MU 261 Class 9 Postings
Professor Rubin-Bosco
How We Listen To Music
A Multi Sensory Approach to Learning
The first half of this semester we discovered that music is a unique language.
Yet
Music requires a working vocabulary to be fully understood similar to other languages!
Deeper understanding of music is achieved through carefully developed musical listening skills.
How do we hear- all about the ear
Auditory Transduction
Unlocking Music with Neuroscience
What to listen for in Music
Composer Aaron Copland in his book
What to Listen for in Music
Wrote that we listen to music on three separate planes:
The Sensuous Plane
As we listen on the “sensuous plane” we listen for the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself..
Attention is devoted to where the sound is coming from, how the sound quality would be described, and how loud or soft it is
The Expressive Plane
Listening on the “expressive plane” helps us discover what feelings and emotions the piece is communicating.
What is behind the music?
The Musical Plane
Listening to music on the “musical plane” allows us to focus on the musical elements –
melody, form, rhythm, harmony, and expressive qualities heard in the music.
Why should our students develop listening skills?
As we learn to listen on all three planes we develop a deeper listening experience and can gain a deeper understanding of how music reveals something about the place, time and people who created it.
“Through an appreciation of music students study the great composers of the past. When students understand the intentions of the composers’ masterpieces, they gain insight into all historical eras. Music acts as a blueprint, testimonial, and archive to the people and the events of the Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary Eras. As listeners, we are able to experience a piece of history through a performance of a musical selection”
William H Yoh, Music Educator
“Music is one way for young people to connect with themselves, but it is also a bridge for connecting with others. Through music, we can introduce children to the richness and diversity of the human family and to the myriad rhythms of life”
Daniel A Carp Eastman Kodak Company Chairman CEO
“Teaching students how to listen to music (for tone, rhythm, pitch, volume, lyrics. Etc) may increase their attention and focus as well”
Eric Jensen, author of Music with the Brain in Mind
Sensory Processing a child’s view
EXTRA CREDIT- Watch any of these clips an write a response.
Daniel Barenboim
How to Truly Listen –Evelyn Glennie
Documentary: Touch The Sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4E_2zyM5RM
A listening guide can teach new ways of music listening
Developing a listening guide can help in understanding many aspects of a song/music.
A listening guide can help to develop our musical language.
A listening guide can help us develop insights into the way a compose envisioned the piece of music.
? A Listening Guide could assist in:
? Making New Connections
? Enhancing Relevance
? Increasing Musical Vocabulary
Class Activity:
Exploring Music with a Listening Guide
A listening guide for a musical composition can be a “roadmap” to help guide your listening experience. Generally, a musical composition will follow patterns and can be divided into different sections. A listening guide should help in your understanding of these patterns and sections.
Procedure:
? Read through the listening guide to familiarize yourself with the flow of events.
? Listen to the music as you read the listening guide.
? Reflect on your experience.
? Listen to the music again without the listening guide.
? Reflect on your experience.
Listening Guide for “Dance of the Reed Flutes” from the Nutcracker
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
? Time Event
? 0:00 Strings: Play a repeating pattern.
? 0:05 Flutes: Play the first part of the melody.
? 0:21 Flutes: Repeat the first part of the melody.
? 0:37 Oboes: Play the second part of the melody.
? 0:46 Clarinets: Play an answer to the first part of the melody.
? 0:53 Flutes & Strings: Return of the first part of the melody (twice)
? 1:09 Flutes: Repeat the first part of the melody.
? 1:24 Brass & Percussion: Play the second part of the melody.
? 1:40 Strings & Percussion: Play the second part of the melody.
? 2:01 Flutes: Play the first part of the melody.
? 2:17 Flutes: Repeat the first part of the melody.
? 2:34 Ending
Homework Assignment:
Create a listening guide using a “Teaching Song” that will help your students to develop a deeper understanding of the music as well as be used to teach a lesson in one of your major subjects.
.
