Training Students to Become Active Listeners

When I was growing up, I studied piano with Miss Mahaffy. She took me from Grade 3 to Grade 9 piano. After running though a piece, she would usually comment on how I did. More often than not, my dynamics were flat or my playing was choppy. Then she'd ask me, "Did you listen to what you just did?" Usually, I'd say, "No," or "Not really." She would dutifully write, "Listen to yourself!" in my assignment book.

Fast forward to 2013. After hearing a student, usually I ask them, "What did you think? How did you sound?" Their response is eerily similar, "I don't know. I wasn't listening." To which I reply, "Well how do you know if you're getting any better if you don't listen to what you're saying?"

My strategy to teach my students to become active listeners is two-fold. I rely heavily on the technology on hand: my YouTube Music Exploration Play List and Record & Review.

Every week, I highlight a "Clip of the Week". I've been doing this for several years now. My students have an Active Listening Handout, although I really should just keep one at the piano to save time. While watching and listening to the clip, I ask them questions such as, "What instruments do you hear?", "What's the tempo like?", "Is the song major, minor or something else?" and "What's the articulation?"

The one thing that I've been employing more regularly is recording my students and having them listen to themselves.I record them onto my computer using Audacity. Any recording device will do: mp3 player, camera or phone.

I ask them to draw a star on any spot in the score in which they heard a bobble. Some students are really good at it, so I just have to talk about various practice drills and the end goal.

I have a group of students who don't really listen to themselves when they play. However, they realize what needs work only when we do the Record and Review.

Unfortunately, many of my students are weak in this area, and I want to fix that. Sometimes, I have to record them playing through a spot, record myself playing the same spot and have them compare the sound and the waveforms.

With guided questions (and a few replays), I can usually get my students to pick out one trouble spot that I'd like them to work on for the week. Once we select the most critical issue, I have them pull out their Bag of Tricks so that we can work on that spot.

This evening, I recorded a nine-year old student as she drilled a trouble spot. I played each recording for her and asked her to assess herself. We probably spent 10 minutes recording and reviewing until I felt confident that she knew what to listen for at home and that her practices will be better organized.

Basically, I'm walking my students through how to practice music efficiently. It's very tedious, especially when you take into account that I've been doing this with most of my students for the past couple of weeks. I do feel that this will pay off in the end. If I can successfully teach my students active listening skills, then they have a better chance of succeeding at self-regulated practicing.

It is my hope that well before the end of the school year, when I ask them, "What did you think? How did you sound?", they all will be able to assess their playing accurately and objectively. Then, I can focus on helping them progress with their musicianship and expression.

Using Waveforms in Music Lessons

Summer lessons give me a chance to try out new ideas with students. One of my students doesn't pay attention to the rhythm and tempo as carefully as he should. I wanted to find a different way to show him that "steady" and "unsteady" are two different things. Last week, I decided to show him what "steady playing" and "unsteady playing" looks like. Not with the webcams but with the waveforms.

Using Audacity, I recorded both of us playing the same passage. I synchronized them and first asked him to study how well our waveforms lined up. Then, I hit Play.

When I asked him to repeat the passage, he was much steadier!

On Music and Technology, Teaching Awards and Future Collaborations

Last month, I was named the Tech Teacher of the Year. Last week, I got to pick up the hardware on the other side of the country:

The Tech Teacher of the Year Award is the brainchild of Roland Canada, Music for Young Children and Conservatory Canada. It is the first time that this award has been given out. The representatives involved decided to present the award at the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations (CFMTA) national convention in Halfiax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

The magnitude of the award didn't hit me until I stepped into the ballroom at the World Trade and Convention Centre. The mere thought of standing in front of music teachers from all over North America, many of whom have been teaching for far longer than I, was overwhelming. The realization that I had to come up with a decent acceptance speech was frightening.

Thanks to my previous "lives" - arts marketing and fund development, special events and communications - experience and Divine inspiration kicked in. Ergo, I am familiar with the "lead sheet" of an acceptance speech. All that was left was to decide upon a few salient points while my shaking hands tried to direct my meal into my mouth.

Now I can't remember everything I said. I do remember thanking the sponsors for coming up with the idea and for paying my transportation and accommodation to the convention. I vaguely remember mentioning how difficult it was to put the submission together (my first take was over 10 minutes long!). As well, I mentioned how my students are equally fascinated with old technology, tasking me with finding an old magnetic tape recorder.

My last point is one that I've made several times here: technology doesn't have to be scary. It took me years to get my studio to where it is today. Even then, it wasn't until my involvement with Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir last year that I upped my game on the music and technology front.

Roland Canada hosted a dinner for the participants who were in attendance at the convention. It was inspirational to just meet and chat with this bright individuals and to express the desire to work together.

When I was able to tell the world that I had won the award, I shared my news on Eric Whitacre's Facebook Wall. I know I shouldn't be surprised that he replied. After all, Eric has nurtured a great relationship with his fans and members of Virtual Choir - to the point that he drops into the odd Virtual Choir Google Hangout and has dinner with 10 VC members who decide to go to Vancouver to catch him in concert:

However, knowing how busy he must be, it's still a bit shocking to get a reply from him.

