Listening to music is one of the core activities in music theory instruction in Slovenian music schools. This master’s thesis examines the role of listening in the holistic development of future musicians, as well as the use of music recordings in contemporary music theory teaching. It explores the relationship between the use of recordings and various pedagogical approaches, highlighting the importance of fostering attention and motivation for engaged, meaningful listening.
The theoretical section discusses the differences between analog and digital sound recordings, with particular emphasis on digital formats and modes of distribution. It also considers current listening trends, noting that the easy accessibility of recordings on streaming platforms often contributes to reduced attention and fragmented listening practices. In this context, music theory teachers play a key role in developing informed, critical, and aesthetically sensitive listeners. Given the vast amount of musical content available in today’s media environment, students require guidance to recognize and evaluate high-quality artistic works.
The empirical study, conducted among music theory teachers in Slovenian music schools, indicates that music recordings are frequently integrated into classroom practice. Although most respondents have developed personal audio libraries over the course of their careers, nearly half do not use them regularly, instead relying on online searches for teaching materials. Recordings are most commonly accessed through the free version of YouTube, which offers convenient access to audiovisual content; however, such material is often inadequately supported by metadata and interrupted by advertisements. Schools generally do not provide institutional subscriptions to streaming platforms, despite considerable interest among teachers. The findings point to the need for more systematic institutional support to enable the effective use of digital music recordings in teaching practice.
Keywords: music theory teachers, music listening, digital music recordings, streaming platforms
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