Implementing Music in Your Classroom
By: Eric Jensen
There are many ways the musical arts can be implemented in classrooms. Music can be either played or listened to actively or passively. If you are playing music in a learning environment, here are some things to remember.
Many students who are having difficulty in school may have listening and/or hearing problems, and these problems may be impacting their behavior, reading abilities and attention patterns. Schools should test for both hearing and listening skills.
Generally, making music is better than listening to it. But don't let the lack of a trained music teacher keep your learners from music exposure. Do what you can do in the circumstances you have. Everything from humming, singing, using primitive to popular instruments, or CD players can add music to the day.
Let your students know why you use what you do. Help them understand the differences among music that calms, energizes or inspires. Students of all ages should learn why you use music and be able to suggest selections.
Always have the last word in music selections. If you think that the suggestions of others are not your style, that's no problem--still use it. But if what students suggest has hurtful lyrics or creates an inappropriate mood, say no. That's your responsibility as a professional.
Get students involved in the process of managing the music after you have introduced it. Many are happy to play "disk jockey" for the class, but you'll want to have clear rules on what's done and when.
Get a CD player. Keep your CDs in a safe, clean binder and keep them and the CD player well-secured.
Do active research with music. Work with another grade-level teacher. Both of you can split your class and trade student halves. You might try one type of music for 10 to 15 minutes (if it's a math class, you might use Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major), and the other teacher might try a series of rhythms. Then, switch the two groups and do a 10-minute exam or survey activity that measures spatial reasoning, logic or problem-solving. Tally up the scores and share them with students.
Remember the studies that suggest that students learn and recall better when physiological states are matched. If students learn material with a particular music in the background, they will also do better with it during the test. This suggests that you might want to use music for learning only when you can match it at test time.
Approximately 15 to 25 percent of your students may be highly sensitive to sounds. They may be highly auditory learners. If these students complain about your use of music, you might want to turn it down a bit, listen to their suggestions and remind them you use music only part of the time, not all the time. At least a quarter of your students dislike teamwork; would you throw that out, too? Be respectful, but stand your ground.
Background music does affect your students. The consensus is:
* Select it carefully
* Make sure it's predictably repetitive
* Play music in a major key
*Use instrumentals, not vocals for the background
Some students will complain about music because of another issue: control. If the room is too cold, and students can access the thermostat, they complain less. If music is not their taste, and they can have input on what's played or the volume, you'll get fewer complaints. When a student complains, you can be empathic; either turn down the music a bit or allow the student to sit further from the speakers.
Remember the power of authority figures and the value of your credibility with music. If you act positive when using music and show that you believe it actually will enhance learning and memory, it will have a stronger effect. The group that was told music inhibits learning did perform worse on a music-enhanced word list and vocabulary quiz than the controls.
Silence is golden. Anything can become saturated. Use music selectively and purposely. In most classes, it might be used from 10 to 30 percent of the total learning time. There are two exceptions. One, if music is the whole focus of a class, more may be fine. Two, you may use environmental noise/music like waterfalls, rain forests or oceans for longer than other selections.
It's best to optimize music training with intervals of rest. The practice sessions for playing music ought to be for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to a maximum of 90 minutes, with a focus on one skill at a time. Longer sessions can work, for one to two hours, if you're alternating short concentrated bursts of music training of 15 minutes at a time, with an activity like dance, drawing, theater, recess or walks. This should be done a minimum of two or more times weekly. To get lasting benefits, the playing is best if over at least a year. Schools that have a once-weekly music program for 30 minutes or less are missing the significant benefits, though some musical and cultural exposure is better than nothing.
Based on the evidence gathered so far, it's both reasonable and prudent that music should be a significant part of every child's education. It is the ethical, scientific and cultural imperative that all children get exposure to music as an equal with every other discipline. There is also support for the policy of starting children early in their music education as the effects are greater in the early years. Positive impact increases with each additional year.
The message with music education is this: start early, make it mandatory, provide instruction, add choices and support it throughout a student's education. That's what leads to dependable results. It can be, literally, an education with music in mind.
Eric Jensen is the co-founder of Jensen Learning Center. He is the author of more than 22 books on brain-based learning. His CDs, "Ultimate Variety" and "Music with the Brain in Mind" from Corwin Press, are available at www.corwinpress.com.
Product Roundup
BJU Press
BJU Press offers Christ-centered resources for education, edification and evangelism. They are committed to providing the best educational materials, books, music and curriculum. Their music resources selection features SoundForth. Serving churches, schools, home school groups and individuals since 1990, SoundForth is dedicated now more than ever to providing traditional music for today's ministry. Available music resources include recordings, keyboard, choral, vocal, instrumental and musical programs.
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Woodwind and Brasswind
Woodwind and Brasswind offer a wide variety of classroom musical instruments, including, mallets, recorders, rhythm instruments, drum/bell kits, cymbals, gongs, bells, teacher aids, drums, blocks, sets and containers, and general classroom musical equipment and accessories. Woodwind and Brasswind is your school’s musical instrument superstore. Their Web site is backed by more than 20 years of experience in the mail-order business.
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Praise Hymn
In 1974, Praise Hymn Inc. and published the first music curriculum written especially for Christian schools: the “God Made Music” series. Since then, Praise Hymn has upgraded “God Made Music” several times and added many new products, including “The Hymplayer” series, the innovative “Star Series” Bible curriculum, and their newest publication, “Let’s Read Music.”
www.praisehymninc.com
The Music Mart
Music Mart is a full-service printed music and musician's accessory dealer with locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their Web site features sheet music and print music collections from the world's leading publishers. They specialize in music for choir, keyboard, band, orchestra, elementary education, all instruments, vocal solo and handbells as well as sing-a-long products gift items and accessories for musicians such as reeds, tuners and metronomes.
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Kid’s Bible-CEV from Casscom Media
The Kid’s Bible-CEV from Casscom Media features the entire dramatized New Testament, digitally recorded with outstanding sound effects on 15 multicolored CDs in the easy-to-understand Contemporary English Version. It includes 100 Best Loved Kid’s Songs, strategically placed to enhance Scripture. It comes complete in a uniquely designed colorful carrying case with scratch-proof cloth pockets for easy access and extra storage spaces for additional CDs.
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