Aural Education: Reconceptualising Ear Training in Higher Music Learning explores the practice of musical ‘aural training’ from historical, pedagogical, psychological, musicological, and cultural perspectives, and uses these to draw implications for its pedagogy, particularly within the context of higher music education. The multi-perspective approach adopted by the author affords a broader and deeper understanding of this branch of music education, and of how humans relate to music more generally. The book extracts and examines one by one different parameters that appear central to ‘aural training’, proceeding in a gradual and well-organised way, while at the same time constantly highlighting the multiple interconnections and organic unity of the many different operations that take place when we interact with music through any music-related activity. The resulting complex profile of the nature of our relationship with music, combined with an exploration of non-Western cultural perspectives, offer fresh insights on issues relating to musical ‘aural training’. Emerging implications are proposed in the form of broad pedagogical principles, applicable in a variety of different music educational settings. Andrianopoulou propounds a holistic alternative to ‘aural training’, which acknowledges the richness of our relationship to music and is rooted in absorbed aural experience. The book is a key contribution to the existing literature on aural education, designed with researchers and educators in mind.

The Routledge Companion to Aural Skills Pedagogy offers a comprehensive survey of issues, practice, and current developments in the teaching of aural skills. The volume regards aural training as a lifelong skill that is engaged with before, during, and after university or conservatoire studies in music, central to the holistic training of the contemporary musician. With an international array of contributors, the volume captures diverse perspectives on aural-skills pedagogy, and enables conversation between different regions. It addresses key new developments such as the use of technology for aural training and the use of popular music. This book will be an essential resource and reference for all university and conservatoire instructors in aural skills, as well as students preparing for teaching careers in music.

Research indicates that aural skills are vital in developing musical expertise, yet the precise nature of those skills and the emphasis placed upon them in educational contexts merit closer attention and exploration. This book assesses the relevance of aural in a university music degree and as a preparation for the professional career of a classical musician. By way of the discussion of four empirical studies, two main areas are investigated: firstly, the relationship between university music students’ aural ability and their overall success on a music degree programme, and, secondly, the views of music students and professional musicians about aural and its relevance to their career are analysed. The subject is investigated particularly in the light of the current socio-educational background of the past fifty years, which has greatly influenced the participation of music and the study and development of musicianship. Many related issues are touched upon as part of the research for this project, and these emerge as relevant topics in the discussion of aural. Apart from students’ and musicians’ views on training and singing, aspects considered include the role of improvisation, memorisation and notation, examinations, absolute pitch and the affinity with language, all of which have a part to play in the debate about the importance of aural.

Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills is a comprehensive method for learning to hear, sing, understand, and use the foundations of music as a part of an integrated and holistic curriculum for training professional musicians. Each chapter is organized to take advantage of how our minds and instincts naturally hear and understand music and provides a variety of exercises for practicing and integrating the structure into your musical vocabulary. Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills will provide you with the musical terms, progressions, resolutions, and devices that you will be able to draw upon as a functional and usable musical vocabulary. Ear training exercises on the companion website reinforce both discrete structures (intervals, chords, etc.) as well as all rhythmic and melodic material, and sections are provided to open discussion and reflection on the skills and attitudes professional musicians need to be successful. Features: Easy to Understand Explanations: Topics are logically ordered and explained to help the student make connections to their theory instruction and common usage. A Complete Method: Detailed instructions are given for singing and hearing structures as they most commonly appear in music., providing students with a proven, reliable process for creating and discerning musical structures. Exercises: Ideas for drill, pitch patterns, rhythms, melodies, duets, sing and plays, and examples from the literature help the student to integrate each chapter’s material. Reflections: Discussions of topics that help students to develop as a person, a professional, and an artist, and to integrate aural skills into their musical education. Companion Website: Ear Training tools and video demonstrations. You can find the companion website at www.routledge.com/textbooks/developingmusicianship.

Aural, theory and musicianship text book with fully interactive PDF for senior level music classes (VCE, TCE etc)

A research-based aural skills curriculum that reflects the way students learn.