Listening Sequence

A listening sequence contains several steps, and can be completed in one day, or across several days.

1. Prepare: Always prepare children for the listening.  The purpose dictates what kind of preparation is required.  The teacher could first give the cultural background of the piece, tell the story behind it, show the region on a map in which the piece was composed, give some history about that region, show a piece of art that reflects the mood of the style, tell the background of the composer, etc.  The important thing is to give the children something to listen for and give them a way to show that they hear it, preferably a quiet response such as raising a hand or pointing.
2. Listen: Play the recording and note the students' responses through class discussion.
3. Activate and Participate:  Play the piece again, while actively involving the students in performing or moving to the music in some way.  This helps build a work into children's internal repertoire.
4. Question and Discuss:  Discussion should take place throughout the sequence, and can cover the music, portions of the music, the activities the students are doing, and emotional responses.
5. Listen Again: Listen quietly, notice familiar points, expand insight, and reestablish the work.
6. Extend the Listening; The listening can be used to inspire the children to compose music in similar forms, listen to other music by the same composer with similar or contrasting styles, listen to music by other composers with similar or contrasting styles.