The song you select should be related to a subject you are teaching and appropriate for the grade level of your students.
Chose your grade and subject
? Select a songthat has lyrics that will support the subject that you are teaching.
? Listen to your song. Listen to hear if it follows patterns and if it can be divided into different sections.
? Listen for the different instruments that pop out of the musical texture
? Listen for the different elements that are easily heard: where is the melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamic changes
? Create a timeline for your song.
? Listen for key events.
? Use the song’s lyrics as a roadmap for your listening guide
? Once you have recognized the patterns in your music listening, begin to stop the music and record the time of the event.
? Your listening guide should between 10 -15 patterns in a three to four minute song.
? Repeat this procedure until you have marked the entire selection of the song.
? Listen to the music as you read the listening guide you have created.
? Create a plan of activities and materials that you will use along with this song and what you will be teaching.
Use your own words and use language that the children you are teaching will understand.
Guidelines
Generally, popular music will have different sections and patterns that you can hear. The lyrics of your song should serve as a guide from the beginning and to the end of each section.
Make note of the instruments as they are heard in your selection. Listen for what sounds stand out of the musical texture. Listen for and note the elements: melody, harmony, rhythm and dynamic changes.
Most Popular music will contain the following sections:
? Introduction
? Verse(s) (there may be several verses)
? Chorus
? Ending
? Note: Frequently there is a middle section often referred to as the “Bridge.”
What to include in your assignment:
The link to the song
Completed Listening Guide
The Grade
The subject (s)
Activities
EXAMPLE 1
Old Macdonald
Listening Guide and Activities
Grade: K
Subjects: Language Arts and Environmental Science
Thematic unit: Farm Animals
Activities:
Introduce New words for the “site word” chart
Introduce Vowels: A E I O U
Introduce Farm Animals
Make Farm Animal popsicle puppets with fact charts for each animal. Where does each animal live? What does each animal eat? What job does each animal have on the farm?
Listen to Old MacDonald with listening guide and visuals
Fieldtrip to Queens Farm
Listening Guide to Old MacDonald
(This is just the first draft I still need to add instruments and changes as well as visuals)
0:00 Introductiontractor sound– instrumental
0:06 Verse 1 Melody sung by a man. Piano harmony, rhythmCOW MOO
0:09 speaking over rhythm “What does the cow say?”
0:19 (suggest other animal songs with a melodic no no melody”
0:32 back to melody with Moo Moohere……
0:40 Verse 2 Melody repeats Horse nay
1:12 Piano riff
1:13 Verse 3 Melody repeats Pig oink
1:25 speaking over bongo rhythm
1:43 Piano riff
1:46 Verse 4 Melody repeats Sheep Baa
2:00 speaking over bongo rhythm
2:17 Piano riff
2:20 Verse 5 Melody repeats Duck Quack
2:30 questions
2:51 Piano riff
2:53 Verse 6 Melody repeats Roster Coco doodle do
3:29 Ending
Example 2
Listening Guide and Activities
Grade 5
Subjects: Language Arts (comparative essay) & Social Studies (cultural) & Geography
Song: “Stand By Me” Playing for Change.. Song Around the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM
Activities:
1.Read lyrics of song and write a comparative essay comparing it to another piece of literature on on unit reading list.
2. Listen and Watch the recording of the song along with a listening guide.
3. Mark out all the places in the world that the music was recorded
4. Research the various cultures and instruments unique to each culture used in this recording.
5. Write an essay describing the differences experienced in each verse.
“Stand By Me”
(This is just the first draft, I would need to listen many more times to fill in the instruments, elementsetc or have the students listen and complete it in class)
0:00 Introduction man speaking
instrumental
Chorus acoustic guitar
Verse 1 vocals washboard
1:38 Verse 2
1:57 Chorus vocals drums
2:31 Chorus cello
3:07 Bridge resonator guitar harmonic
3:38 Chorus
4:14 Verse 1 repeats
5:08 Ending
