87

LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A

CHALLENGE FOR MUSIC CURRICULUM

NIKOLINA MATOŠ
ANA ČORIĆ

Abstract: Introduction to music takes place in all kinds of formal and informal contexts.
Nowadays, virtual environment is an equal, perhaps even dominant factor. What follows is
that the triad of “author - work - audience” is implemented in different ways. By interacting
with music, the student becomes an active researcher and a co-creator, which is a prerequisite
for music appreciation. In this paper, we will conduct theoretical and empirical research of
different levels of music appreciation, and discuss the opportunity of acquiring this complex
competency in the educational process.
Key words: listening to music, music appreciation, music teaching and learning process,
music education curriculum, perception and reception of music

Introduction: Listening to music in educational process

Experiencing music takes place in various formal, non-formal, and informal

settings. In addition to family, peers, and educational system, the mass media
have increasingly important role in the process of forming child’s taste in
music. We can conclude that in the 21st century the virtual environment is an
equal and perhaps the prevalent factor of the student’s encounter with music.
Consequently, the triad of “author – (musical) piece – audience” has a variety
of ways to be realised, whereby the student (as an audience) achieves personal
contact with the music piece. In this process of interaction, the student becomes
an active researcher and co-author, which is a prerequisite for music appreciation.
We can conclude that carefully planned and guided listening activities in a
music classroom have an important role in the educational process. Music
connoisseurship is an indispensable part of a well-educated person, and also a
prerequisite for developing (good) taste in music, and the capacity for critical
evaluation of music. However, the development of these capacities has been
neglected due to the emphasis on visual stimuli (Rojko, 1996).
Music1 is a compulsory course in general education curriculum in Croatia,
and within this course, listening to music has been mentioned in music curricula

1
The names of school courses in Croatia are: Glazbena kultura (Musical Culture) in primary
schools, and Glazbena umjetnost (Art of Music) in secondary schools.
88 PART II: NEW RESEARCH – MUSICAL PEDAGOGY

since 1954. The first concrete request for listening, with the extensive list of
recommended musical pieces, appears in 1972 (Rojko, 1996). Regarding to
adoption of Hrvatski nacionalni obrazovni standard (Nastavni plan i program za
osnovnu školu, 2006), listening to music and introducing music literature gained
a central role in primary education. Within the open model of music education,
listening to music is mandatory, while other aspects, such as musicianship, are
offered to teachers as a choice. Music curriculum for secondary education has
not changed over two decades and it is fully realized as a music-reception model
with some musicological elaboration (Nastavni program za gimnazije: Glazbena
umjetnost, 1994). Since 2010, Nacionalni okvirni kurikulum za predškolski
odgoj i obrazovanje te opće obvezno i srednjoškolsko obrazovanje has provided
a comprehensive approach to studying music at all levels of education, with
possibilities for upgrading (musical) knowledge, but without the necessary
elaboration of the course content. In Croatian music schools curricula, request of
listening to music applies as early as of the first grade of elementary music school,
within the Ear training curriculum (Nastavni planovi i programi predškolskog i
osnovnog obrazovanja za glazbene i plesne škole, 2006). However, the question is
to what extent it is indeed for being implemented in ear training practice and
through other music theory disciplines.
Music curricula in general education, both at primary and at secondary
level, lack holistic approach to music listening, which would include “intellectual”
listening (tracking of musical form/structure), but also emotional, and
hermeneutic/contextual listening. Existing curricula does not stimulate music
experiences to a sufficient extent, nor does it stimulate the expression of those
experiences via oral or written communication, (visual) art expression, dance
and/or movement. Taking in consideration the time of release of music curricula
for primary and secondary education, we can conclude they are out of date ­–
which refers mostly to the application of various digital tools available in the 21st
century. Utilisation of these tools would significantly improve music listening
activities and prospects of music appreciation and critical evaluation.
In addition to music listening activities, the process of music education and
studying includes (1) musicianship (singing and/or playing instruments), (2)
composing music, (3) musical games, and (4) application of information and
communication technology (ICT). It should be noted that all the above mentioned
activities involve listening to music. On the other hand, gaining knowledge about
musical pieces of high artistic value requires that students listen and analyse the
music they perform or create. Considering the important place that listening to
music holds in Croatian music curricula and classroom activities, it is necessary
to emphasize the role of music appreciation. Ability to appreciate music is the
key skill of critical and competent consumers of music culture that we want to
Nikolina Matoš and Ana Čorić: LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A CHALLENGE... 89

