Collective improvisation in instrumental classes with different instruments

Most people think that the aim of teaching and/or learning an instrument is to be able to give «a good performance» on it in the shortest time possible (whereby the meaning of the words «good performance» allows widely different interpretations). With the so-called classical instruments like the trumpet and the piano, the conception of «a good performance» depends mainly on the professional musician and the works he plays (from classical music to the 19th century). Brass instrument players let themselves furthermore be guided by the literature for brass ensembles and orchestras.

The question is: Does this suffice or are there other goals in instrumental education that are not reached by playing extant compositions?
Looking at instrumental education as a separate branch, this question cannot be answered. We have to ponder over the question in a more general way: Where does musical education stand at present, i.e. what is its mission, what its task and what is the role instrumental teaching can play inside the general concept?

In this era of mass media, young people are mostly confronted with music outside their music and other schools. They can hear music of all times, all peoples, all sociological conceptions at any time of the day and in any form they like by turning on their radio or television. Conclusion: so as not to drown, the music pupil should be qualified to choose from the great mass of music that which is satisfactory to his needs. This means that one should supply him with the capacity to discern between one kind of music and another — between what is fruitful for him and what not. If this instruction is left to a single teacher, it is inevitable that the teacher will impress his own tastes upon the pupil — which is no longer in accordance with modern pedagogical ideas. Today a pupil should be given the possibility to develop his own tastes and standards — which means, however, that both teacher and pupil have to agree upon the view that there is no absolute standard, that in the aesthetic field all conceptions are dependent on different cultural influences. Consequently, standards are diverse, each one having its own motivation. Forming one’s standard in music means to develop the perceptive aural faculty.