Music to Your Ears

One of the activities that impacted me the most during music school was not actually part of the curriculum. Mr. Patrick, my music theory professor, encouraged us to spend time listening to music. I spent countless hours in my school’s music library simply doing so. It helped me understand music better and more organically. It also motivated me to continue learning and discover new music pieces.

It is important, however, to distinguish between the types of listening. While passive listening (or just “hearing”) is simply acknowledging the background music; active listening refers to paying attention to what you hear. It requires you to dedicate a moment to only listen to music with no distractions.

Among the benefits of active listening is the development of a good musical ear since you will learn to identify musical elements in the pieces. Active listening will also inform you of style, interpretation, and other elements applied by the performers. Overall, active listening will improve your musicianship.

You don’t need profound music knowledge to benefit from active listening. Here are some ideas to use on your (or your child’s) listening time:

1. Identify the beat (you could follow it by clapping)

2. Identify the instruments (or describe the sounds)

3. Describe the mood of the piece (i.e., how does it make you feel?)

4. Identify and sing (or hum) the melody

5. Establish a formal day/time of the week as the “listening time”

6. Try a systematic approach like “Composer of the Month”

7. Try not only listening, but watching too!

Actively listening to music is a pot of gold. It will help your musical education substantially and you will enjoy it! Today is easier than ever to set aside “listening time” thanks to YouTube and other websites and apps.