Music to my ears...

There are things I really like hearing or listening to. There are so many little things that have become "music to my ears".

Yes, as you might have thought, I love listening to music, good music, old music, romantic and passionate rhythm, a mixture of softness and power, the type of sound Mozart has in his works (for example) or, on the other hand, Janis Joplin. But that's just the beginning...
I have discovered I like the sound of water filling the coffee kettle in the morning and the way  the
teaspoon chirps while stirring the 3/4 milk and 1/4 coffee I am now allowed to drink.
I love my mother's voice at the other end of the telephone line (this is as close as I can get to her these days); she can still bring me back to life and give me some confidence when I stop seeing the silver lining of the dark approaching clouds...
I learned I can sometimes even like my hubby's snoring, especially while trying to work on something in the middle of the night :) (it's not his fault I have this damn insomnia).
I love hearing the word baby/ies (this word has a magical effect on my brain: I suddenly think of my own and even if I get a little worried hoping everything would be fine, I still feel some kind of euphoria like I have just come out from a relaxing massage)
I always enjoy listening to good jokes, written ones or those nice moments I share with my friends and colleagues at work; it's nice to be surrounded by people who can come up with great creative ideas or ways of dodging the narrow-minded stream ...
I like listening to funny good news and sometimes some science news; I am interested in the technological innovations, especially because I can't help admiring the creativity of the modern century scientists; those type of news you can actually learn something from.
I fancy eavesdropping strangers in the street, those fragments of lines people let behind like some trails on the beach sand. It's interesting that you become witness to their private unknown life and you would never find out the outcome of their problems or dreams or plans. You can re-create or guess it, but you will never know for sure. That's when I feel embarrassed thinking of my high pitch voice when walking and talking at the same time, sometimes arguing or naming things and people I shouldn't.
I love listening to my friends and I thank God I have a few good friends I can share my life with.
I am sure the no.1 sound is yet to be discovered: I am definitely eager to hear the sound of my babies, their mumbles, their cries, their happiness and pray their voices fill my life...with some meaning...

Music in/is teaching

I am now listening to a great radio station, Romantic Fm , actually my favorite category is Romantic Fresh; great music to my ears...Micatone-Handbrake and while I was typing it got changed into some Asian song that dropped a smile on my lips...innocent, sweet, modern and classic at the same time- worth listening.

Music has always been a part of my life, it has changed shape just like myself, it has cried, smiled, wondered and lost hope, then again it rose and sharpened or softened according to the mood, it has even disappeared from the stage for a while...There have been times when I thought waking up and going to sleep with music could only be a teenager timetable, not a mature person's one.But I was so wrong...I realized that music (good one I am talking about-the quality and the talent that saps the lyrics and sound) can offer us redemption in a world where there is no much soul-wise reflection and where people seem lost and scared most of the time.
Then I also noticed that I work better with music, I can plan great lessons and then I have constantly used music in my classes not only to practice some skills, but to "animate" my students, as class management so to speak.
Why is music very that important in teaching? I would be curious to hear what your opinion is- if you think is important or maybe you consider it a "waste of time"...
I can simply assure you I experienced great moments among my students, I saw shy or introvert people ('cause I work with adults) becoming "somebody else" when listening to a great voice, noticed the nostalgia in their eyes when I played Beatles or Leonard Cohen, or ABBA...Secondly these great artists composed clear music- that is the one students can understand and follow throughout the entire song.It's like catching two birds with one stone- entertainment and apprehension.
Then, feeling the music (in a wider sense) is a quality that any teacher should posses, meaning any teacher should feel the student/s , tune his own style and methods of teaching in order to achieve real and long-term understanding of the language.
Music is more than a word , it's a phenomenon that's still under discovery by musicians themselves, philosophers, writers, scientists.That's why is fascinating...it can shape its meaning according to the context or purpose. As written in the definition the word derives from the Greek  mousikê (tekhnê),it actually says the Muse, the inspiration -and don't we, teachers need that sometimes? Some scientists talk about the music as a language or a treatment, some refer to it as a marked-based, problem-solving method such as mathematics.
I think is always a great challenge to find the tune and have my students sing along, together as a group.
What would you make of music in teaching and in your lives?