Anyone know anything about Integrated Listening?

[JimC.]

Welcome to iLs

Endorsed by Dr. Hallowell in his blog, but has anyone tried this at all? I’m tiring of spending $ on things that *might* work.

TIA, Jim

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[Patte Rosebank]

Sounds a bit dodgy to me. Although, as a performer, I do know that it’s much easier to remember your lines when you have your blocking (movements) in place. Your brain associates the lines with the particular movements you do when you say them. Once associated, the movements and the lines really stay with you.

I saw proof of this when I attended a concert by Rebecca Caine (the original Christine in the Toronto production of “Phantom of the Opera”), last year. Although she hadn’t played Christine in over 15 years, when she sang “Think of Me” and “All I Ask of You”, she instinctively did all of the movements that she’d done when she’d sung the songs in “Phantom”. When I talked with her afterwards, she said that she was amazed to discover that her muscles still retained the memory of the movements and still did them instinctively when she sang those songs. What amazed me even more, was that, even though I’d never performed in “Phantom”, I’d seen the show so many times as an usherette that I remembered the movements, so my own muscles do them instinctively whenever I sing “Think of Me”.

I got more proof of the concept when one of the performers in the Morris Panych play “Seven Stories” said that it was really hard for the cast to learn their lines because there was so little blocking in the show. It all took place at the windows (and a tiny bit, on the ledge) of a tall building, so most of the blocking involved just appearing at the windows and maybe sitting on the sill and sticking a leg out.

You might want to try an informal experiment, linking movements to a specific task or learning that you have to do. Though this will prove difficult with some tasks, like typing or paperwork. There are improv games that use the principle, too, to help you learn people’s names. Like standing in a circle, and one person throws a ball to another person, while saying that person’s name. The person who catches the ball then throws it to another person, while saying that person’s name. If you goof on the name, or take too long, then you’re out. This game can also be played as “clap-point”, where, instead of throwing the ball, you clap & point to the person you choose. A trickier variation of “clap-point” include saying the name of someone OTHER THAN the person you clap & point to, and the person whose name you said is the one who has to respond. It’s harder than it sounds, especially when it’s going really fast.

So there does appear to be some actual proof of the concept. But before you fork out big bucks for this or any other “breakthrough” treatment, see what Dr. J. and other experts have to say about it.

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[JimC.]

I thought I might approach them and see about me being a distance-learning test dummy of sorts, willing to write a testimonial if it works at all. I’ll keep everyone posted. thanks for the tips on association with movements etc. Jim

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