iListenWI Music Listening: An Inclusion Tool for
Today’s General Music Classes Sharon Gilbert, State Co-Chair, iListenWI
Today’s schools are becoming more and more diverse. The large numbers of immigrants coming into our country has resulted in a sharp increase in ethni- cally diverse student bodies. The rise of both autism and the
opioid epidemic has resulted in an increase of students with special needs. Victoria Prooday, an occupational therapist in Toronto, Canada in her article “Why Are Our Children So Bored At School…” wrote, “In my practice, I have seen and continue to see a decline in kids’ social, emotional and academic functioning, as well as a sharp increase in disabilities and other diagnosis.”
In today’s schools, a premium is placed upon full participation by ALL students. Inclusion today is not limited to physical and cognitively disabled students. It also includes the full range of student diversity with respect to ability, language, culture and gender. All students have the right to feel safe, supported and included in the regular classroom. This is a form of respect for the student’s social, civil and educational rights.
General music classrooms are the perfect place for inclusion to begin. Students with all types of special needs have the capacity to participate in music experiences at a variety of different levels of expectations. The successful music educators develop creative instructional strategies to ac- commodate a broad range of cognitive, behavioral, communication, physical and social ability levels while still maintaining high expectations for each student.
The iListenWI project this year is titled “Toys and Games.” The compositions are very child-friendly. Teachers are limited
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only by their own imagination on instruc- tional ideas and differentiated instruction techniques. Many suggested outcomes and strategies are given for each composition. From this, the teacher is able to tailor his/ her instructional plans to the needs of the students.
The key to success in teaching any music listening lesson is that students must be actively listening. The book The Listen- ing Walk by Paul Showers is an effective tool to use to initiate students in the art of active listening. Read the book aloud to the students. Then take them for a “listening walk.” Walk the perimeter of the playground or the school property. Have students keep a list of the things they heard. Return to the classroom and discuss what they heard.
As the students study instrument family groups, begin to introduce listening com- positions that highlight those families. When students become adept at recog- nizing timbres, the compositions become more interesting to hear. Next challenge them to audatorally identify small forms of pieces. This year’s iListenWI project uses AB, AAB, ABA, rondo and toccata small forms. Students can be challenged to create dance movements to illustrate the small form sections.
Advanced students could be encouraged to study Alma Deutscher, an accomplished performer and composer who is only 12 years old (born in 2005). She is being compared with Mozart. There is a wealth of information available online about her. Students will relate to her because of her age and youthful exuberance. The music world is in awe of her talent and skills.
Do you have minority students in your classroom? Think about incorporating the iListenWI unit “Lullabies From Around the World.” Find out how many nationali- ties are represented in your school. Find
“The key to success in teaching any
music listening lesson is that students must be
actively listening.”
lullabies from each country represented and teach them to all the students. This would also be an interesting way to study instruments from around the world.
“The Rejoicing” from “Music for the Royal Fireworks” by Handel is very mili- taristic sounding. The bright, happy, party- like sound of this composition makes it very appealing to students.
When teaching “The Doll Aria,” it would be interesting to invite the students to bring in their favorite dolls to class. Stu- dents could pretend their doll is singing in the opera. They could also be encouraged to write a story starring their own doll. (Many boys would insulted by this activ- ity, but they could be encouraged to bring in a favorite toy or teddy bear.)
For students who have locomotion prob- lems, teach “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.” This unit provides a pattern for the teacher to make a classroom set of kites. As the students listen to the piece and/or sing the song, they can “fly” their kites. The only movement necessary is arm movement. Wheelchair bound students can fully participate.
Use “March of the Toys” by Herbert or “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” by Jessel to help all students march to a steady beat. Both marches are in ABA form. An alter-
January 2018
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