Whether in a car on a long trip or a surgery room, the conversation of what music should be listened to is a common one. Whether you are an anesthesiologist or a driver, deciding on music that works for the majority of people present can be a tricky task. These conversations might spark some debate in our classrooms. Besides discussing taste, it might be interesting to have a discussion with students about what music best fits certain situations and why. Perhaps students could create a playlist for various situations and explain their choices. Looking at the various elements of music such as tempo, timbre, the lyrics (if any), etc. that the choices have in common may lead to some interesting discussion as well.
This is an excellent idea. I could definitely use this to get my students thinking about what musical qualities portray certain moods or ideas. It will make it much easy for students to realize what “sound” they are looking for when composing in class.
Mr. K
What a great idea! I think it would show the diversity within a student body–not necessarily in ethnicity or race (thought that could be included), but on a psychological level. For example, some people listen to rage when they’re angry; others listen to relaxing music with a very horizontal feeling and smooth timbre. I think I would like to include this project in my classroom to see how different people respond to their emotions.
The choice of music needs to be different from a hospital waiting room to a gym. Can you imagine listening to power rock or rage rock in a hospital waiting room? I wonder what the patients’ response would be.