Music and Technology

Students and teachers alike tend to get enamored with the latest and greatest gadgets in music. So often, we adopt new technologies before considering their long-term impact. I was an undergraduate student when music education technology really started to become a reality in schools, and I was assigned to teach the same classes I took as an undergraduate in my graduate study. Music ed. technology has played a huge role in my academic and professional worlds. My critique is based on my own experience and research, though, so your contributions are more than welcomed.

I think it goes without saying that the majority of teachers are intimidated by music education technology. Veteran teachers have the desire to learn certain software, but often do not see the value in the less structured, individual learning that technology can afford. Many of us, veteran and novice, shrink a bit when there isn’t a certain level of structure in a class. I believe a majority of this trepidation is related to the lack of familiarity with the software. Obviously, if you are unsure of what a program can do, you are much less likely to allow for creative experiences with it. Perhaps you need to hear that one idea that you either borrow, or transform for your teaching situation. I have found that a lot of ideas and presentations (at state conventions for example) are one or two details away from being really good and creative lessons in music. I am interested to hear any ideas that you have experience with. I, of course will give you some of my own to rip apart and form into your own concoctions.

I’m of the opinion that too many people reserve music technology for music theory and general music classes. Very few consider how they might put technology in the hands of student ensembles. I have creative projects as a part of my ensemble curriculum. These projects are completely open to what the student wants to do, though I do give a few suggestions to get them thinking creatively. I try to keep technology as an integral part of these projects, and to allow any of my suggestions be accomplished with freely available software. If a student requires specific software, I will make accommodations for the student to use it on a school computer. As always with an assignment like this, I am not as concerned with the product as I am the process of what the student did and learned to arrive at the finished product.

I think by incorporating music technology into a creative part of the ensemble curriculum, we expand the re-creative nature of ensembles and begin to reach our goal of using technology in a transformative way.