A couple of months ago, I embarked on a journey that I had always dreamt of: teaching at a university. As part of my PhD, I am leading one of the two Aural Skills modules “Hearing Musical Materials” at the University of York, alongside my colleague Dominic Floyd.
It has been an exciting and challenging experience so far, full of new discoveries and rewarding moments. One of the first things that struck me about teaching was how much preparation goes into every lecture. Designing practical exercises, structuring lessons, and ensuring that each session builds logically on the previous one requires a great deal of planning. Beyond the logistics, I also have to consider how to make the concepts accessible and engaging for students. It is a time-consuming process, but seeing students go along with me and develop their skills makes it all worthwhile.
Aural Skills, in many ways, are the foundation of musicianship. My module focuses on training students to listen critically, recognize musical structures, and internalize theoretical concepts through sound. One way to think about it is as a traditional ear training course—identifying intervals, chords, and rhythms—but with an added theoretical component that connects these exercises to broader analytical frameworks. I love this approach because it bridges the gap between practical musicianship and music theory, and this allows students to develop both their listening skills and their theoretical knowledge in tandem.
As a PhD student, I also find it impossible to separate my teaching from my research. In fact, I see the classroom as an opportunity to explore and test some of the ideas I am developing in my academic work. By presenting Aural Skills in the context of my research, I can introduce students to broader musical concepts and invite them to think critically about what they hear.
For instance, when discussing traditional bass lines, I introduce the concept of “harmonic signifier”. Similarly, when exploring microtonal intervals, I distinguish between “structural” microtonality and microtonality used as an expressive addition to an otherwise non-microtonal structure. And so on.
Teaching this module has already been a unique experience, and I am excited to see how it evolves over the coming months. The more I teach, the more I learn, not only about the subject but also about pedagogy and communication.
Watching students develop their listening skills and gain confidence in their musical understanding is incredibly fulfilling. Ultimately, teaching Aural Skills is about more than just training the ear. It cultivates a deeper connection to music, helping students become more perceptive musicians and encouraging them to think critically about what they hear.