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Quebec The sounds of music for learning by Denise Llewellyn I am a harpist and am keenly interested in how music can be used in learning situations. Brewster (1995) points out that music helps us learn by:
In April 2006, I gave a 1 1/2 hour presentation in a Physical Science class at the Place Cartier Adult Education Centre where I work in Beaconsfield. Although this class was not designated a literacy class, the students were 16+ and completing high school. I brought my small harp to the class, and played recorded harp music and jazz. I wanted to find out whether using music in this classroom created a significant and meaningful learning experience for the students and teacher. Since one of the ways that we are affected by music is emotionally, I wanted to know how the students and teacher perceived and felt the music, and if and how it enhanced and enriched their learning experience. The students listened to me play and also had the opportunity to play my harp. I had them physically feel the vibrations of the music. I played a few pieces for them and showed them how playing in different modes can affect the listener’s mood. I also focused on the students’ reading comprehension skills, social skills and critical thinking. I also applied Joshua Leeds’ Simple Formula of Psychoacoustic Applications. This states that teachers need the following for music and sound to be effective in the classroom:
The students were divided into groups of four as their home group. They were paired within each group, and then read excerpts from Joshua Leeds. The passages discussed sound, vibrations, energy and resonance. The pairs became experts on what they read and returned to their home group to share what they had learned. This was quite an extraordinary experience for the students as well as for the teacher, Helen Leung. She was not in the classroom for the first half hour but in her evaluation she wrote that she found the correlation between science and music very interesting and relevant. She stated that she learned the difference between a resonant frequency and a resonant system on a concrete level. Helen found that even if her students did not know how to play, they produced a nice sound by just running their fingers over the strings. On their evaluations of the session, the students said they felt happy, relaxed, impressed and “moved by the way the music felt”. Here are things they said they now knew: “there’s more to playing the harp than plucking strings and that it can relieve stress”, “how different types of music and sound would affect us”, “sound and music interact with each other and you can’t have music without sound” and “this instrument and to know how long it takes to learn how to play harp”. All of the students said that they had learned something new, including: that the harp is difficult to play, something new about sound, and that the harp is an amazing instrument. One of the students who felt they had learned a lot said that they “found that sound has a lot to do with physics and life”. I am thoroughly convinced that music—specifically harp music—is an extraordinary tool for learning because it affects us emotionally. After providing a catharsis for the listener, harp music can be used as a point of entry for learning. I wanted to explore the capabilities of the harp to influence, affect and connect to the listener. I gave a workshop at the end of September 2006, to literacy tutors and providers through the Quebec English Literacy Alliance on How Music for Learning Works. It applied to learners both in classrooms and one-on-one. Sources: Brewer, Chris Boyd. Music and Learning: Integrating Music in the classroom. LifeSounds, 1995. Campbell, Don. The Mozart Effect: Tapping the power of music to heal the body, strengthen the mind and unlock the creative spirit. New York: Quill/HarperCollins, 1997. Dickinson, Dee. Why are the Arts Important? New Horizons, 2004. (www.newhorizons.org) Leeds, Joshua. The Power of Sound—How to Manage Your Personal Soundscape for a Vital, Productive & Healthy Life. Healing Arts Press, 2001. Williams, Sarajane. Good Vibrations—Principles of Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy. Planet Harp 2005. (http://planetharp.com)
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