Active Listening Enhances Music Experiences

Have you ever noticed that our young people have not developed the listening skills essential for success? I have, and I teach K-5 music at a year-round school in Fayetteville, NC. Many students do not practice active listening. They hear something, but they are not paying enough attention to be able to put details to work for them. Attention spans are short, and they may have difficulty picking out what is important from the many distracting sounds around them. All this is true. . . from listening to the teacher speak to sitting quietly and actively listening to a selection of music. In addition, students need to listen to music from various genres. We tend to "like" what we are familiar with, and too many of my students are narrowly focused on one or two different kinds of music. They need to listen to a piece of music several times to become familiar with it. I am interested in having a listening center in my music classroom where five students at a time can sit with headphones and listen to a specially selected piece. A Califone Deluxe Stereo CD / Cassette Center would give me the option of using a cassette or CD and provide the jacks and stereo headphones for five students. All my students, kindergarten through fifth grade could benefit from having this center. That's approximately 700 students! Each month, I would pick a composer and an appropriate piece of music. I would pick music selections that are no more than five minutes in length. At the Listening Center Table, I will include a Guide that states the name of the selection, the composer, and any background information that is important. To ensure that the students are accountable, students will be asked to complete an assignment. The assignment will vary from time to time. They might be asked to write down the tempo (fast/slow) or dynamics (soft/loud). They could be asked to list the instruments they heard. Questions could be asked about form or style. Students might be instructed to use their imaginations and draw to the music. Another idea would be to give the students a writing prompt, have them listen to a selection; then as they listen a second time to the music, write a story. I really want my students to have this opportunity. A Music Listening Center in my classroom will provide the students at our year-round school more opportunities for active listening to an expanded musical repertoire. Headphones will help students focus on what they are hearing. By listening to the same selection for a month, they will gain familiarity and an appreciation for it. They will learn about different styles, genres, forms, composers, and so much more! Five students at a time can listen to the selected music, finish the outlined task, then rotate back to the main group or to another center. Please remember, that although I am talking about a general music class, this kind of experience should also help students actively listen in their other classes. Helping my classes obtain this equipment for active listening would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for considering this proposal.