Soundtracks for Using Music in the Classroom
Welcoming Music

by Chris Brewer, MA, FAMI

What is Welcoming Music?

Welcoming music is the simplest way to start using music in the classroom AND a highly effective way to set a relaxed and comfortable learning atmosphere. We can also use it to set a topic/theme idea by using music with a particular association, i.e. Reggae music for a Tropical theme or songs that have lyrics relating to working together for a Team-Building workshop. A corporate trainer who presents a workshop about wine for restaurant owners wanted help selecting good welcoming music. Together we selected numerous songs that have wine in the lyrics----Red, Red Wine, Heard it through the Grapevine, etc. He used these songs during breaks, entries, and exits. The participants had a great time hearing the songs once they picked up on the fact these were all "wine songs" and soon began making suggestions for additional recordings. We found music in a variety of styles so it brought back fun memories as well.

What does it take to use welcoming music?

The only time involved is picking music. After that it's just a push of the button on your sound system! At the end of this article is some information about generic music selections that work well if you need a hand picking out music. If you want to have fun by connecting songs with your topic you will have to get creative and do some searching. If time is a problem for you, LifeSounds will do a search, find appropriate music selections and purchase them for you for a service fee plus the cost of the music, 1-888-music51 or 336-294-0029.

Why use welcoming music?

The most important thing about welcoming music is that it doesn't take any time away from instruction! What it does that is so important is that it sets your desired learning atmosphere and builds rapport and comfort levels in what is otherwise "dead time"-so you maximize your usage of time to everyone's benefit. Participants love having it and soon you will realize how dull it is when there is no welcoming music.

When do I use it?

Just play your selected music as participants enter or exit:

• Before class
• During a break
• Returning from a break
• As participants leave the class at the end of the training

How does it work?

Simple. Just put on the music and let it play! Stop it when you are reading to begin teaching.

For a special effect before teaching, play your welcoming music up until 3 to 4 minutes before you want to teach. Then change music to some exciting, upbeat sounding music, like the first selection on Lasars' Olympus or the Olympic Theme from 1988 Summer Olympics. When you do this, you don't have to say anything about starting the class because the music will let people know that something different is happening. A variation is to play all instrumental welcoming music and then shift to a song that relates to your content and can be your "theme song" for your training, or during multi-day workshops or classes, the theme for that particular day's training.

Music Suggestions:

• Play calming Baroque-era music to set a relaxed and supportive learning atmosphere and welcome students as they enter the classroom. Sound Suggestions: Relax with the Classics, Vol 1 or Vol 2, The Four Seasons, Baroque Music for Learning and Relaxation
• Play energizing Mozart music as students enter the class to prepare them for an active and focused learning session. Sound Suggestions: Mozart Effect: Strengthening the Mind (best choice for adults)
• Mozart Effect for Children: Tune Your Mind, Mozart Effect for Children: Mozart to Go, Play music at a mid-level tempo to stabilize energy levels and create a help students get into the rhythm of learning. Sound Suggestion: Dance of the Renaissance, Emerald Castles, Ventana al Sol, Primitive Future
• Play lively music for an exciting welcome back after break, recess or lunch! Sound Suggestions: Hooked on Classics, Earth Tribe Rhythms, Funny 50's, Oldies for Kool Kiddies, Gary Lamb's East Meets West
• Corporate trainers will like these lightly jazzy selections which come with use rights from LifeSounds: East Meets West or Twelve Promises from Gary Lamb, Contemporary Classics (lightly jazzy versions of classical themes), Primitive Future or EKOlogical by EKO, Oceans by Pure and Simple Music.

An on-line article published in the Imagine magazine, a publication of the International Alliance for Learning organization: www.ialearn.org