Notes from Grading Jail

Why did I collect 3 assignments from my 250 students at the end of this past week? So that I could spend my weekend "off" grading 750 assignments ... and I'm only through 215 or so of those ...

One of the assignments is something I call a "Listening Log." A few times this quarter, we've stopped rehearsal to listen to a piece of music. I show them a powerpoint with a little historical background about the composer and the piece, and I display the words (for the choral works). Students copy down some of the essential information about the piece and the composer, and they write a few thoughts before they listen to the piece, as they listen, and after the piece has ended.

Some feedback from the students:

"Ahhh .... beautiful"
"I wouldn't listen to this unless forced."
"Stuepid."
"I want this for my iPod."
"Boring"
"COOL!!!"
"Like Spanish Oompa-Loompas"
"Not my type of music."
"If only I could be as righteous as this song."
"I love listening to Antonio Vivaldi he's my favorite composer I want to be just like him"
"I think I could go to sleep."

Ah, adolescents... amusing ...