On music and teaching...

I was particularly struck by the enormity of the Italian terms for musical (and musical/emotional) concepts in this week's readings. Perhaps it is true that you can tell a lot about a culture by the way its language treats a subject—a popular misconception is that Eskimos have many words for snow.

In particular, the way that terms seemed to overlap, or describe the same feeling, tempo, or mood:



[Mosso - agitated
 Allegro - moderately fast]

[Accelerando - Accelerating
 Affrentado - becoming hurried]

Or terms that evoked an emotional sense:

Largo - slow and dignified.
Dolce - sweetly
Maestoso - majestic
Vivace - vivacious

These are highly nuanced terms that illustrate the point that music is highly connected to the emotional center of the brain. Tapping into this could have a positive impact on learning.  Indeed, a lot of research has been conducted along these lines.

I've witnessed teachers in several subjects utilize music in the classroom for varying purposes: illustrating cultural differences, setting a mood for the learning environment, or simply to motivate students. A current Spanish teacher colleague of mine plays music from different Latin-American countries during periods when students are reading. A Humanities teacher plays different styles of music while students are working on collaborative projects (a frequent occurrence).