Listening

During my break, I have also been reflecting on listening. We have listening activities in every class. We listen to all different kinds of sounds like dogs barking or a doorbell ringing. It is important for children (and adults for that matter) to cultivate a listening spirit. Deep enjoyment of music comes from really knowing how to listen. As parents, don't you want your child to listen to you? And believe it or not, it is a child's natural inclination to want to listen to their parents and do what is pleasing in their sight. If we help a child to cultivate a listening spirit, we are helping them to be able to enjoy music more deeply now and for years to come. We are also helping them as social creatures so that they will be able to really listen to other people when they get older. By listening to other people, they can learn to be empathetic and caring. Listening is a skill that must be learned. Hearing is not listening. We hear with our ears but we listen with our spirit. So, let's all cultivate a listening spirit so we can have an ever deepening enjoyment of the art of music and our fellow human beings! By listening, we can be as much an artist as the composer of the piece we are listening to! After all, that's why the Composer spent the time to create the piece!!!