Primary Music Magazine
Issue 3.0 Autumn 2018
I have a saying… “Music is like vegetables. Some you like, some you don’t like, but they’re all good for you”. Invariably, you get a pupil who says that they don’t like any vegetables, to which I respond – “What about crisps, or chips?” Now, I know that isn’t the most nutritional of answers, however it gets pupils onboard with my philosophy of listening to, and appreciating music.
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Opening children’s ears through Imaginative Listening In one of my many roles, I’m a Primary Music Specialist with Scottish Borders Council. As a teacher (and learner), I’m most engaged through listening, and I have a real interest in the power listening possesses to help engage pupils in developing their Knowledge of Music – that being their understanding of the unique expressive power that music possesses. For me, the imagination is the gateway to opening pupil’s ears (and minds) to this expressive power. One of the Experiences and Outcomes for music in Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence is: ‘I have listened to a range of music and can respond by discussing my thoughts and feelings. I can give and accept constructive comment on my own and others’ work.’ Getting a pupil to share whether they ‘liked’ a piece of music or not, or to discuss ‘how it made them feel’ is quite easy on a superficial level. Encouraging and equipping pupils to elicit the musical ‘why’ behind their thoughts is where the real challenge and benefit lies.
