Methodology

Music Education: A New Approach to Learning

Through my experience in studying and teaching music, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on the traditional methods used in conservatories, academies, and music schools. I realized that the way musical language is taught could be far more effective if it followed a natural and intuitive process, much like how we learn a spoken language.

Listening is the key to connecting with music.

Just as a child learns to speak by listening and imitating the sounds around them, the same should apply to learning music. The first contact with musical language should not rely on sheet music or complex theories but instead on active listening, imitation, and sound exploration.

The Natural Process of Learning Music

Imagine a baby or a young child.

Before learning to read or memorize long texts, the child needs to listen to adults speak, understand the sounds, and grasp the meaning of words.

Why should music education be any different?

Just as we learn our native language by listening, the same principle applies to learning music.

We listen first, then we understand, and finally, we recreate.

This approach allows students to develop an emotional connection with music, learn to improvise, and express their creativity from an early stage.

Learning Music Like a Language: A Natural and Intuitive Approach

Learning music is like learning a new language.

Active Listening: Just as we listen to conversations to learn a language, we should listen to music to understand its elements.

Imitation: Just as children mimic words, music students should imitate rhythms, melodies, and harmonies.

Recreation: Students recreate what they hear, experiment with it, and adapt it to their own musical expression.

By following this process, students gain a deeper understanding of music and become capable of interpreting and improvising naturally, without relying exclusively on written notation.

Why Is This Approach More Effective?

Builds an emotional connection with music:
Auditory learning helps students emotionally engage with what they hear, making it easier to memorize and internalize.

Encourages creativity and improvisation:
Instead of relying solely on rules and theories, students develop the ability to experiment and create their own music.

Makes the process more natural and intuitive:
Just as we learn to speak before learning to write, we should listen to and understand music before learning to read sheet music.

Diana Namorado

Movimento Sonoro

Piano Piano