Chapter 4.2: Feedback & Evaluation of the Prototype Workshop
After the workshop concluded, I distributed an online survey to gather participants' feedback on their experience throughout the day. My goal was to assess their thoughts on the session, identify any challenges they faced, and determine what aspects could be improved for future workshops. However, the response process was significantly delayed due to difficulties in communication with my contact in the Horn Society. Despite these challenges, I eventually received valuable feedback from the students, which provided useful insights for planning the next workshop.
From the responses collected, it was evident that every student enjoyed the session. They found the horn-making process engaging and accessible, with no-one expressing that it was too difficult. However, some students mentioned that the time between constructing their instruments and the final performance felt quite short. This feedback was anticipated, as I had already recognized that we were working within a condensed version of the full session. Given the time constraints, I had planned accordingly, ensuring that participants could still gain a meaningful and rewarding experience.
Interestingly, only a few students had encountered or even heard of natural horns before this workshop. Those who had prior exposure were familiar with them only because a previous guest had once brought in a collection of instruments for a demonstration, which happened to include a natural horn. However, no formal discussions on its history, construction, or playing techniques had taken place in their lessons or classrooms. This was not surprising to me, as my own experience before university was quite similar. Additionally, none of the students had ever seen or played a hosepipe horn before, which likely contributed to their enthusiasm and engagement. The novelty of encountering such an unconventional instrument added an element of excitement and curiosity to their learning experience.
The most rewarding outcome of the workshop was discovering that a majority of the students continued to play the horns they had built after the session ended. Some even shared their newfound skills with younger siblings, introducing them to the instrument in a playful and interactive way. This was particularly encouraging, as it suggests that the workshop not only provided an enjoyable hands-on experience but also sparked an ongoing interest in music. Ideally, this enthusiasm will help cultivate a lasting appreciation for musical instruments—or at the very least, a deeper connection to music itself—among the younger generation.
