Module 4

It is often said that music is the universal language. I would concur with that affirmation, however it was rather difficult for me to come up with a link “or bridge” between a musical hook and teaching right away. I kept thinking, how could the two things possibly be compared to each other? But low and behold I was able to discover something that they do have in common.  A musical hook and teaching actually are quite similar and when I stopped to think about that similarity I gained a new appreciation for one of the most complex elements of music.

On the path to gaining this new appreciation I examined what a musical hook really is. According to the article written by Gary Burns it is, “a musical or lyrical phrase that stands out and is easily remembered (1).” Another important element of musical hooks is repetition. A good example would be a song that has a phrase or words that repeat over and over again throughout a song. While repetition is an important element, Burns offers additional insight into the musical hook. According to him, “repetition is not essential in a hook, but is not ruled out either. While hooks in the form of repetition may, to an extent, be ‘the foundation of commercial songwriting’ and record-making, repetition is meaningless without its opposite, change (1).” And this is realization is where I found the essential link between the musical hook and teaching.

In teaching, repetition is also important. Teachers often use it in their lessons by allowing students to repeat certain exercises so that they can gather a deeper understanding of what they are studying. But as Gary Burns pointed out, the element of change is equally as important. Good teaching strategies require knowing when to make changes when necessary. For example, most teachers examine their lesson plans prior to the start of a new class to make sure that the information they are teaching is still accurate and up to date. As an Instructional Designer, the element of change is constant in my learning environments. I develop training for computer applications and on average our IT department makes at least three to four system enhancements a year. These changes have to be factored into new and existing training manuals in order to make sure that the trainees are learning how to properly do their jobs.

Gary Burns recognized the importance of change as it relates to the musical hook. He stated that, “Rhythm is perhaps the most basic structural element of music. It can exist and be pleasing by itself, but other structural elements cannot exist in any meaningful sense without it. Rhythm is change. Something happens one moment and does not happen the next moment. Between those two moments there has been a change (1).” This is similar to what happens in teaching. For example, something that we teach about technology today may be impacted by a change to that same technology tomorrow. To teach a technology that does not reflect what has changed about it recently would be a great disservice to our students and we would not be adequately preparing them to work with that technology. 

And now that I reflect upon the bridge between the musical hook and teaching, I realize that they share important factors that make both work effectively. Those two factors are repetition and change.

Reference:

Burns. G. (1987). A Topology of Hooks in Popular Records. Popular Music. Vol. 6, No. 1. (Jan. 1987). Pp. 1-20.