Music in the classroom
Having taught several drawing classes in the past, I found it to be beneficial for the student to listen to softly played classical music. They seem to take their time and be more creative.
I agree. I sometimes let my students choose as a group what they'd like to listen to.
Hi Karen!
I continue to struggle with using music in my classroom and I would really like too. I am in a challenging environment where most of my students are felons and have very few skills other than "street skills". But I am definitely going to try a way to work it in. So if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
I do think that all the elements of using music in the classroom have to come together to be successful and it does sound as though that many who have participated in this forum have made it work. Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Dear Jane,
Hi! I usually play opera music in my classroom, as I'm a passionate fan of opera and feel that it is even 'part of their education' to listen to some of this great classical music. If you use that type of music I think that some of the most universally pleasing music would be a CD with arias by Andrea Boccelli or Renee Fleming played in the background. Actual opera that I think would be very cross-cultural and stimul-ating would be "Porgy and Bess," "Madama Butterfly," "La Traviata," and "Carmen." Opera videos are good, also.
You might wonder if opera would appeal to your particular student population as background music. If you have not seen the movie "Shawshank Redemption" you might check it out to see the answer to that! (It is one scene in particular that I'm thinking of.) You could try it and also bring in some CD's of Gershwin (early jazz) music, salsa, soul, or contemporary jazz. Scott Joplin would be good, as would Al Jaroe, and some earlier jazz musicians and singers like Ella Fitzgerald.
My students have told me that they find the music I bring in comforting and enriching. Please let me know the results of your 'experiment' if you do try out this music!
Sincerely, Anne Farley Gaines
Dear Jane,
I forgot to mention that Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals or even (earlier) Rodgers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Lowe are popular for students to listen to when they are doing kinesthetic activities. If you find that the words are distracting soundtracks can be purchased that contain just the music. "Rent" could be good as an 'icebreaker,' as well!
Good luck!
Anne
I sometimes let students choose as a group or someone takes the lead playing music in the classroom
but sometimes I find some students get distracted from the work on hand and a conversation about music takes over the class. I have also had students who say this instructor plays the music videos in class and that instructor so cooooool
Every student seems to own a Ipod so sometimes I'd rather during work time students get into their own groove
It seems students focus alot better
Thanks so much Anne! These are excellent recommendations.
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Greeting Zena!
I really like the idea of allowing students to use their IPOD when appropriate.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
Hi Jane,
I agree. As a chef, I will not allow music in my classrooms. In all the kitchens that I managed, the first thing I did was to remove the music. I found it to be disruptive and cause arguments on which station to play or what type of music everyone wanted to hear.
Some instructors, where I teach, use loud music during the production time. When I walk in, I feel it to be unprofessional. Call me old school, but I feel, music belongs out side in their ears, cars and in walking from class to class. But in class, it is inappropriate, just like phones going off or ipods in the ears.
By the way, I love music, but when students see my style, they comment on the professionalism that I project, versus being one of the students.
I feel that music plays a role in certain areas of teaching, but in ours, it has, in my eyes, distracts the students focus and concentration.
I like to play the top gun anthem for my students before testing it seems to encourage them
Music in the classroom can be a plus depending on what's being done , usually I will put something on if there is Web Base training to do just to create a relaxing atmosphere while the students are goping thruogh their online training .
I don't disagree in some cases to have music in the classroom. During certain activities it may help. For what I teach, i feel music is should not be used. I need the students to be aware of the enviroment at all times. It is not only my instruction they need to hear, but other student comments and questions that need to be listened to.
Hi Vincent!
I agree that music may not work for all environments. One way that I believe it will work is when you are waiting for students to arrive and then maybe 5 minutes after everyone is there. This will give students an opportunity to relax and refocus.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
While I am a huge music afficionado with tastes ranging from opera to dubstep, I am somewhat surprised that everyone here is ignoring the point in the module on copyright law: music that you, the instructor, have bought, is licensed only for personal use; playing it in the classroom counts as public performance, and requires licensing by ASCAP (or another music publishing/licensing agency). Failure to do so could cost the school many thousands of dollars in fines. Sure the likelihood of being caught is infinitessimal, but it sends a message to students: creative works should be free...this is a dubious message to be sending students of the creative/commercial arts.
I'm not saying that I haven't played music in my classroom; I used to be the "cool" teacher that some earlier in the discussion were mentioning. Once I learned about the ramification of copyright law vis a vis this topic, I stopped.
One possible solution, however, is to play music that is owned by your school's library. Inquire with the librarian about the copyright issues involved with the public performance thereof.
I am a retired dentist from 34 years of private practice teaching at a healthcare career college. I had about 30 CD's of contemporary easy listening artist playing in my office for my patients piped through headphones in each treatment room to help the patients relax. I cannot see a situation when I am teaching where I feel music would be beneficial to my students in their learning.
Hi Fred!
I have tried music easy listening music when students are arriving for class to offer them and opportunity to "chill out" for a moment before moving on to their next activity. This is particularly helpful for evening students who work, have families, and rushing to get to school. It gives them a moment to regroup.
Thanks for your thoughts and keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED107 Facilitator
