Listening: Considerations in Teaching an Invisible Skill

Music surrounds us and students have plenty of experience in passive listening. However, they need to be deliberately taught how to deeply and critically listen to music. The National Core Arts Standards do not specifically measure listening as a skill but to evaluate musical works, critical listening skills are essential. This article outlines considerations for teaching this invisible skill and provides ideas for student responses to their listening to make the invisible process of listening visible and accessible to teachers to assess and evaluate.