listening project
Music Listening for Body, Mind and Soul Peggy Krasin, WMEA State Co-Chair, Listening Project
“While there can be no better introduc- tion to music than by singing or playing an instrument, the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of our pu- pils will be neither singers nor players.
Whatever contact they will have with mu- sic in their adult life will be as listeners. We therefore have to teach them how to listen if we are to make them true music lovers.” ~ Joseph Machlis
Did you ever wonder why you hear music almost everywhere you go? You hear it at sporting events, schools, churches, com- munity gatherings, in medical offices, stores, in movies and on television. The reason is research has shown that listen- ing to music has a profound effect on your body, mind and soul. Listening to that special song can boost your energy, or calm your mind, lift your spirit or make you cry, or even bring back feelings you had years ago. Many doctors and dentists are finding that having their patients listen to music while undergoing procedures can take their mind off pain and relieve it without drugs. I know when I’m feel- ing down or tired, listening a few times to “Winter” from The Four Seasons, Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” “I Will Survive” or “Viva la Vida” have me feeling better in no time. Listening to classical music has been proven to lower blood pressure and stress levels. There has also been research that found that students who listened to classical music before taking tests had improved brain function and memory. We must instill in our students the love and understanding of music so that it can benefit their lives.
A great way to get your students loving and understanding music is through the active listening lessons provided by the WMEA Listening Project. Listening skills
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are an essential part of a successful life and in this world where we have been condi- tioned NOT to attentively listen to music, we need to TEACH our students HOW to become attentive music listeners.
The WMEA Listening Project
A wonderful way to start introducing great music to your students is by using the re- sources provided by the WMEA Listening Project. For $25 (WMEA member rate) you can get at least 50 ready-to-use listen- ing lessons designed by veteran teachers and tried and tested on thousands of Wis- consin students. Included in these lessons are listening maps, instrumental play- alongs and movement ideas all designed to get your students actively involved with great music. Some pieces have lessons integrated into other subject areas. These lessons are adaptable to children of all ages. The lessons will also be available in an electronic format for use on computers and interactive white boards. You may have many of the pieces on your own CDs, or you and your students can download them from iTunes for around $10 or you can order a CD from WMEA.
The materials work for educators in all stages of their teaching careers. If you are a beginning teacher, wouldn’t you like to have 50 great teaching ideas going into the school year? If your budget is getting cut, wouldn’t it be wonderful to get 50 tried and tested teaching ideas for $25 than to order books for $50.00 that you might only get one or two quality ideas from? If you are in a rural school district and would like to receive and share ideas with other music educators, the Listen- ing Project gives you the opportunity to see what other teachers are using in their music classes and encourages you to share ideas with the other participants. If you are a veteran teacher, wouldn’t it be great to have 50 NEW ideas to try this fall? You can use the project materials to enrich your existing curriculum or add a new dimen- sion to your music program.
We provide an interactive website for students and teachers, designed by Linda Branzolewski, on the WMEA website. Students can use the website from their homes to get even more information and experiences with the listening selec- tions. There are even excellent regional festivals and a state festival for teams of three fourth, fifth or sixth grade students, asking questions about only seven of the 12 compositions on the list.
2012-13 Listening Festival Results This year we had over 30 schools register for the Listening Project, which means thousands of students were receiving lis- tening experiences to last a lifetime. I am hoping to double the amount of schools participating this year. A new feature we added last year was a fourth grade festi- val, which had fewer transfer questions. We had five fourth grade teams entered in the festival and they were very well prepared and excited to be a part of the festival project. Of the teams that entered the regional festivals, seven teams quali- fied to compete at the state festival held in Waunakee in May. Here are the results of the state festival:
Fourth Grade
59 total questions/points First Place
54 points - Rib Mountain, Team 1 (Diane Schnell) 53 points - Rib Mountain, Team 2 (Diane Schnell)
Fifth and Sixth Grade 59 total questions/points Second Place
52 points - Jackson Elementary School (Jackie Vandenberg) 52 points - Lincoln Elementary (Diane Schnell)
52 points - Johnson Creek Elementary (Juanita Edington) 50 points - Rib Mountain Elementary School, Team 1 (Diane Schnell)
September 2013
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