raise. Music education should contribute to the development of this skill, which
is a special challenge for music curriculum development.
Given the lack of literature which understands music appreciation as a multi-
layered competence that can be developed during the educational process, the
aim of this research is to deepen the knowledge about the topic. The objectives
of following research are:
- to analyse and to categorize relevant literature about music listening, music
appreciation and critical evaluation;
- to design the theoretical framework for music appreciation as a multi-layered
competence;
- to provide guidelines for developing music appreciation competence in the
classroom.
The literature we have collected is very extensive, and this paper provides
classification of all the relevant scientific sources, grouped into several areas:
cognitive aspects of music listening; perception and reception of music;
relationship between music and emotions; musical preferences and developing
taste in music; creative approaches to listening and appreciating music. In
addition, we tackle the issue of the “author – (musical) piece – audience”
relationships. On the basis of relevant findings, this paper also provides one
systematic overview and elaboration of all the music appreciation levels which
can be achieved in the classroom. The results will be applicable in music learning
process through the entire educational continuum, and in different types of
schools. Simultaneously, we consider the intellectual development of the child
in general, and cognitive processes such as concept formation, abstract thinking,
reasoning, decision making and problem solving (Buggle, 2002; Oakley, 2004;
Vasta, Haith and Miller, 1998).

Listening and appreciating music: a theoretical framework

Considering music appreciation as a special, multi-layered, competence

requires a comparison of different ways of music listening that can be applied
in the educational process. In this paper, active listening is understood as an
indispensable and fundamental strategy in creating that competence. In addition
to active or passive listening, as different perspectives on listening activities in
the educational process, we can also distinguish illustrative listening – listening
to the selected fragments of the musical piece, with the aim of demonstrating a
certain musical phenomenon, and artistic listening – listening to whole musical
piece in order to develop a taste in music (Rojko, 2001). Successful combination
of various listening strategies will encourage students’ interest and curiosity for
music, and help teachers to achieve the goal of listening to a musical piece multiple
90 PART II: NEW RESEARCH – MUSICAL PEDAGOGY

times. Rojko (1996, 2005, 2007) writes about the importance of nurturing
active, multiple-time listening aimed at forming musical taste, and is pointing out
that students will gain knowledge of music by listening to music, as opposed to
purely verbal (and useless) knowledge about music. According to Larson (1971),
multiple listening enhances the awareness of the complexity of music. “Learning
and understanding a piece of music requires the ability to mentally represent the
piece, which allows us to properly anticipate musical content” (Leman, Sloboda
and Vudi, 2012, 251). Meyer (1961) and Hallam (2006) point out that those
comprehensive (“artistic”) listening results in a complete understanding of the
musical piece, which subsequently affects music appreciation. The authors reflect
about a rise in satisfaction while listening to a musical piece multiple times.
However, they point out that there are limits to repeated listening. According
to information theory, music will not be interesting if it doesn’t provide us with
new information, that is, if it’s too well known. Hennion (2008) concludes that
repeated listening guarantees better understanding of a musical piece, but not
necessarily better liking of it.
The authors have categorized aspects of music listening in various ways. Alt
(cited in Rojko, 1996, 141-142) distinguishes sensory, sensory-motor, emotional,
aesthetic and imaginative listening, while Ortmann (cited in Rojko, 1996, 143-
144) speaks about sensory, perceptive and imaginative listening. Other authors
like Myers, Hedden and Yingling (cited in Lewis and Schmidt, 1991, 312) also
describe similar categorizations, and it is especially important to be noted that
some form of associative listening is always present. Sensory, sensory-motor
and emotional listening, as we shall see later, are particularly important in the
first two phases of music appreciation. These aspects of listening do not require
knowledge, mental effort, or exercise, but only natural (human) reactions. In
more advanced appreciation levels such as music analysis and synthesis, the
aesthetic and imaginative listening are very important.
Since 1960’s, listening to music has been viewed from various functions
of music perspective. An extensive overview of literature points out to four
prevailing functions, which are social, cognitive, emotional, and therapeutic.
Writing about functions of music, Schäfer, et al. (2013) categorize all the existing
approaches as evolutionary and non-evolutionary. The evolutionary approach refers
to anthropological perspective, studying the roots and origins of music, along
with musical performance, and listening to music. Non-evolutionary approach
is based on the use of music in everyday life, and consequently is focused mostly
on the needs which music fulfils. From this perspective, some authors talk
about music therapy or, for example, the use of music in political propaganda
(Schäfer, et al., 2013). Subjective experiences of music can also be explored by
“experimental aesthetics approach”. Considering all these approaches, it can
be concluded that the listening and appreciation of music is observed through
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different theoretical frameworks, research methodologies and participants, and

