The author invites us to re-examine the case for ‘music appreciation’ teaching. In a two-year project, ‘Music in Use,’ conducted in Norwegian primary schools, Magne Espeland and his colleagues developed new principles and methods for encouraging children to listen to music of many different styles – including modern instrumental and orchestral music, pop and jazz. Working from the belief that response on the part of the listener is crucial in musical understanding, the project group involved the children with a variety of activities which, while primarily related to the music itself, engaged also with experiences in verbal, visual and kinetic expression.