by Laura Mason, guest blog writer for Kathy’s Music, piano & voice instructor, and licensed Kindermusik teacher.
There are many activities which help fuel musical growth alongside lessons — home practice and performing are two which often come to mind. Music listening is another such activity that can often be overlooked. Here are some thoughts on how music listening can help us grow as musicians.
Inspiration
There is little more inspiring when learning an instrument than to hear it played well. I never want to practice more than after I’ve heard an excellent interpretation of a piano classic. Of course, sometimes the journey from where we are to where the admired musician is may seem long, but our teachers are there to help break the more lofty abstract goals down into progressive attainable challenges. Listening to these virtuosos can keep those loftier goals present in our minds as we travel along the musical path.
Attentive Listening
A key element of musicianship is attentive listening. Attentive listening is needed for good intonation, conscientious dynamics and articulation, and stable tempo. Music listening is a great way to focus on this specific skill. To strengthen this skill make sure to listen to the piece or pieces more than once and discuss or reflect in between. In doing so, the ear begins to attend to specific sections or a specific tone during repeat listenings; this is the transferable skill we’re hoping to develop.
Exposure to Different Genres
I sometimes wonder how much music has been composed over the past thousands of years. I’m sure the number would be staggering. What’s even more astonishing is the seemingly limitless range of styles that have been achieved with a limited range of notes. Music listening is a great way to discover a new genre of music to love and to play. You may also discover a genre of music that you may, well…not love, but that discovery leads to an important lesson in itself — learning how to appreciate something that we aren’t necessarily fond of ourselves.
Wondering where to get started? You can find instrument playlists created by our teachers here or listen to some of our students perform in our online Recital Hall. You can also ask your teacher if they have any specific recommendations. In fact, we as teachers love to hear about the music you discover as well. Another great multisensory music listening experience is attending performances. Read more about the importance of attending live performances in a blog article going soon.
Have fun discovering new music, and may you be filled with inspiration for your own musical journey!