How to listen to music to make it interesting
Imagine a Tchaikovsky concert hall with world-class musicians performing on stage. Bright stage lighting, gloomy hall lighting, audience whispering, and then everything comes to a halt... Complete silence falls, the conductor waves his magical wand, and the music magic begins... A lovely woman and her husband sat in the fourth row... The woman has closed her eyes and is enjoying the musical harmony with a faint smile on her face...A pleasant sniffling sound breaks the silence - it's our charming heroine's hubby. His eyes are closed as well, but not in a state of musical rapture, but rather in deep sleep.
The first method. Guessing
You ask a question before listening to classical music with a youngster, and the solution can be found by carefully listening to the piece. "Advanced" concerns about ways of musical expression, elements of melody, rhythm, or musical form might be highly varied. They can also be quite simple, such as how many times the cymbals have been struck when the music is happy or sad. Of course, the questions vary depending on the adult's or child's degree of musical expertise, but the idea remains the same: an intriguing question and an answer that may be discovered by carefully listening to the musical piece.
The second method is to compare.
This approach of playing games with my toddler is one of my favorites. It goes like this: I sing or play a familiar piece on the piano, then mix it up a little. It is your child's responsibility to notice the difference. You may compare a variety of factors such as volume, pitch, and playing different instruments as headphones with volume control.
Plots and graphics are the third method.
This concept is based on the idea that music is more than just a beautiful collection of sounds. When composing, every composer incorporates a story, emotions, and imagery into his work. Sometimes the composer expresses himself plainly, and other times we can only imagine what message the great creator has delivered us down the centuries.With toddlers, it's best to use contrasting images and create an engaging story based on their age, however with adults, the images can only change slightly in subtlety.
Method 4: Visualizing
On the one hand, because there are no ready-made images, this method is more difficult than the others, but it is also more exciting and actively develops creativity, fantasy, and the right side of the brain.It necessitates silence and a few minutes of uninterrupted time. Close your eyes and attempt to visualise the scene that the music creates. It's not as simple as it appears. You must let go of the blocks and allow your imagination and fantasy to run wild, yet this is a skill that can be learned through time. On the other hand, toddlers are quite easy to engage in such a game.
Visual imagery (method 5)
For many people, vision is one of the most active channels of information perception. As a result, creating a visual image is another approach to listen to music that both children and adults will like. This role can be played by movies, plays, musical stories, and cartoons. We are now merely observing rather than fantasizing. In my House of Music initiatives, I create unique musical fairy tales and simple animations that appeal to youngsters.
Drawing music is method 6.
This strategy will be linked to imagination and visual images, yet we are not only viewers, but creators. Play some music and sketch!
Number seven is an interesting narrative.
This is a technique I frequently employ at Music Wednesday at the House of Music. I discuss not only the piece of music but also what was going on in the composer's life at the time he composed it. These could be interesting little-known facts that help you see the task in a new light and achieve the intended result - concentration.
Emotions with music (method 8)
How do we develop the ability to listen to music with our hearts? We connect our emotions and empathise with what the composer coded in the notes and how the artist has brought it to life when we intentionally listen to a melody. Take a piece of paper, turn on some music, and write down your feelings: exhilaration, tension, impulse, perplexity, or maybe nervousness or sarcasm? Observe your emotions from a distance and put them into words.
Method 9: Using your body to move and experience the music
Moving is one of the most effective methods to actively listen alongside your children. We dance and connect to the music by connecting our bodies.
Performing method 10.
Music is a wonderful hobby for both youngsters and adults. However, attempting to accomplish it is even better! This is, in my opinion, the most successful of the active listening techniques. You were not simply a listener, but a performer if you ever sang a song or played an instrument by heart, memorizing every syllable. The degree of absorption in the song will be maximized once you opt to move from performer to listener. It's like though you're paying a visit to an old buddy.