The instrumental teachers conducted the project with different levels of involvement in the AT lessons and tuition:

• Two received individual AT lessons and were present in their role as principal instrument teachers in the classes and small groups where the AT teacher was also present. Both had one student receiving one-to-one AT lessons.

• One did not receive individual AT tuition but was present during the classes where the AT teacher was also present. This teacher had four students receiving one-to-one AT lessons.
• One received individual AT tuition but did not attend the classes with the AT teacher present. He had one student receiving one-to-one AT lessons.
• Two did not receive individual AT tuition and did not attend AT classes. Both had one student receiving one-to-one AT lessons.

The last three were so little involved in the AT project that they are not part of the evaluation. The evaluation was therefore carried out by three of the teachers.

The teachers describe the students as being interested and proactive during the AT classes, how they have “involved themselves a great deal in the process through asking lots of questions and undertaking extensive individual practice”, and how the students were “good at providing feedback on how things were going both verbally and in writing”. They also describe students who have become “much more aware of the importance of performing with the whole body, not just the fingers. Understanding the body and how to play better by making a few physical changes has become a big issue and a major revelation”, and how they have “gained plenty of new experiences that have helped them reflect on what they are doing.

For some of the students their goals have become clearer, some became more conscious of their bodies and different relationships that affect their playing. Generally speaking they have become better at articulating things, especially thanks to the group lessons”.

The same teacher also asserted that “all this has affected the students’ practice, but in a slightly indirect way. It has provided a framework for the students within which constructive practice can take place, where they themselves can ask questions about how to accomplish things and begin an exploratory journey into the world of music”. Such changes were noted by all three teachers with students receiving both one-to-one lessons and classes with the AT teacher present.

Were the students’ experiences from the individual AT sessions raised during the one-to-one principal instrument lessons? One of the teachers only had one student receiving individual AT tuition, and “during the one-to-one [instrumental] lessons I would ask her how she found the lessons. The response was positive. I didn’t go into detail since I felt that her problems were linked to her personality”. Another of the three raised an aspect of the posture of one of the students “because I felt there was something she hadn’t quite grasped [during the AT lessons]. The matter was later discussed with the AT teacher”. The instrumental teacher’s own understanding of AT can of course be put to use in this way. The third teacher says that “it was very important that I had some knowledge of AT”. He had received several lessons with the AT tutor, and during the instrumental lessons both he and his students raised issues from the AT lessons. The teacher then tried to follow up on how the students incorporated their AT-based knowledge and to further relate it to their instrument. “If I had any questions, I asked the students to bring it up during the individual AT lessons or classes. This worked well, and I also think it was useful for the students since we worked together on asking and answering questions.”

The other two teachers also describe how their knowledge of AT has had an effect on their own teaching. This could involve identifying misunderstandings on the part of the students and increased confidence in teaching breathing, articulation and other techniques. More fundamentally, their comments relate to how they had gained a new perspective on how the body works and how important it is to music making. One of them also mentions the time aspect: “What also became clear was that this kind of work takes time and is not a quick fix. Although I had a general idea, it took several months before I really ‹got› those principles of the body – and I’m not even certain that I have gained a full understanding of them. There were a few things that I thought I’d worked out a month ago but then realised that I had actually misunderstood them after several one-to-one lessons and individual practice, both with and without my instrument.”