is also viewed from the perspective of various scientific disciplines: philosophy,
psychology, anthropology, sociology, musicology, aesthetics, culturology, and
neurocognitive science.
The review of available literature shows that some authors point out the
importance of listening to music in the context in which it has originated. Hennion
(2008) talks about sociology of music as of the discipline which interprets the
meaning of a musical piece, and in consequence provides a framework for its
appreciation. She differentiates “history of music listening”, and “audience
history”, taking both aspects into account while considering the context.
According to Hennion, and also Egermann, et al. (2011), it is not recommended
to isolate music from its sociocultural context. While Hennion primarily focuses
on the historical context, Egermann, et al. focus on the social context, pointing
out to the influence of others on the emotions of the listener (one’s presence may
amplify or diminish existing emotions). In the social context, listening to music
is related to socialization processes such as building of personal identity, social
bonding, and the influence of peers. The authors emphasize the importance of
togetherness and sharing experiences as audience in concert settings (Hennion,
2008; Egermann et al., 2011).
Smith (1973) is considering music listening in the context of “the past, the
present, and the future”. In listening to music, we rely on memories (the past)
and on expectations of what is yet to come (the future). In this process, tracking
the musical form contributes to cognitive development and results in better
understanding of music. In the present, we are only observing some elements of
music. Understanding the past and the future is cognitively of a higher order than
the mere observation of elements that make up the structure of a piece. However,
recognizing the elements of music does not exclude musical form tracking, and
vice versa; the two actions are compatible.
More recently, Huron published a book called Sweet Anticipation: Music and
the Psychology of Expectation (2006). Reflecting upon music listening process,
the author provides “ITPRA Theory of General Expectation”, which includes
Imagination, Tension, Prediction, Reaction, and Appraisal in responsing to
music. Evaluation of a piece of music will depend on listeners’ imagination,
anticipation and expectation, as well as the listening experience/reception. In
musicological considerations, the aspects of hermeneutic listening (interpretation
of the meaning of music), and structural listening (interpretation of the musical
form) were problematized since the period of antiquity. According to Leman,
Sloboda, and Vudi (2012), listening to music can be analytical – deliberately
focusing on certain aspects of music, and holistic – non-analytical, “everyday”
listening. Price and Swanson (1990), as well as Woody and Burns (2001), point
out that holistic reception of music is optimal: excessive intellectualization
92 PART II: NEW RESEARCH – MUSICAL PEDAGOGY

