Lubbock Symphony Teaching Artists

by Dee Ann Loving-Tackitt

It is time. Yes, for many this season means summer—slower days, travel, or rest—but for me, something new is beginning. In August, I will join the team of the Lubbock Symphony Teaching Artists, and already I can feel my mind coming alive. My files are beginning to fill, my notes are stacking up, and my brain is firing in every direction, connecting ideas faster than I can fully process them. It feels like the beginning of something meaningful—and I want to be ready.

Teuta Halimi Selmani is the author of the article and the developer of the Music Visualization Method, which she created through years of teaching young children.

A Larger Story: Music in Classrooms

The Lubbock Symphony’s Teaching Artist program is part of a larger national movement rooted in a powerful belief: music is not just something children learn—it is something they learn through. Across the country, teaching artists partner with schools to bring music into the classroom not as an “extra,” but as a core pathway to understanding. These programs are built on decades of research showing that music engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously—supporting memory, attention, pattern recognition, and emotional development. This work is intentional. It is not simply about performing for children, but about designing learning experiences where music becomes the bridge to thinking. And that means preparation matters.

Studying the Child: How Young Minds Learn

As I prepare, I am realizing that my first responsibility is not the lesson—it is the learner. Children ages 5–7 are in a critical developmental stage. Their thinking is transitioning from concrete to early abstract reasoning, but they still rely heavily on sensory input and physical experience to understand new ideas. This is where many traditional approaches fall short. When we explain music in abstract terms—tempo, pitch, dynamics—we are often speaking beyond what a young child can fully grasp. The research on music visualization makes this clear: children understand music more effectively when it is externalized—when it is made visible, physical, and interactive.

Music Visualization: A Structured Way of Seeing Sound

The academic article I’ve been studying emphasizes that music visualization is not random or purely creative—it is actually a structured teaching method. In this approach, musical elements are intentionally mapped to visual or physical representations. Pitch is often shown through vertical space, helping children distinguish high from low. Rhythm can be represented through repeated shapes or movement patterns. Dynamics, such as loud and soft, are connected to size, intensity, or color, while tempo is experienced through speed of motion. This mapping creates what researchers call a cross-modal connection—linking what a child hears to what they see and feel. These connections strengthen neural pathways and make learning more durable. In other words, when a child draws a rising line while hearing a melody climb, they are not just being creative—they are building cognitive structure.

 From Passive Listening to Active Processing

One of the most important findings in the research is the shift from passive listening to active processing. Traditional music instruction can sometimes position children as listeners only. But visualization transforms them into: Traditional music instruction can sometimes position children as listeners only. But visualization transforms them into interpreters, responders, and creators, giving them a more active role in the learning process. They are no longer receiving information—they are processing and expressing it. This matters because learning deepens when children are asked to make choices, represent ideas, and explain what they perceive. These actions move them beyond receiving information and into active understanding. These are higher-level cognitive tasks, even at a young age.

 Individual Meaning-Making

Another key insight from the research is that music visualization allows for individualized meaning-making. While the teacher may introduce structured connections (such as high/low or fast/slow), children are encouraged to expand beyond those frameworks. This creates a balance between guided learning, which offers structured representation, and creative interpretation, which allows for personal response. That balance is critical. Too much structure limits imagination. Too much freedom removes clarity. But together, they help children develop both understanding and ownership of their learning.

 Hidden Skill Development

What fascinates me most is how much learning is happening beneath the surface. Through music visualization, children are developing: Through music visualization, children are developing pattern recognition, which is foundational for math and reading; sequencing skills, which help them understand order and progression; symbolic thinking, which supports connecting one form to another; and emotional literacy, which helps them identify and express feelings. These are not small outcomes. They form the building blocks of academic success across disciplines. And yet, from the child’s perspective, they are simply engaging with music.

The Role of the Teaching Artist

A teaching artist is not just someone who presents music. A teaching artist designs learning experiences, observes how children respond, adjusts in real time, and asks questions that guide thinking. Instead of saying, “This is what this music means,” The role becomes asking,

“What do you notice?”
“What do you see?”
“How would you show that?”

Preparing with Purpose

So yes—it is summer. But it is also a season of preparation. Practice continues on the ukulele, flute, and piano. Notes are growing, ideas are expanding, and the work of connecting research, creativity, and classroom reality is already underway. Teaching music well requires more than knowing music. It requires understanding how children think, recognizing how learning happens, and using music as a bridge between the two. Because when music enters the classroom intentionally, it becomes more than sound.