Principles and Foundations of Music Listening

Abstract

Music listening is a multisensory musical experience. In this chapter, the philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical foundations for including active music-listening experiences in PK-12 general music classes and performance ensembles are explored. Music listening as a cognitive (affective and perceptual) experience is also addressed. Readers are presented with an overview of the book, its format, and its companion website. The pedagogical, multisensory music listening tools-music listening maps, movement, and talk-alouds-are also introduced as ways to engage PK-12 students duringlessons in creative music listening. These tools help teachers understand their students’ music listening experiences, by facilitating a partial externalization ofstudents’ internal cognitive processes. Concluding the chapter is a list of the principles of music listening that form the foundation for the remainder of the book.