Listening Activities

This section provides suggestions for supplemental listening activities that can easily be incorporated into the music performance or general music curriculum.  To maximize the overall effect of these exercises, we recommend that student's initially engage in Passive listening activities and then move on to the suggested Attentive activities. Once the Attentive activities have been engaged, we encourage students to continue listening to their iPod or CD compilations on an on-going basis.  In acquiring good jazz discriminating skills, it is often said that the more we listen, the more we LEARN.  Enjoy!

Passive Listening:  NS 6

1. Select one guest artist from a LEGENDS OF JAZZ Episode and integrate selected recordings on your iPod or create a compilation CD of selected songs from your CD collection of that artist.
2. Listen at least twice a day while you are doing daily chores, walking, exercising, studying, etc.

Attentive Listening:  NS 6&7

Using the recordings on your iPod or compilation CD from #1 in the Passive Listening Activities, schedule two (2) one-hour private sessions listening only to that designated artist.  As you listen intently, answer the following questions for each composition:

1.      What is the title of the composition?

2.      From what original recording is the composition taken? (List record label and release date)

3.      What is the style of the composition?

4.      Are there liner notes about the compositions?

5.      List the author(s) of the liner notes and briefly discuss the contents of their comments about the recording.

6.      What inspired the creation of this composition?

7.      Who are the sidemen on the recording?

8.      What is the instrumentation on the composition?

9.      Briefly reflect on how you respond emotionally to this artist’s composition.

After completing your critical listening sessions of the entire recording compilation, take a minute to reflect on what you have heard overall and respond to these questions:

10.  In your own words briefly describe a musical characteristic or musical device this artist uses that distinguishes him or her from other artists. NS 5,6&7

11.  In a general sense, briefly reflect on how you respond emotionally to this artist’s music.  NS 6

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