does not provide aesthetic, but “clinical” experience. Some authors believe that
analytical listening is not “natural behaviour” during music listening process.
Consequently, it can be concluded that the active listening – tracking of musical
form in particular – is a necessarily guided process, and that the teachers play an
important role within that process.
Nowadays, emphasis is placed on the cultural approach to music evaluation,
thus Cornelius and Natvig (2013) have some requirements for the 21st century
teachers. It is important to implement a variety of musical styles and genres so that
every student can expand their experiences and identify their own personality
with music. The authors claim that it makes no sense to put the focus exclusively
on Western art music in nowadays pluralistic society, because different music
helps us understand the world around us, and not just some parts of society or
culture (for instance high society/culture). Considering the need for loosening
boundaries between style, time, and space in order to open up the ears for new
sounds, to expand musical taste, to confront the prejudices, and to open minds
for different ways of living, the authors advocate an inclusive listening experience.
The promotion of intercultural understanding is reflected in the observation
of culture as a fluid construction and music as a process, rather than a product.
In the teaching process, it is equally important to promote classical music,
traditional music, and everyday life music. A great way of implementing timeless
ideas is thematic teaching, which allows us to talk about music regardless of the
style period, type of music, musical genre, or geographical context (Cornelius
and Natvig, 2013). Talking about aesthetic, cultural and scientific dimensions of
teaching/learning, Dyndahl and Elefsen (2009) advocate aesthetic functionality
as a quality in which aesthetical and functional dimensions coexist in all types
of music. It is wrong to argue that classical music is purely aesthetic, while
traditional, and popular music are purely functional. The authors believe that
music education should be based on music in everyday life, away from the
traditional conception of aesthetics.
Since the aim of teaching music is to educate intelligent and informed music
consumers (Lewis and Schmidt, 1991) who will develop a lifelong need for
music (Woody and Burns, 2001), it is also important to mention the factors
that influence music preferences, but also help to form musical taste over a
longer period of time. Unlike short-term preferences, musical taste refers to
the totality of preferences and it is relatively steady, long-term evaluation of
music. Dobrota and Reić Ercegovac (2016) say that preferences are influenced
by arousal (medium degree of arousal is mostly preferred), archetype (typical
musical examples of a certain category are mostly preferred), and conformism
(preferences are harmonized with our social status and the influence of others).
Konečni (1982, cited in Dobrota and Reić Ercegovac, 2016, 13) points out that
the appraisal factor provokes a continuous interaction between the musical and
Nikolina Matoš and Ana Čorić: LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A CHALLENGE... 93

“non-musical” world while listening to music. For the reason of conformism,

students sometimes don’t have the courage to say that they like a piece of music,
if their classmates do not like the piece. That phenomenon is especially present
in the context of evaluating traditional (folk) music which is, by the influence of
others, evaluated as “bad music” (Egermann, et al., 2011).
Preferences are also influenced by cognitive factors (satisfying the needs of
the listeners), emotional factors (evoking and regulating emotions), physiological
factors (heart rate, blood pressure), cultural and social factors (identity creation),
popularity of music, musical features and the characteristics of listeners (Dobrota
and Reić Ercegovac, 2016). To understand the process of preference-formation,
it is particularly important to distinguish the last two factors: musical features
and the characteristics of listeners. Several authors (cited in Dobrota and Reić
Ercegovac, 2016, 16) points out that “preferable music” has following features:
moderate volume and dynamics, optimum level of complexity, and medium
level of familiarity (Kellaris, 1992; Jakobovits, 1966; Berlyne, 1971 and 1974;
North and Hargreaves, 1996). It also reflects one’s own culture. Preferences are
also influenced by tempo (which is feature mostly researched), tone colour,
register, vocals, musical style, sound source, and performing media. Experiences
of a particular piece of music are also directly related to the characteristics of
the listeners such as: sex, age, socioeconomic status, musical knowledge and
skills, listening strategies, peer influence, and listeners’ previous exposure to a
particular musical style/genre (Dobrota and Reić Ercegovac, 2016). Among
all of the above, age turned out to be a particularly important factor. Research
suggests that younger children are more open to different musical styles than
teenagers (Leman, Sloboda and Vudi, 2012), and Le Blanc calls it “open-
earedness” (1991, cited in Dobrota and Reić Ercegovac, 2016, 24). By combining
musical features with the characteristics of the listener, we found the best way to
explain the process of observing beauty in a piece of music. In this context, some
authors provided different models of music preferences, which will not be shown
in detail. The study on musical preferences of Croatian students in relation to
different types of music was conducted by Vidulin (2013). It shows that listening
to music is present in student’s leisure time – students enjoy music by themselves
or in peer groups. The study also reveals that “the musical preferences of students
are turned towards types of music that are common to their peer groups and mass
media offer” (Vidulin, 2013, 219). The results of the study leads to conclusion
that it is immensely important for students to learn about music in context (the
origins of the piece of music, as well as its philosophical-sociological dimension),
especially in the time of music hyper-production and non-critical consumption
(Vidulin, 2013, 221).
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The levels of music appreciation in music teaching and learning process

