How can we engage children with classical music in the museum environment? 

Today, I'm talking to Cecilie Skøtt about how to engage students with the music of Carl Nielsen through a blend of philosophical questioning and the art of slow listening.

Cecilie Skøtt is a mediation designer at Hans Christian Andersen’s House and the Carl Nielsen Museum in Denmark. 

Cecilie plays a key role in crafting and delivering school programmes for both museums, as well as interacting with visitors of all ages on weekends and holidays. With a passion for literature and dialogical teaching in the arts, Cecilie focuses on easing classroom-related anxiety and uses her expertise to create memorable museum experiences for children and families

Today we’re chatting about how the Carl Nielsen museum engages students in classical music. At the museum, they’ve been teaching from an Open Questioning Mindset (OQM) and using Philosophical Dialogue for a few years now.

OQM is both a teaching method and a mindset developed by Peter Worley to engage students in different topics, concepts, and stories. The method offers different tools and techniques for asking open and engaging questions, and to quickly create an environment where children feel safe and comfortable speaking their minds.

Slow listening is a natural extension to the philosophical questioning environment and allows children to deeply connect with Nielsen's music . In two new programmes developed for schools the Carl Nielsen Museum combines all three to engage students with classical music.

Listen to discover more about the Carl Nielsen Museum, philosophical questioning techniques and slow listening. 

Episode Links:

Episode web page + transcript:

Cecilie Horup Skøtt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cecilie-horup-sk%C3%B8tt-b60a93ab/

Carl Nielsen Museum website: https://museumodense.dk/carl-nielsen-museet/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CarlNielsenMuseet

Open Questioning Mindset and philosophy with children: https://www.philosophy-foundation.org/

YouTube links for the music:

Symphony no. 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agPrhTFqD0o

Nielsen’s paraphrase on Nearer, My God, to Thee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5FUNK2wZms

Tågen Letter, played during Music Dynamite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_-wkidKX54

Maskerade, Keraus, played during Music Dynamite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TFfRwq-lrM

The Art Engager Links:

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If you have any suggestions, questions or feedback, get in touch with the show by emailing info@thinkingmuseum.com