A whole language approach helps to ..."connect, rather than isolate,
the different areas of language learning"

Music as a second language

In his 1980 Learning Disability Quarterly article "Whole-Language Approaches: Premises and Possibilities" James Leigh reminds second-language educators that "the fundamental purpose of any language activity is to acquire, mediate, or express meaning." In light of this, he suggests steering pedagogical practices in ways that connect, rather than isolate, the different areas of language learning: writing, reading, speaking, and listening. As teachers of music, the members of the Boston Public Quartet aim to foster the same kind of connections through educational interventions that relate all areas of musical expression.

Examples of philosophy in practice


Technique: 
developing a healthy relationship between body, mind, and instrument
  • Exploring the different senses through activities that emphasize one physical sense over the other: playing with eyes closed, playing "silent music" using just bow, just left hand, or body without instrument
  • Connecting the power of imagination with physical/mental experience of music-making through allegories (Marji's bowhold story about the gorilla) and connections to real-life experience (Mike's staircase story)
  • Memorizing a composition learned through reading
  • Using a newly acquired-musical technique in a composition or improvisation

Literacy: 
understanding and employing a written language of music
  • Connecting writing, listening through dictation exercises 
  • Singing note names or rhythmic mnemonic devices
  • Sightreading exercises
  • Inventing new notations (i.e. soundscape chamber music exercise)
  • Using colored pencils and other art supplies to enhance notation writing and reading


Self-expression:
composition and improvisation 
  • Taking an existing composition and, moving between instrument and manuscript paper, writing a piece employing similar compositional techniques 
  • Improvising a melody based on notes and rhythms learned through a piece learned through reading
  • Improvising or composing music based on recently acquired musical techniques
  • Composing lyrics to an existing wordless piece of music