|
Having
reminded her students many times that composers like Wagner depended
on the listeners’ remembering the earlier theme to recognize
its later use, the teacher determined to make her students understand
that themes recur throughout a piece. After several futile attempts
to teach the role of theme, or the prominent repeated melody,
in classical music, she was at wit’s end. |
She
knew that her class had little trouble with simple variations
and could easily identify themes that were repeated in a similar
way. But when the theme showed much variation, the students’ attention
focused on the new detail to such an extent that they no longer
‘heard’ the basic theme. For a week or two, the teacher worried
about the problem. Other teachers advised her to go on with something
else, but she continued to search for a solution. |
With
this problem in mind, one afternoon during the lunch hour, she
noticed a group of students gathered in a corner of the school
yard. Several girls were moving their bodies rhythmically. Curious,
she drew closer and found that the students were listening to
a new rock hit. A girl in the center of the group held a tape
recorder in her hand. At that moment, a sudden inspiration took
hold. |
The
following day in class, she asked how many students had tape recorders.
A dozen or so students said, “I do.” The teacher said excitedly,
“I have an idea. Let’s play Beethoven’s Pastorale again.
One of you can record the theme when it’s first introduced. Then
later, someone else can record it the second time it appears.
Lastly, we’ll have another person record when it appears next.
Then we can start all three tape recorders at exactly the same
time to see if the recordings fit!” Her students looked at her
in surprise. Suddenly, however, delight appeared on their faces.
And so it was done. When they played the recordings simultaneously,
the sounds blended sufficiently for the students to recognize
their commonality. |