Responding to Music
with Technology
Responding to Music
with Technology
Bauer (2020) explained that there are six ways that people respond to music, including physiological, motor, intellectual, aesthetic, emotional, and mood based. Why people respond to music the way they do is a bit more complicated, which may depend on their current mood, background experience, setting, and the musical characteristics present in the piece. Music educators have a unique opportunity to influence the former, while allowing students to reflect on the latter. Advances in technology have made it possible to consume music at an infinite rate, and discover artists from across the globe. Different types of responding activities can draw on the known responses to music, and could include motor lessons such as learning a cultural dance, or a prompt about the aesthetic nature of a piece. The individual reactions to these activities will ultimately depend on the previously listed factors, but teachers can encourage students to evaluate their thoughts and beliefs through guided discourse and reflective prompts. The method in which these activities and conversations occur relates back to the concept of TPACK, examples of which can be seen below.
Digital streaming music sites, such as Spotify, provide a modern option for music teachers that wish to gather a variety of listening examples for their students. Playlists can be created based around just about any musical concept, theme, genre, historical period, or cultural background. These playlists could be saved for the teacher's use only, or it could be disseminated to students as part of a listening project. I appreciate that a site like Spotify has the option of embedding a playlist right into a website or blog, so that students can easily access the material. This could also provide an opportunity for assessment, as students could be tasked with building a playlist around a specific concept. They may then have to embed the playlist into their EduBlog, and reflect on their process.
Blog sites have transformed the traditional listening journal activity into a multi-faceted learning experience. As noted above, students can embed media into their blogs, and provide a written reflection on their list. This could be an assessment of their understanding of a particular style or historical period, or it could simply be a way to allow students to express their thoughts and feelings about the music they enjoy. I have too often known music educators who feel as though they must impart their musical wisdom onto others, without considering that the preferences their students possess are also valid. A blog post could be a way for music teachers and their students to learn from each other, to discover and reflect on our musical preferences and potential biases, and work together to understand the world a little better.
For more information, please refer to my blog post, "Reflecting on Responding."