What's next on the horizon? Who knows? I just know that now that I'm back from Halifax, I have to fight the urge to incorporate all the neat ideas I picked up - all at once.

Rhona-Mae Arca Named Tech Teacher of the Year

It's official, I've been named Tech Teacher of the Year by Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children. Click here for the official press release.

Applicants had to submit a three-minute clip describing how digital technology is used in their music studio, as well as how digital technology impacts their students as well as themselves. Here is my submission:

This announcement comes on the heels of my latest music and technology project. Last week, my students and I prepared, recorded and submitted videos for Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 4.0 - Bliss. A record number of over 8,200 videos from nearly 6,000 singers and 100 countries were submitted. Some of my students and I even helped out on  tech support during the final days prior to the submission deadline.

Thank you so much to the sponsors: Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children for this opportunity. Hats off to my fellow teachers who also made a submission as they are also leaders in working technology into music education.

See you all in Halifax!

Distance Learning Degrees in Music Education

Music teachers can further their education in the comfort of their studio. These six universities offer music educators distance learning opportunities.

Traditionally, music teachers who wished to explore longer professional development opportunities had take a sabbatical to study abroad. For some teachers, traveling abroad for extended periods in the name of career development is not a viable option.

A growing number of universities offer online degrees in music education. These six universities enable music teachers to further their education in the comfort of their own studio, with minimal disruption to their household and teaching schedules.

Master of Music in Music Education at the Boston University

Founded in 1839 as the Newbury Biblical Institute, Boston University now boasts an enrollment of over 32,000 students. BU is the first university in American history to confer university degrees in music.

Boston University’s School of Music offers an online Master of Music, Music Education. In this 17–20 month program, students explore a diverse curriculum, including analytical techniques, jazz and popular arranging and the philosophy and history of music education.

Master of Music in Music Education From Duquesne University

Located in Pittsburgh, PA, Duquesne University was founded in 1878 by the Order of the Holy Spirit. Duquesne is a private, coeducational Catholic college with an enrollment of over 10,000 students.

DU’s Mary Pappert School of Music offers a three and four-year Master of Music: Major in Music Education. The program incorporates online studies as well as courses that must be taken on campus. Students explore a variety of areas, including the foundations of music education, creativity in school music programs, Alexander Technique for musicians and music education research.

The school also offers a Master of Music in Music Technology program. Students will study Digital Music Pedagogy, Electronic Composition and Electronic Performance.

Master of Arts – Music Education Degree at the University of Hawaii-Manoa

The University of Hawaii at Manoa in Honolulu, HI was established in 1907 and now boasts an enrollment of over 20,000. The university offers a two-year Master of Arts Music Education Degree that can be taken locally or through distance learning.

Applicants should hold a Bachelor of Education (or comparable degree) and be teaching in a public or private school. Students will explore a wide range of topics, including major issues in music education, research in music education, using the Internet and the psychology of music.

Graduate Certificate in Music Technology at the University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle in Australia was founded in 1965 and has over 30,000 students. It has earned a solid reputation for its accomplishments in making higher education accessible to the disadvantaged, as well as research and teaching innovations. The University earned seven Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

The University of Newcastle offers a Graduate Certificate in Music Technology. Students explore several applications of music technology, including MIDI and sequencing techniques, musical scoring techniques, digital media, sound engineering and computer assisted instruction.

Certificates of Piano Pedagogy and Piano Pedagogy Research at the University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa in Canada is the largest bilingual university in North America. It was founded in 1848 and now has an enrollment of over 40,000 students.

UOttawa offers an Undergraduate Certificate in Piano Pedagogy and a Graduate Certificate in Piano Pedagogy Research. Like Duquesne University, UOttawa incorporates distance learning and on-campus learning components. Students explore a wide range of pedagogical topics, including an analysis of various piano method books, musician health and injuries and music education research.

MA Psychology for Musicians/MA Music Psychology in Education at the University of Sheffield

The University of Sheffield is among the top universities in the UK, according to "RAE 2008: results for UK universities" from The Guardian (December 18, 2008). It was founded in 1828 and now reports an enrollment of over 24,000 students. Five Nobel prizewinners lead its list of illustrious alumni.

The MA Psychology for Musicians/MA Music Psychology in Education was launched in 1997. Students study diverse aspects of music education and psychology, including the psychology of performance, music research and musical development. This part-time, online degree can be completed within two years.

Music teachers can develop their skills through online courses and distance learning degrees. Masters programs in music research, piano pedagogy, music technology and music psychology are just some of the areas that music educators can explore from the comfort of their own studio.

Originally published on Suite101.com on July 23, 2010. Winner of an Editor's Choice Award for Music Education on Suite101.com. Updated March 24, 2013. All rights reserved by Rhona-Mae Arca.