Publish at June 12 2024 Updated June 12 2024
It seems that our species has loved music for ages. We've found proto-instruments such as conch shells, the first wind instruments used by our ancestors. We like to hear melodies, shake our hips to rhythms and so on. It's peculiar that the school environment is so associated with silence. With the exception of music lessons, there's this impression that a good classroom is one where only the flies are heard when the teacher isn't talking.
But isn't music a distraction from the work that needs to be done in class? What does it really bring to the students, if not more chaos? These are some of the arguments put forward by those in favor of silence in the classroom. Yet scientific research contradicts these arguments. The beneficial effects of listening to music far outweigh any potential annoyance.
It promotes creative cognition, emotional and social development, and even self-discipline. According to researchers, under the right conditions, it enhances cerebral plasticity and, consequently, memory and mental agility. For example, students who had received a musical education and listened to music improved their math grades by 11 points.
However, the scientists noted that this worked mainly with soft or medium-fast instrumental music, and at a volume that wasn't too loud. Hence the problem of students listening to songs through their headphones; this may lock them in and not have the same effects, since the music is chosen by the learner and may not match concentration needs.
Nevertheless, it seems that to do without music education would be to do without an important exercise for the brain. Many neuroscientists have noted the effects of music and the neuronal connections stimulated by musical practice, if only by singing. They have observed just how much more successful musical students are than their non-instrumental peers, since this practice takes place in several places in the brain.
Even in children with attention deficit disorders, the use of music significantly improves concentration and organization, and calms mental agitation. That's why some teachers incorporate music as early as kindergarten to help with classroom management.
Integrating music into the classroom makes sense. It can be a compositional exercise to create or use famous tunes to teach and review concepts. Especially as the tools for composing and writing lyrics become more and more accessible.
Listening rituals are good ways of using music. They can be a way of introducing different musical styles throughout the year, as well as musical concepts, new vocabulary, listening comprehension or text exercises, and so on. For example, this dissertation looks at an activity carried out with students who had to compare two songs on the same theme.
Ideally, as many different genres as possible should be brought in, so as to sensitize students' ears to a variety of musical creations. It can also be interesting to use themes in the musical selection. Whether it's lively songs to bring back memories of summer at the start of the school year, or classical or melancholy tunes to represent winter, this strategy could well prove to be both rewarding and stimulating for students. In fact, French teachers are fortunate enough to be able to use Musique Prim, a bank of works or excerpts that can be used in a variety of ways, in a variety of styles, and that address different musical notions.
Those lucky enough to have a large enough classroom can even create a listening corner for their pupils. This can be a way for some to unwind after work, seek motivation or calm, etc. Listening in this way for pleasure can be a bridge to listening comprehension activities in a didactic context. The musical landscape is immense, and all that remains is for teachers to make the most of it and integrate it into their teaching practice.
Image: lenmdp / DepositPhotos
References:
"8 impactful ways to incorporate music in the classroom." The Flocabulary Blog. Last updated: March 4, 2024. https://blog.flocabulary.com/8-engaging-ways-to-incorporate-music-in-your-classroom/.
Cacheux, Ludivine. "Installing a listening corner in your kindergarten classroom in 4 steps." ÊtrePROF. Last updated April 26, 2024. https://etreprof.fr/ressources/4734/installer-un-coin-ecoute-dans-sa-classe-de-maternelle-en-4-etapes.
Derome, Emma. "Faire ses devoirs en musique, est-ce plus efficace?" Ça M'intéresse. Last updated June 29, 2023. https://www.caminteresse.fr/societe/faire-ses-devoirs-en-musique-est-ce-plus-efficace-11189091/.
Kubik, Suzana. "La musique à l'école: Qu'en disent les neurosciences?" France Musique. last updated May 31, 2024. https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/la-musique-a-l-ecole-qu-en-disent-les-neurosciences-1671451.
"The benefits of music against attention disorders." ICM. Last updated August 21, 2023. https://www.icm-musique.fr/le-blog/nos-conseils-pedagogiques/les-bienfaits-de-la-musique-contre-les-troubles-de-l-attention/.
Lew, Mira. "Music in the classroom: smart ways and benefits of incorporating it." Scolarité Internationale. Last updated October 2, 2023. https://internationalschooling.org/fr/blog/ways-and-benefits-of-incorporating-music-in-classroom/.
"MUSIQUE PRIM, a gold mine for teachers!" Académie De Paris. last updated December 19, 2023. https://pia.ac-paris.fr/portail/jcms/p1_3146759/musique-prim-une-mine-d-or-pour-les-enseignants.
Parekh, Shelly. "Teachers bring tunes to classrooms." The Californian. Last updated March 28, 2024. https://www.thecalifornianpaper.com/2024/03/teachers-bring-tunes-to-classrooms/.
"Why and how to create a music workshop in the primary classroom?" Fuzeau - Blog. last updated January 24, 2024. https://www.fuzeau.com/blog/pourquoi-et-comment-creer-un-atelier-musical-en-classe-de-primaire/.
"Music ritual for the whole year." School Media. last updated September 12, 2023. https://mediascol.ac-clermont.fr/impulsion-numerique-educatif63/2023/09/12/rituel-de-musique-pour-toute-lannee/.
"Music rituals for the classroom." Edumoov, Le Blog. last updated June 21, 2023. https://blog.edumoov.com/rituels-de-musique-pour-la-classe/.
"Music Listening Rituals." Espace Pédagogique - Académie De Poitiers. last updated April 9, 2024. https://ww2.ac-poitiers.fr/dsden79-pedagogie/spip.php?rubrique335.
Robitaille, Nancy. "A "playlist" for back-to-school! What a great idea." École De Musique Du Témiscouata. last updated August 24, 2023. https://www.emtemiscouata.ca/une-playlist-pour-la-rentree-quelle-belle-idee/.
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