What’d You Listen To?

jedscottEducation, Music Literacy

This is the best first question for a music lesson: “What’d you listen to this week?”

The informed musician is always expanding their list of recordings that influence them, because a relationship with the past and present of music is an essential precursor to having something to say as a musician yourself.

Note: I don’t say, “What jazz singers did you listen to?” or “What bel canto singers did you listen to?” or “What versions of your repertoire did you listen to?” All are valid questions, but the open ended question does several things:

  1. It affirms the musical interests of the student.
  2. It creates a jumping off point for musical conversation.
  3. It helps the teacher better understand what they can do to serve the student’s needs.
  4. It offers a jumping off point for an ongoing open-ended conversation on music.

First, what’d you listen to? Then, let’s make some music.