MusicConnects, Galway’s leading organisation for innovative music education and creative engagement, has begun the rollout of Learning to Listen, a pioneering programme reaching 1,000 children across 50 primary school classrooms in Galway city and county this year.
Developed in collaboration with composer and musician Anna Mullarkey, Learning to Listen adapts MoMA’s acclaimed Visual Thinking Strategies for music, helping children explore and express their experience of sound and music critically and creatively.
Each classroom receives two visits from a trained facilitator, with teachers observing and later continuing the learning with three follow-up lessons supported by programme resources.
“This programme allows children to engage with music in a deeply personal and reflective way, encouraging critical listening and expression without leading them to a predetermined answer,” said Anna Mullarkey.
Through early evaluation, findings have shown remarkable responses from both pupils and facilitators. Children spoke about feeling inspired and relaxed by the live music experience, with many saying it helped them imagine, focus and express what they were hearing in new ways.
Other children described how the workshops encouraged imagination and emotional awareness.
“I really relax when I listen to music and it helps me think of what I am hearing,” said one, while another noted, “I like listening to music because I can think of nice pictures in my head.”
The programme’s evaluator also noted how pupils were highly engaged throughout, with a strong mix of active participation and quiet listening time.
Initially, some children were unsure how to respond when their ideas were not met with the usual affirming teacher responses, but as the sessions progressed, they began to embrace this new style of questioning and discovery, gaining confidence in expressing their own interpretations.
Favourite moments included hearing live music, learning about instruments, closing their eyes to listen deeply, and using games like ‘pass the beat’ to explore rhythm and coordination.
Many connected what they heard to memories, feelings or visual stories, even noting surprise at classical music that didn’t sound like “Disney or something Disney themed.”
Nine local facilitators have now been trained in this unique method, ensuring that Learning to Listen not only reaches children this year but leaves a lasting legacy in classrooms across Galway.
Funded entirely by the AIB Community Fund in 2024, the programme is now seeking additional support to sustain and expand this transformative work.
MusicConnects aims to raise awareness of Learning to Listen as a unique and impactful arts-in-education initiative, offering potential corporate partners the opportunity to contribute to the cultural and educational development of Galway’s youngest audiences.
