“Listening with older parents keen to tell stories about their musical memories allows students to gain an immediate perspective on the historical context and personal importance of music,” adds Clendinning.
Clendinning challenged them to listen to the album without distraction so that they could hear and feel the difference in the way the songs are designed when they are meant to be heard in a longer format. Students were asked to listen to “Dark Side of the Moon” once in its entirety and then choose a track to listen to in isolation again to see how the experience is different.
Most of them commented on how listening to the album – with its predominance of purely instrumental tracks, ambient noises and seamless transitions between different concepts – called into question their perception of how the As time went by, their attention span was also tested.
Sharing 70s music was not the only way for students to involve their families in their classes during this time when classroom learning was remote.
For a drum assignment in a world cultures class, Clendinning asked students to make videos of themselves trying out patterns on makeshift drums. Parents and siblings made appearances. In another class, students used musical movie reviews as movie night occasions with family and friends. While a third class created a virtual vocal kecak with students and community members from our Balinese gamelan ensemble.
“I also encouraged the students to use their time with families to help them prepare for their final exams by explaining the concepts of the class over lunch. “
Students perform a kecak (vocal gamelan)
