What does the world look like for young people who discover classical music not in concert halls, but in the classroom? And how can a regular musical education class become a lesson full of discoveries? Today, the answers come from teacher Eugenia Doboș, who introduced the "Listen to 5 minutes of classical music" project into the students' musical education classes.

"I think the Listen to 5 minutes of classical music project is an exceptionally valuable educational tool in music education classes. Regularly incorporating short listening sessions contributes significantly to the development of the skill of consciously perceiving music, to forming aesthetic taste and to the cultivation of an authentic relationship with the universal musical heritage. From an educational perspective, the 5 minute listening sessions create an optimal environment for the emotional attunement of the students. The listening moment becomes a ritual that favors relaxation, increasing the capacity for concentration and preparing the students for the next activities. There's a noticeable improvement in auditory attention and inner discipline, especially in middle school students. The project enables a gradual familiarization with great composers, different stylistic eras and musical genres. The students learn how to identify elements such as the tempo, feel, dynamic, instrumental timbre, formal structure or thematic contrast. The discussions that follow the listening session develop critical thinking skills, musical vocabulary and the capacity to form arguments. Another important aspect is making classical music more accessible. Short listening sessions reduce the rejection barrier some students may initially have towards this genre. Through constant exposure, the music becomes familiar, and reactions like "I don't like it", are gradually replaced by curiosity and involvement. In the long term, the project contributes to the development of a solid musical culture and artistic sensibilities, which are essential goals of musical education as a discipline."

At first I was curious to find out how students experienced their first encounter with classical music within the "Listen to 5 minutes of classical music" project, organized by Radio România Muzical.

"When I listened to the first piece, I felt like the atmosphere in the classroom completely changed. It turned quiet and for a few minutes it was as if time had stopped. I felt calm, emotional and a focus I don't always have at the start of class. Music helps us go into the right mood for the lesson. It was a short moment, but it had a powerful impact over the entire class."

"I felt very relaxed, it really calmed me down about the next classes."

"When I listened to the first piece of this project I felt a bit amazed, because I didn't know how beautiful classical music was until now."

"I felt relaxed, free from the stress of the other classes."

"When I listened to the first piece, I felt peaceful, as it was giving me a feeling of joy and calm."

"When the piece started I was amazed by how fast the notes were played. Once the rest of the orchestra started playing, I felt a chill from how good and harmonious it sounded."

We continued the discussion by asking the students what they think about the choice of pieces that were suggested and how much did the explanation at the end of the listening session helped them discover the story behind the music more easily.

"I think the choice of pieces is good because it has sadder musics and happier musics, slow and fast musics. The explanations helped me know what to pay attention to when I was listening to classical music."

"I think the choice of pieces is very beautiful and diverse. The explanations were clear, short and easy to understand."

"I think the choices are perfect, diverse, and I can always find out something new."

"The explanations help me by filling the gap I had because of lacking information about the song."

"The choice of pieces and the explanations are very good, because I understand what it's about better and I like to know more about music in general."

"I think it's very interesting and I like finding out fun facts about the composers."

"I thought the choice of pieces was very well thought out, because we listened to pieces of different styles and periods, which showed us how diverse classical music is. The explanations after the listening session were very important, because they helped us understand the story behind the song. After I found out the context or details about the composer, I listened to the piece with a new perspective. What's more, the discussions made class more interactive and interesting."

Classical music can sometimes become an unexpected discovery for youths, especially in the classroom, in an accessible and friendly way. But did the "Listen to 5 minutes of classical music" project help them look at this genre of music differently?

"I learned to listen more carefully, deeply. I started to notice the details, such as instruments, changes in rhythm or sound intensity. I realized that music can convey many things, even without words."

"These 5 minutes strengthened our patience and attention, and this was felt during the rest of the class, because we were more focused and involved."

"This project helped me look differently at classical music, but it's not my favourite kind of music."

"It helped me perceive music differently and learn new things."

"Yeah, obviously. Ever since I first listened to 5 minutes of classical music, I started to study a lot, like I've never studied before."

"I used to see classical music as a boring music, but now I like listening to it."

"These 5 minutes helped me discover that it can be harmonious and have some parts that give me pleasant feelings."

At the end, I wanted to find out if the children think they should give classical music a chance.

"I'm sure children would listen to classical music more if we were exposed to more classical music. I noticed that a lot of movies use classical music as background music."

"They should give classical music a chance because they might discover many new things."

"One hundred percent, classical music can be for anyone and you never know how relaxing it can be."

"Young people should give classical music a chance because classical music is most often relaxing and interesting."

"It's definitely worth it to give this kind of music a chance, it will help them relax and discover new composers."

"Of course, yeah. Classical music can change the atmosphere in a classroom and can positively influence students' mood. In just 5 minutes it brings peace, focus and inspiration."

"I think many young people would be surprised to discover how relevant and expressive it is if they give it a real chance. Projects like this not only enrich musical culture, but also make classes more pleasant."

Today we discovered what the world of classical music looks like through the eyes of students Gruia Mălureanu (fifth grade), Alexandra Marin Anghel, Liviu Florea, Alexia Pătrașcu, Antonia Bahrii (sixth grade) and Natalia Anuță (eighth grade), tutored by their teacher, Eugenia Doboș of Middle School 206, Bucharest. I'm Ioana Țintea and I'll be seeing you again in two weeks with new stories from our idea laboratory.