As music teachers, prompting students to listen is one of the most important things we can do! Here are a few tips for quickly improving your students’ listening skills.
- At-home listening
Having an at-home listening playlist sets students up for success! If they only need to click on a link, they can listen at home, in the car, or nearly anywhere they have wifi or a cell signal. It’s so easy to share music through platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Idagio.
- Listening questions
After students listen to the amazing playlist you send them, it’s important to follow up by discussing what they heard. This can be done casually in the lesson, or you can assign them more formal journal prompts and have them jot down their thoughts. (We include this in the “Reflection” portion of our practice journal).
- Self-evaluation
Listening to yourself play is always eye-opening! Ask students to record themselves and listen back, while following along in the score. Ask them to “be the teacher” and critique themselves.
- Demonstrations
Playing great examples for students during lessons is one of the best ways to develop their listening skills! Show them the possibilities of different musical interpretations, and then have them either match your sound or try it another way. You might be surprised at what they can do!
Developing strong listening skills allows students to be their own teachers. Try some of these listening methods and help them continue to learn on their own… even after the music lesson ends.
Dr. Olivia Ellis teaches piano, group piano, pedagogy, and chamber music at Messiah University in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. She’s an editor for Piano Magazine and has published several books including the Easy Piano Lead Sheets and Chord Charts series. She’s constantly creating new activities and games to teach concepts, and loves helping other teachers find their niche.
I found this article to be informative as it provided practical tips and insights for piano teachers to enhance their students’ listening abilities. By incorporating these strategies into their teaching approach, educators can empower their students to become more attentive listeners, which in turn enhances their overall musical development.
Kudos to the author for shedding light on the importance of listening skills in piano education and providing actionable tips for piano teachers to incorporate into their lessons. This article serves as a valuable resource for educators seeking to nurture well-rounded musicians with keen ears!
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