Music Technologies Nurture Music Traditions

This post contains content written during the COVID19 pandemic. In the spirit of documenting my music education journey over the years, I've decided to share professional, student and personal reflections on this platform. This particular was post was part of a DMA course assignment for the late Dr. Fred Kersten who taught Music Technology and Sibelius Notation courses at Boston University. He was one of the kindest, most encouraging and enthusiastic teachers I've ever known- dedicated to each of his students to the end.

Photo taken by me at Magdalen College, Oxford University in the summer of 2019.

While the past few years have brought music education technologies to the forefront of our professional lives, so much of the experience has been trial by fire due to the diverse natures of our teaching situations. I particularly appreciated Perry’s (2020) ability to anticipate the long-term benefits of integrating these online music education tools into our traditional practices while also highlighting the valuable short-term uses readily accessible to those teaching and learning remotely. While enthusiasm and a spirit of adventure have carried many through this difficult period, some are still suspect of the efficacy of the online music education experience. That said, hasn’t the field of music historically been at the forefront of the introduction and integration of radical new technologies into the established conventions of the day?

As I reflect on some of the historically innovative (and radical) musical technologies like musical notation, or the creation of the piano and eventually the synthesizer, I see no turning back to a music classroom that does not integrate some form of online technology. Nor do I continue feel the constant accelerando to utilize every possible option available to us in hopes that something sparks a connection for our students. Perry’s article has helped me to feel more centered in my pedagogical choices. In the midst of this flurry of online activity, he has reminded me that there are broader goals for learning than which app we might choose to employ for a given lesson. At the heart of the music learning experience is daily practice, the development of foundational skills, the ability to evaluate and assess our own (and others’) growth, and exposure to exemplary performances- all of which can be enhanced and supported online.

Photo taken by me at a Piano By Nature event in 2019.

Perry (2020) addressed a long-term learning strategy that I found particularly meaningful. Having students “make a personal music journey” (p. 2), especially during those long remote learning months away from friends and ensembles, was a gift of an assignment. We often hear musicians describe the ratio of becoming a professional as being 30% playing, 70% listening. Teachers rarely have the time to enact that formula in their curriculum. Some of the most satisfying and moving exchanges I’ve had with students in over the years have been about the music we were listening to and sharing those pieces with one another. Helping students travel deeper into their music through the use of online journaling (through email, Google Classroom, or blog site), simple emoji responses as prompts for discussion, video examples, and repertoire selection for the eventual return to music making have been invaluable. Perhaps music education should require a similar ratio: 30% online, 70% in person?

In contrast to the eager interest in exploring these new online learning resources, most my students did not wish to create a virtual choral ensemble during the pandemic school closure. While Perry (2020) maps out an achievable path forward through the technologies needed to create a successful product, the solo experience of generating individual parts within earshot of others in their household, as Olson (2020) referenced, was too stress-inducing for many of my chorus students. This affirmed for me the profound personal significance of the ensemble for most students. I didn’t really understand just how significant the choral ensemble experience has been for them until we were presented with this other pathway to performance. I do now.

Photo taken by me at the 2023 Ithaca College High School Gospel Choir Invitational.

References

Perry, P. J. (2020) Online Learning in the Ensemble Class?! Use Technology and Distance Education to Teach Ensemble Classes Remotely. National Association for Music Education. https://nafme.org/online-learning-ensemble-class/

Olson, B., and S.N. Edgar. (2020) Virtual Choirs: Student Thoughts on Taking Performance Online. https://nafme.org/virtual-choirs/