Learning Music From the Inside: The Process of Coming to Know Musical Works as Experienced by Four High School Choral Singers

Abstract

Students both accommodated and interpreted musical works so that ultimately, both entities were transformed. Student characteristics, qualities of the musical works, and the methods used by the teacher to facilitate the relationship between the two influenced the potential for deep understanding, interpretation, and aesthetic response. The instructor's general music background led to a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary teaching approach, which seemed to increase the number of opportunities the participants had for making meaningful connections with the music.