Regarding different levels and definitions of knowledge, Rojko (2007) makes

a distinction of “knowledge about music” and “knowledge of music” (musical
connoisseurship). Hafer (2012) distinguishes performer’s knowledge from
“listener’s (audience’s) knowledge. The author emphasizes the cultivation of
audience as an important objective of music curriculum, which aims to stimulate
interest in music, to develop skills in critical listening, and to raise creative and
proactive musicians with a lifelong need for music. The outcome of the music
listening process is the development of a creative listener which thinks as a
composer. Creative listeners will become motivated and well educated future
audience capable of critical evaluation and appreciation of music. The author
is also referring to the Pedagogy of music appreciation as an important sub
discipline. In higher education curricula, music appreciation appears as a separate
course in the training of future music teachers (Hafer, 2012).
In the context of evaluating music, RILM2 mentions more than 1,700 units
on music appreciation, while the notion of values ​​is mentioned in more than
12,000 entries. It can be concluded that this is more than a well-treated category.
However, in the extensive literature research, we found some deficiencies. First
and foremost, the context of examining certain behaviours while listening to
music is often artificial, because research is mainly carried out in controlled
conditions, and not in concerts or a child’s everyday environment. The
interpretation of responses to a research questions is sometimes ambiguous,
while offered categories of responses are too narrow, so it is difficult for the
respondents to decide for one of the categories. Last but not least, the way of
evaluating a piece of music is determined, so participants can’t do it in their own
way. Apart from research problems and results, the review of the literature also
reveals two sets of theories: psychological, which are focused on the regulation of
emotions by listening to music, the calming and therapeutic functions of music,
and the perceptual aspects (imagination, expectation, anticipation, memory),
and sociological, which observe music listeners in the context of socialization
and identity creation (Meyer, 1961, Smith, 1973, Feinberg, 1974, Price and
Swanson, 1990, Lewis and Schmidt, 1991, Woody and Burns, 2001, Droe, 2006,
Huron, 2006, Hafer, 2012, Cornelius and Natvig, 2013). Using these theories
as guidelines for writing this paper, we directed ourselves to music appreciation
as a multi-layered competence that can be developed in the music learning
process. Consequently, we are not considering listening and appreciating music
2
Répertoire International de Littérature Musicale (RILM) – worldwide multidisciplinary
music research database. It’s a joint project of the Association of Music Libraries, Archives,
and Documentation Centres (IAML) International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM) and
International Musicological Society (IMS).
Nikolina Matoš and Ana Čorić: LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A CHALLENGE... 95

in students’ leisure time. We also do not place emphasis on some responses such
like imagination, expectation and tension in music listening process although,
according to these responses, music appreciation upgrades as a competence.
Here we are starting with subjective approach to music i.e. ordinary, “everyday”
listening, for which no special knowledge of music is needed. We assume that
younger students will not have conformist tendencies while appreciating music
because they are still fairly spontaneous, and their attitudes about music do
not depend on other students’ the opinions. We define music appreciation
as a competence that includes subjective response to music and also objective
observation of musical features. It is required that one has some knowledge in
order to conduct music analysis and to appreciate a piece of music in context.
On the basis of relevant researches and available literature, we defined five
levels (phases) of music appreciation. Levels are harmonized with the spiral
development of musical skills and knowledge, and are systematized in the
following order:
–– Affective appreciation is the first level of music appreciation. It is based on
emotions and unconscious reactions to music, so it does not require (pre)
knowledge of musical features and music terminology. Younger children
are experiencing music syncretically, holistically, and non-analytically, and
according to that, this kind of appreciation is comprehensive;
–– Associative appreciation level makes the transition to conscious perception
of musical elements. Listening to music, students connect their own
(subjective) reactions to music with the mood and the character of a piece of
music. The teacher encourages the students to reflect on the reasons why the
piece “sounds like it sounds” (cheerful, sad, playful, sharp, etc.). Students can
describe musical features, i.e. the elements of music such as melody, rhythm,
timbre, and dynamics, but not necessarily with the use of professional music
terminology;
–– Analytical appreciation level is usually the predominant one in the music
learning process, since the highest amount of attention is given to aural
discrimination of musical elements. The knowledge required for analytical
appreciation is acquired through active listening to music, and it encompasses
recognition of expressive components in music (melody, rhythm, dynamics
etc.), timbre (performers and performance ensembles), structure (elements
and types of musical forms), and the texture (polyphony or homophony/
harmony).
–– Contextual appreciation level implies the evaluation of a piece of music in
the context of style period, type of music and genre, or in the context of a
particular composer, country or region. Besides learning musicological
data, it is important to correlate music with other areas of arts and sciences
96 PART II: NEW RESEARCH – MUSICAL PEDAGOGY

