«Can we have a music shower, please?»

Passionata – Music lessons make all the difference

«Miss Dubs, listen, my voice is so beautiful,» Sara*, a Year 2 pupil, called out to me in class and immediately began improvising with her voice. «Dog, dog, dog, dog, mother, mother, world-Aaaalllll!» Sara's voice rose and fell, sometimes snapping like natural yodelling, then floating as it sought its path.    

The reason for this musical experiment was a task given to the children: they had to draw three cards with nouns from a pile and make up a story about them. Sara's group chose «The dog, the mother and the universe». The noun story could be acted out, set to music with instruments, danced or sung. Sara enjoyed her singing with her eyes closed. When she was finished, she asked beaming, «Did you hear that?»

«Music is a staple food.»

Those who manage to experience sounds as something independent gain access to every kind of music. The multi-award-winning pianist Simone Keller often interprets new music – a broad genre that goes beyond the usual listening habits. Not everyone enjoys it, because when listening, you cannot rely on familiar harmonies and forms.

On the sound trail, the children also experienced how important the silence between the sounds is.

New music is experimental, plays with sounds, lets sounds flash or fade away. Simone Keller sees herself as a bridge builder who opens up paths to break down reservations about new music. «Music is a staple food,» she explained recently in a radio interview. That is why she is fighting for music in all its diversity to be given this status.  

Musical omnivores

In music education, we see this diversity as a resource that promotes openness and self-confidence. Sociological studies have concluded that people with higher social status are often so-called cultural «omnivores». Expanding children's musical worlds contributes to their personal development and social participation.    

Sara had always been an omnivore in music lessons and infected others with her cheerful nature. You can compare this to lunch: a child who sets an example as a peer by trying new things has a positive influence on others. Week after week, the class begged for new musical input: «Please, Miss Dubs, we need a music shower.»

How the music shower works

For the music shower, an invention of music teacher Christian Berger, I lead one child after another to the sound of a drum cymbal on the floor and «shower» them until the reverberation has faded away.  Then I play a piece of music for the children in the darkened room. They are given a listening task: What do you think about when you listen? Does a theme repeat itself? How would you describe or title the music?

Openness to new things and strong listening skills mean that children enjoy throwing themselves into musical experiments. Children quickly realise that the more they listen to their own playing, the more they can develop.

The children in Sara's class composed polyphonic soundscapes to accompany photographs of the North Pole, set their own drawings to music on the xylophone, and played spontaneous loud-and-soft concerts. We also created a sound trail, where a child was led along blindfolded and experienced how important silence is between sounds. (Listen to four different improvisation examples here: storm, ghosts, glockenspiel and rain.)

When music, listening and movement merge

The aim is to merge music-making with listening and, beyond that, with movement. In the Nomen story, Sara took on the singing part and the other two girls in the group danced to the vocal improvisation. From a distance, I saw them laughing heartily yet rehearsing with concentration.

At the end, everyone performed their productions. Some needed lots of instruments, while others created backdrops using cloths and other materials. Sara's group was the last to enter the taped-off square on the floor, which represented the stage.  

«Mother, mother,» she whispered, briefly suppressing a laugh. Her teammates lay motionless on the floor. In the following minute, Sara gave it her all, shouting those three words at the top of her voice. The dancers moved partly in unison, partly freely to the music. For the finale, they grabbed a pile of chiffon scarves and threw them into the air. They bathed in a shower of scarves and applause.

Observe and reflect in a differentiated manner

After presentations, I never ask the children how they liked it, but always ask the same three questions: Was there a beginning and an end? Did the children have to talk to each other during the performance? What else did you notice? This teaches the children to plan a performance, practise and improvise if necessary.

In their role as audience members, they also learn to observe and reflect in a differentiated manner. The eight-year-old children reported, for example, how Sara's voice rose three times in succession when she said the word «dog» and how the dancers first moved their arms and then their whole bodies in time with the movement.  

So what is the story about the dog, the mother and the universe? – I think everyone has heard a different one.

Kilian, who had previously performed a Nomen story in several acts with his group, was left with one question: «So what is the story about the dog, the mother and the universe?» There was a moment of silence. Until Sara presented the solution: «I think each of us heard a different story.» The children were satisfied with the answer. And I could have jumped for joy – like twenty colourful chiffon scarves.

*The children's names have been changed by the editors.