ISME Day 1

07/28/2026Natalie Morgenstern

A great day!

Not only because I got my presentation out of the way and had a swing on the swing in the quiet zone (every teaching and learning space needs a set of swings for adults!) afterwards, but also because I met heaps of cool people and learned a bunch of stuff. I also learned that I already knew stuff and could offer useful contributions to other people's work. And that people in general are all cooperative, generous, and curious.

The KEYNOTE was on 'How Music Sculpts the Brain'. By Isabelle Peretz.

Some key takeaways:

  • We are all born wired for music (pre-wired to organise musical sounds)

  • Though not equally musical

  • Music education does sculpt the brain (neuroplasticity)

  • Musical brains are different - though not necessarily smarter

  • Formal training is not always enough (note 'Bad Singer' book by Tim Falconer)

  • Music prodigies have no difference in brain (IQ)

  • Musical intelligence doesn't necessarily transfer to other intelligences

  • We learn better from other humans

  • Shared musical activities lead to better cooperation

  • In-sync bouncing leads to cooperation; out-of-sync doesn't (with toddlers)

  • When playing in sync, you want to help and the brain rewards you for helping

  • Shared music decreases anxiety, pain, stress and uplifts

  • Music is social - even alone

  • It can deepen social isolation and can be exploited by Ai

  • Music makes you move - we are designed to conserve energy

  • Music makes movement feel less like an effort

Multiple Memory Systems and Music Learning

  • Musicians attend to '17' things at once

  • We can only do one novel thing at once

  • Automatic learning diminishes novelty (a good thing)

  • Contextual learning - individual class prioritises notes over rhythm

  • Band prioritises rhythm over notes

  • Music learning - sequential and attentional behaviours

  • Watch out for the auto(in)correct

Pedagogical Strategies for Collective Free Improvisation

  • Conversation

  • Embracing difference

  • Responding to each other

  • Co-constructing music collectively

  • Try improvising around a story: everyone is an alien, and each instrument is a different language.

  • Have alien conversations.

  • Choose from echo, argument and/or wait

  • Free Improv (CFMI) is a culture before it is a skill

  • Remember about wait time

  • Teachers create doorways into improvisational settings

  • Using imagination makes for inclusion and no fear of error

  • Freedom is structured and scaffolded

  • The organisational principles: relational and contextual

Songs in the Key of Me (John Jakobson)

  • See MusicPlay website for materials

Let's Play

  • Rhythm games include...

  • Rhythm Relay

  • Hand out sheet with lines of rhythm.

  • Have one member of each team write in the counts of a line, then pass to the next member

  • First team to finish (correctly) wins

  • Poison rhythm (with quarantine team starting a new game)

  • Rhythm Origami

  • Fold paper enough times to create 16 boxes

  • Choose rhythmic values and have students fill in the boxes

  • Perform page. Count to 4 to find someone to swap pages with.

  • Perform. Count again and swap. Etc.

  • Epic Rap Battle

  • Display lines of rhythm.

  • Split class in two (or more)

  • With a groovy beat going (can have chords)

  • Set teams rap the rhythm in competition with each other

  • The more hyped, the better (expressive!)

  • Instrumental Rhythm games can include...

  • Articulation echo patterns (and more)

  • Melodic Literacy games can include...

  • Name that tune (looking at notation)

  • Name that interval

  • Mad Minute (page of notes to identify in 1 minute)

  • Musical Spelling Bee (give two students a word to spell in notation - they have to run to the board and draw it correctly first)

  • Among Us - Have a set of 5 same chords in inversion. Identify the impostor.

  • This can also be done in scale practice. As the class to close their eyes, and one student will be tapped on the shoulder. The impostor has to play the scale louder than anyone else. The class then tries to identify who the impostor is.

  • Band can do chord drills, drone tuning and human chord building.

  • What makes these games good is that they create predictable rehearsal routines, play lowers performance anxiety, choice increases agency, collaboration builds a sense of belonging and low-stakes risk-taking builds confidence.