Music is everywhere. It's in the mall corridors, mall shopping stores, grocery stores, elevators, spas, vehicles, parks, movies, video games, tv...everywhere. Even in the middle of the woods, one can hear the birds chirping, woodpecker pecking, deer, scraping, and wind whistling. Music is such a natural part of our worlds. It makes sense why most of us only hear it. We are so used to it being around. But imagine, if we could turn every instance into listening to music. Perhaps we would recognize the pop hit in the corridor, the electronic bass loop in the video game, or the original melody of the bird. Perhaps, listening would open our brains to different thought processes or creativity.
Listening and responding to music is such a vital part of music education. Yet, it seems to also be kind of forgotten. When I've asked students to share their favorite (school-appropriate) songs in a playlist format, they also need to explain what they like about it. I give them examples of things they may like: Lyrics, beat, melody, emotion, evokes a memory, etc. Most, however, still cannot describe exactly what it is they "like" about a particular song. Most say, "it just makes me feel good". This is such a normal reply, especially from kids. As a music teacher, them saying anything at times can be a small victory. But how can I teach them to really listen?
Bauer states that students distinguish music in school as different than music out of school. Students prefer to listen to music in private, at home, in the genre they want. They use music to regulate emotions. It's a part of hanging out with friends. It's less structured and familiar to them. Therefore, more enjoyable than "school music" (Bauer, 2014, p. 107). One way to teach music listening is to create a safe and comfortable classroom environment that promotes listening, perhaps as if students are at home. Get them out of their normal seats, let them pick a new spot, grab a bean bag chair, etc. Another way to get students listening as opposed to hearing is to start with music that is familiar to them. Once they can identify certain aspects from their own music, they can use that vocabulary when describing new or foreign music. If allowed, let students bring in their own devices to listen and share music on. Have students start a blog to share their musical tastes, interests, and analysis' (Bauer, 2014). From there, many other technologies can aid in helping students learn to listen.
Perhaps one day, a student will come to class and say, "Hey, Miss S, I was in the mall and they were playing the most random song..."
Bauer, W. (2014).
Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York: Oxford University Press.
