iListenWI
Minding the Listening Gap! Jackie Vandenberg, WMEA State Co-Chair, iListenWI
In some cities the recorded public ser- vice announcements in the subways or ‘tubes,’ warn riders to “mind the gap,” meaning the space between the plat- form and the train. This is a safety pre-
caution, of course, for the riders, and is constantly played as such. The phrase came to mind when sitting down to write this article, as I believe as teachers we strive to close the learning gaps and in this particular case, the listening gaps in students’ musical education.
Occasionally a student will ask to listen to a recording of a current piece of pop music in class. Generally my response will be something like, “You can listen to this music most any time, but in class I try to play music from many different time periods that you probably would not get the chance to hear otherwise.” Students understand that while I respect their opinions and tastes, I want to expose them to things with which they are unfa- miliar. I have, however, kept in my room a place for forms called, “Listen Up!” that students can fill out to make me aware of some music they would like me to hear. I think it is important to validate all of our preferences, and the gap between student preferences and the varied listening ex- periences we want to share with them is bridged by being open to their musical listening suggestions. It is also all about mutual respect and sharing.
As different musical eras are explored in class, students begin to uncover not only pieces that resonate with them, but also an evolution of the orchestra throughout history. They start to get a sense of the ‘big’ picture, a realization that each era and style evolved as a result or in some way related to the factors that preceded it. And they begin to formulate a sense of
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historical and cultural context as they add to their repertoire of pieces, realizing that the pieces they asked to be played are all somehow related in this chain of events known as musical history. It is marvelous to see that ‘lightbulb of recognition’ show up on the faces of students eager to make connections in their learning.
Employing use of a timeline around my room in the space near the ceiling helps vi- sual learners keep the chronology straight, building bridges of musical history. Add- ing composers to the timeline as we learn pieces throughout the year keeps it a ‘liv- ing’ document. There are also a few other individuals included, such as a president or two, artists and famous events in history. All are meant to aid understanding and recognition so that students can make con- nections. Mine is basically done in 50-year increments, with separate colored signs for musical eras. The practice of reading and interpreting dates has spurred many conversations and teachable moments.
Creating bridges to other subjects as well as to other music fills gaps that can pro- vide powerful background knowledge for students. Where we might have once been afforded opportunities to integrate learn- ing, in today’s fast-paced data-collecting climate, these types of bridges approached from many angles differentiate for stu- dents. And they offer springboards upon which to build a framework of repertoire. A visual reminder while students are lis- tening to a composer’s music added to use of movement or following a music map ensures a rich learning experience.
The iListenWI repertoire this year includes pieces from a wide variety of musical style eras/composers, with many forms and timbres represented. Of course, the pieces bridge the eras, but there are also many resources and websites given to integrate with curriculum, in order to bridge the arts, literature and history.
“I think it is important to validate all of our preferences, and the gap between student
preferences and the varied listening experiences we want to share with them is bridged by being open to their musical listening suggestions. It is also all about mutual respect and sharing.”
Our theme this year is “Time,” and you will find pieces like Chopin’s “Minute Waltz” and Anderson’s “Syncopated Clock” chosen for musical value and with outcome-based lessons in mind. But you will also find the timely “America” from West Side Story, in which a recent Broadway revival reminded us of themes still relevant today, bringing them to the forefront with some innovative adapta- tions.
In my district we’ve talked about rela- tionships, rigor and relevance in educa- tion. Listening to and delving into the backgrounds of pieces such as this surely bring those “three R’s” to light as only we as music educators can! Using Mary Lou Williams’ “Roll ‘Em” to learn not only about a woman’s place in music’s recent past, but also to gain the ability to improvise 12-bar blues, offers another way to build a bridge that students can take and apply to the music they might have asked for that was mentioned at the start of this article.
April 2016
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