(interdisciplinary approach). At this level, we are pointing out to the artistic

messages of absolute (abstract) or program (representational) music and we
reflect upon relations between music and text.
–– Holistic appreciation is the highest level of music appreciation, and it is based
on emotional reactions to music, aural recognition of musical features
(expressive elements, timbre, structure and texture), understanding music in
context and connoisseurship (knowledge of music). Like affective appreciation,
holistic appreciation is comprehensive, but on a considerably higher and
completely conscious level. Now, a piece of music can be evaluated in terms
of its originality, innovation level, authenticity, and its complexity regarding
melody, rhythm, harmony, form, orchestration etc. Except appreciating
a piece of music as an art form, we are also judging the quality of musical
performance. By conducting active listening strategies, teacher can lead
students to distinguish the finest nuances in musical performance, which
requires high levels of knowledge of music, knowledge about music, and
perception abilities.

Practical guidelines for the development

of music appreciation competence

We conclude this paper with practical guidelines for music learning process
in order to achieve the multi-layered competence of music appreciation. The
display of taxonomically organized levels of music appreciation equally embraces
emotional and intellectual approaches to a piece of music. It should be noted that
these levels of appreciation are consistent with the intellectual development of
students in general, concerning building cognitive representations, distinguishing
their own attitudes and opinions from the opinions of other students, conserving
of certain features of music (e.g. the component of time), classifying elements
of music and understanding of relations un music (Buggle, 2002; Oakley, 2004;
Vasta, Haith and Miller, 1998).
However, music appreciation phases that are represented in this paper are not
limited for a particular age or educational cycle. The achievement of this multi-
layered competence will differ in various cases, such as the purpose of learning
music (general or professional music education). In the context of formal musical
education, each of these levels will be linked to artistic interpretation of music,
adopted musical patterns, and musical-theoretical knowledge. We provide
guidelines that elaborate the methods and the strategies of music listening in
a certain appreciation level, and accordingly, we suggest appropriate music
repertoire.
Within affective and associative levels of music appreciation, we begin with
awareness of emotions, understanding and regulation of feelings and stimulation
Nikolina Matoš and Ana Čorić: LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A CHALLENGE... 97

of students’ imagination. It is recommended to relate music with other curricular

