'Blip, Buzz, Blurp': The Challenge of Teaching New Ways to Listen
Bonnie Miksch, Leon W. Couch · University of Michigan Library Repository · 1999
When first hearing electroacoustic music, many music theory students lack strategies to help them focus on sound parameters, identify musical gestures, and improve their overall perception. One difficulty stems from traditional theory’s tendency to overlook musical elements that are essential to an enriched hearing of electroacoustic music. With the goal of redirecting and revising traditional listening approaches, our method begins with an explicit list of sound parameters categorized as either fundamental or interpretive. After establishing this initial focus, we suggest new ways to encourage students to actively engage sounds and increase their retention through the use of visual and movement-based modes of analysis.