this: “We have occasionally discussed issues raised during AT lessons in my one-to-one instrumental lessons. That was good, because I’d got one of the principles slightly wrong, and my instrumental teacher was able to spot it.”

One of the wind students also describes how a teacher, who also received one-to- one AT tuition, joined in one of the student’s one-to-one AT sessions: “… and that was a breakthrough. That was when I really started to apply the ideas of rotation and mobility in my playing in earnest. It is the one thing that has helped me the most. The AT teacher had the ideas, and my instrumental teacher repackaged them slightly with more practical instructions: rotate your torso back and forth a bit while you play.”

These statements suggest that the combination of teaching AT in both one-to-one and class settings where the AT teacher and instrumental teacher were present had a good effect on learning.