Why do we listen to music?

Discuss:

• Do you listen to music?
• What types of music do you like?
• Where do you listen to music?
• Is music important in your life?
• Do you prefer to listen to music quietly or do you prefer to “crank it out” (play it loud)?
• Does listening to old music transport you back to when you were younger?
• What emotions do you feel when you listen to your favourite music?
• Is there any type of music you listen to when you feel blue / anxious/ happy?
• What’s the role of music in your lives?
• WHY DO WE LISTEN TO MUSIC?

 

In pairs or groups of 3, the students write as many words connected to music as they can, dividing them into these categories:

• Musical instruments: guitar, cello…
• Kinds of music: classical, dance…
• Words to describe music: fast, melodic, jazzy…
• Feelings to describe listening to music. How does it make you feel?: happy, energetic, released…

 

Show this list of words used to describe music:

 

How many were in their lists? Do they understand them all?

Ask them to think of some singers/groups/songs/kind of music. In their opinion, which adjectives describe them best?

Example: I think ________ is depressing / catchy / funky…

 

Discuss a list of sentences related to music. How many do you agree with?

1. All human beings are born musical.
2. Music can take us back to bad times in our lives
3. Music has a useful psychological effect.
4. Music makes you feel more positive about bad experiences
5. Music plays an important part in our lives even before we are born
6. Music transports people back to their formative years.
7. People often listen to music to make themselves sad.
8. People often say the best music was made during their adolescence.
9. Playing music loud at night helps children to sleep.
10. Singing and learning a musical instrument improves hearing. 

 

Listen to psychologist Victoria Williamson, from BBC Radio 4’s “Today”, discussing the role of music. 

 

Then the learners do some activities they can find online (or as printables within the online link):

• an interactive exercise to put the sentences in the order you hear them
• listen again and do the comprehension quiz
• interactive crossword

 

Explain they are going to give their opinions in a voice forum on the question “WHY DO WE LISTEN TO MUSIC?”. For that purpose they have to:

• enter  VOXOPOP and sign up (they only need to have an email address)
• leave their opinion in a talkgroup the teacher has already created
• follow the threads and participate as much as they can.

Source: screen capture from www.voxopop.com/