To get students thinking more deeply about the study of music at the beginning of the year (or at the beginning of a unit), I ask them to think about a few questions from a list of Throughlines and Generative Topics. My questions include "What does it mean to think musically?" or "How does music evolve over time?" I encourage them to consider how the questions connect to their own experiences in music. What are their own questions about music? I find when students discover that I too have questions, they eagerly begin asking questions of their own. Our discussion becomes a collaborative planning session, enabling us to learn more about each other's ideas, interests, and experiences as well as brainstorming about specific Generative Topics and Throughlines for the class.

Initially, I may brainstorm Generative Topics by creating an idea web, either individually or with colleagues, then I also have my students do the same in class. I encourage them to approach the topic from different perspectives, looking for specific connections and relationships among their ideas. I ask them to think about their own experiences around a topic, considering for example, what they already know and what interests them.

To illustrate an example of this type of brainstorming session, I'll refer to the Belmont Day School 5th grade music curriculum which includes the study of jazz music and history. I posted an assortment of Throughlines and Generative Topics, including What is a Throughline? and What is a Generative Topic?, and asked the 5th graders to think about them, discuss them, and then to consider the question What is jazz? Next, I asked them to create an idea web around the Generative Topic "Jazz".

About halfway through the brainstorming session I played a recording of "Take Five" by Dave Brubeck. The idea webs generated from the discussions were invaluable for gathering information about the individual interests, questions, the level of understanding students had, and any misconceptions they may have had around this topic. This activity helped bring my students into the topic of jazz at a level that was comfortable for them. It also provided opportunities for me to make important observations as I listened in on some very active conversations and discussions about individual questions and comments that arose during the brainstorming session. Idea webs are not the only activities that can produce these kinds of results. Consider beginning a new unit of study, or jump-starting a unit in progress, with the Starting Block Activity.