areas and subjects, so that students can successfully integrate different music
concepts into their world of knowledge. The music repertoire in this stage of
learning should be a diverse one, so that it could reach the emotions of each
student. It is necessary to motivate students to express their emotions in response
to a piece of music, which can be achieved through conversation, writing about
music, artistic expression, dance and movement (Nacionalni kurikulum predmeta
Glazbena kultura i Glazbena umjetnost, 2016). Teachers should conduct a
discussion about students’ subjective experiences of music and the atmosphere
it creates for them, linking it with objective features of music such as certain
elements of musical expression.
Affective and associative levels of music appreciation should result in aural
discrimination and systematic observation of musical features, which creates
preconditions for analytical music appreciation. At this point, students have
gained maturity to independently describe and compare elements of musical
expression, as well as to recognize elements of musical form and “musical
architecture“(simple/easier, and more complex musical form structures).
Understanding of the musical form, especially in the early years of learning, can
be developed through dance and movement. We strongly recommend creating
listening guidelines for students in the form of listening maps, listening scores,
other schematic presentations, musical games and quizzes (Hallam, 2006). In
order to engage students in active music listening, teachers’ role is to help them
in focusing on important musical features. Listening guidelines aforementioned
would encourage students to listen interactively, and in that context we can
utilise various possibilities that information and communication technology
offers, which so far hasn’t been properly explored and used.
At this appreciation level, it is recommended to listen to a piece of music
more than once, but not necessarily in a row. Teacher will conduct various
ways of listening to music: active listening, i.e. conscious observation of music
features, illustrative listening, i.e. focusing on certain features in shorter musical
fragments, and complete listening (artistic/exemplary listening according to
Rojko, 2005), i.e. listening to piece of music as a whole, in order to reveal its
structure. Musical repertoire should be suitable for music analysis, which means
it’s attractive (students want to hear it more than once) and instructive (students
can analyse, distinguish and compare different elements of music expression and
make conclusions about the structure of a given piece of music). Listening to
music multiple times and in various ways, students will remember the pieces,
and that provides the ideal opportunity to acquire knowledge of the relevant
musical works that are a part of the Western classical canon. However, this does
not restrict the teacher in choosing and demonstrating other types of music.
98 PART II: NEW RESEARCH – MUSICAL PEDAGOGY

In contextual music appreciation level, it is necessary to extend the music

repertoire to classical music of all style periods, traditional (folk) music of
different cultures, and also encompass diverse genres of popular music. It is also
advisable to analyse the influences and connections of different types of music
that appear as crossovers or fusions. Students should be encouraged to evaluate
a piece of music in the context of style or the composer’s musical language,
which implies that students already have acquired certain knowledge of music.
Reflecting about social context can be evoked through the intercultural approach
to music, and discussing about music which students encounter in everyday
life. This approach will enable connecting the art of music with other areas of
science/art, questioning of past and present roles and functions of music, and
problematizing the influence of media and virtual environment in shaping
musical preferences and developing musical taste.
The synthesis (holistic) level of music appreciation occurs when students
are able to appreciate a piece of music on all the previous levels – affective,
associative, analytical and contextual. Students will study music from an
emotional perspective - interpreting their own feelings, but also from intellectual
perspective - understanding musical features, and historical and sociocultural
context of music. On the basis of these preconditions, we can dive in to the
deepest levels of music appreciation. Students can compare different musical
works that belong to the same style period or genre, that is, different works
of the same composer, which requires knowledge of the composer’s opus and
musical language. We suggest comparing of different performances of a single
piece of music. In this case, performances will be distinguished only in the act
of stylistic interpretation, where only an exceptionally educated listener can
evaluate the quality and artistic authenticity of the performance. Performance
comparison can also be achieved with younger children, if the musical features
in one performance differ significantly from the other (musical arrangement that
may completely change the character of a piece, performance ensemble, and even
genre). In current practice the synthesis level of music appreciation is neglected,
but we think it is necessary for developing critical thinking, and engaging in
research and systematic study of music.

Conclusion

Definition of a theoretical framework for music appreciation which includes five

taxonomically organized levels of appreciation enabled us to create suggestions
and guidelines for the development of this multilayer competence in music
learning process throughout the educational continuum. In order to enable
students to achieve this competence, music teachers will create lessons that
will feature a systematic and comprehensive approach to music, continuous
Nikolina Matoš and Ana Čorić: LEVELS OF MUSIC APPRECIATION AS A CHALLENGE... 99

improvement of knowledge and experiences, and a combination of traditional

and creative strategies of teaching.
From all of the said above, it can be concluded that music
​​ appreciation is
immensely important in the process of learning music: in general education
we presented in detail, and in a separate system of formal music education. As
a curriculum strand, listening to music has already received sufficient attention
in compulsory schools in Croatia, especially at the elementary level, and we
recommend a similar approach to musical theoretical disciplines in music schools.
In this context, this paper presents the conceptual framework and guidelines for
the implementation of music appreciation as a multi-layered competence in
music curriculum. It also proposes for the development of this competence in
music learning process, and finally, for the deepening of perspectives for further
deliberation of this topic.

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