For the North Grand High School Music Club, the year was full of firsts. Most students were new to the music club, most students were new to music making, and we were all new to sharing physical space again. Given these unfamiliar circumstances, we decided to emphasize the Big Idea of listening. How can listening help us connect with one another? How does listening foster social and musical possibility? What can we learn and create through the act of listening? This exploration took on many forms over the course of the year, from musical exercises, cover songs, emotional conversations, and songwriting projects. 

For the first time, we maintained a daily physical and musical warm up. First, we would arrive, eat snack, and chat about our days. Then, we would reset the energy of the space, give attention to our breath and bodies, and then focus on some simple musical exercises. By the end of the year, the students who had been consistently attending were able to play four or more scales altogether; scales here being one of many avenues through which students can learn to play together, and which requires listening across the ensemble (am I playing the same note as my bandmates? Am I playing the same rhythm? Are we together?).  

By starting from the position of this shared musical lexicon, students were pushed to explore the potential of the group. At times there were up to 7-8 students- what kinds of combinations can we explore? Students would improvise with each other, jam on discovered motifs, and learn cover songs. For the first 6 months, our work was exploratory and improvisatory, but always rooted in our shared and growing music skills.