From Listening to Performing: Musicograms for Embodied and Inclusive Learning in General Music Classes

Abstract

Active listening in school music settings often remains passive, with students coloring worksheets or tracing diagrams rather than engaging bodily or musically. This article presents a five-step musicogram workflow that turns listening into whole-class performance through coordinated movement, rhythm work, and student-designed icon maps. Grounded in embodied cognition, multimodal learning, and Wuytack’s concept of the musicogram, the approach helps learners internalize form, pulse, and expressive detail before encountering formal notation. A classroom scenario based on “The Addams Family” illustrates how the sequence scaffolds movement-rich rehearsal and shared musical understanding. Practical tools suitable for both primary and secondary general music, including design guidelines, adaptable movement options, and an observation-based assessment rubric, show how teachers can assess listening through action. Synthesizing principles from Cognitive Load Theory and multimedia learning research, the article suggests that movement-based musicogram work enhances temporal precision, expressive responsiveness, and student engagement.