One of the “New School Year” resolutions I set for myself this fall was to devote more time in lessons to listening.   A couple of workshops I attended last spring and summer challenged me to think about how often my students are exposed to really excellent, highly musical performances.    The short answer…. not enough!!

In group lessons this week, I introduced these new Listening Challenge worksheets to my students. We’re going to use them together in several group lessons this fall, then eventually transition to the point where I can send them home along with a CD or recording of a new piece and ask students to complete them independently. 

Elementary Level Challenge (front and back)

Both worksheets guide students through identifying the musical elements or “tools” a composer used to create a mood or tell a story, then allow students to draw a graphic representation of what they hear.  

The listening worksheets are available for download on the Group Activities page.    Stay tuned… I’ll be sharing more about our listening adventures soon!