Aural Education

Monika Andrianopoulou teaches Ear Training-Solfège-Rhythmic Training and Figured Bass at the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, Greece. She has a PhD degree in music aural education from University College London, Institute of Education. She holds several qualifications such as a diploma in Piano Pedagogy at the Kodály Institute in Hungary, music education at UCL Institute of Education (MA, PGCE), and piano performance at the Royal College of Music (BMus), all of which have continuously fed into her interests and work. Her research interests include the impact of singing on musical development, the potential role of improvisation in classical music learning, as well as students’ own perceptions of how aural education affects their musical lives. Her artistic interests and endeavors involve contemporary piano chamber music and vocal Renaissance music.

• 1 – Introduction: how it all started; 2 – Tracing the history of ‘aural skills’: solfège and dictation as facilitators of musical learning; 3 – Current views on ‘aural skills’ teaching: a lively, ongoing discourse; 4 – Aural perception: the human brain, a fascinating sound-processing machine; 5 – Musical memory: much more than playing by heart; 6 – Musical mental imagery: the brain’s inner musical life; 7 – Music notation and literacy: bridge or barrier?; 8 – Implicit and explicit forms of musical knowing: you can only know what you already know; 9 – Music theory: music’s changing shadow; 10 – Embodied musical knowledge: it’s music to my ears – but not only; 10 – Musicality: synonymous with giftedness – or is it?; 12 – An interview study: exploring non-Western classical views of ‘aural training’ parameters; 13 – Moving from ‘aural training’ to ‘aural education’: a pedagogy according to the intricate character of the human musical experience; 14 – Enriching aural education with non-Western classical perspectives: more immersion in musical sound, more creativity; 15 – Reflections and conclusions: thoughts on the way(s) forward