The use of technology in Music Education

In my country, Brazil,  we are facing now a big challenge in Music Education. Since 2008 Music became again part of school curriculum after banished around 40 years ago. What to teach and who is going to teach is still an opened question. Many EAD (something like Distance Education Course) opportunities are being given by universities to supply the demand of new teachers or to help them complete their specialties in the field. In this way the use of technology is essential and a primary force to engage these people in this new path.

On the other hand, what to teach is still being discussed and is a subject that each school can decide for itself. They can decide to teach instruments, to have music lectures, to present shows and concerts, to give lessons of music appreciation or even the exclusive use of technology to develop some music skills or knowledge.

My particular opinion is that we must use technology and traditional methods in equal balance. Following the same ideas discussed by the Edinburg-born cellist Peter Gregson, music and arts in general are activities that demand and develop social contact. As he mentions no computer program is able to tell the pupil how to hold an instrument, how to use the bow in a better and proper form, and I add that no computer program can show how to use your fingers, nails, arms and shoulders in a guitar or even a piano and many other instruments.

On the side of the human contact no device can stimulate encouragement, self-confidence and, above all, understand the human being sitting there with their fears, doubts, inquires, etc. A human teacher is an essential tool in education, in all areas.

In my work as guitar teacher I use technology to prepare my lessons. Much of the material that I need can be researched on the web and printed directly from there. The use of pre-recorded material, playbacks and other software’s make the tasks easier. Even when I study I prepare some things in a software like Encore to play together and have a more sense of technical development or as a preparation when I have to play in ensembles.

In general the use of technology can be well balanced if thought as tool and with an oriented use. Of course that there are special cases when the student has already a previous knowledge, self-confidence and has developed some criteria about his studies when the use of self-directed education can have good results. That’s essentially what we do in these MOOC’s.

Music Education in the Week 2 of The Place of Music in 21st Century Education - Universty of Sydney

I’ve just completed Week 2 of the MOOC “The place of Music in 21^st Century Education” presented by Dr. James Humberstone of the University of Sydney on the Coursera platform.

This week was in discussion the traditional methods and the new approaches in music education including the use of technology and the importance (or not) of teaching music theory indiscriminately to all people interested in learning music and those who have to do it in a regular basis inside a standard formal school.

Traditional music education usually considers that all the music students should make their formation in the basis of classical western music. This means to have a deep approach to music theory, learn a traditional acoustic instrument and be able to face the western music repertoire from the last five centuries, at least. In this model it is not taken in consideration whether or not the students want to play and practice music in this format and which is the repertoire that most pleases them somehow.

On the other hand, new approaches to music education aim to take in consideration to understand the students and have their opinion about what they want to play and work on the classrooms. This is the point of view of Lucy Green who defends an informal way of learning music with music theory in second plan and playing by listening in the first plan. More information can be viewed at http://earplaying.ioe.ac.uk/index.html.

In parallel the use of technology consists a strong part of music education and, with good use, a good tool in research and an endless fountain of help and ideas for the practice of music.

I follow much of the opinions of both, Lucy Green and Richard Gill, who was introduced to us in the last video. I understand, spread and use the idea that we, teachers, must be in touch with the musical taste of our students collecting their information about their preferences in musicians and repertoire and believe, as Mr. Gill says, that singing is essential to a good musical education. I insist that my popular guitar students sing and play as well.

Of course from what the students bring I select what is good or possible to play and introduce the stuff that I think would be good for their learning.

Technology makes an important role in this process. Thanks to this tool I can make easier researches, buy or print material from the Web and can use pre-recorded material such as playbacks or even the songs to give the chance to the students of playing as if they were part of a band or an ensemble.

In the case of repertoire, as I said, I see what they want, see how positive it can be, including the lyrics (if appropriated or not) but, in case of thinking in an instrument like the guitar, I try to include the basis of the practice of the instrument like scales, arpeggios, good posture and some pieces of the repertoire. As an example of this: if the student is not inclined to learn classical music and make essential studies of arpeggios or scales I will try to find popular music in which they can develop those skills.

All the points above refer to my work as a private teacher. This balance is harder to be reached when you work in a traditional school that follows the model of having classical music in the center of the studies even when it is clear that this is not what the students are inclined for and you are not making the main role in their education. That’s my case too.

Education in our times

I have just read two articles about education. One of them, written by Anna Cunningham named “Steiner schools should adopt modern reading methods” which appears on the website The Conversation verses about how, after a research, the author concludes that these schools should adopt forms of learning how to read that are used in standard schools in UK. According to her the methodology adopted in Steiner schools is bringing results that tend to be less effective in learning how to read well and even spelling. Other subject explored is about what happens when one child, one family or both do not match the philosophy of the school and the possibility of bullying when the child is not able to follow the school’s proposal.

The other article, written by Stephen Heppel in his own blog talks about an education that can be more instrumentalist. He claims that we should be worried about allowing students and teachers to be more proactive in terms of providing the world people more prepared to our challenges and that can be more useful in a modern society. In terms of his thoughts, technology and creativity develop a central role.

In my opinion and as a teacher schools should be able to provide both ways to students. In our modern world, technology can be a central part of apprenticeship if well used as we can see in the interview with Natalie See, principal of the Hilltop Road Public School in Maryland about the challenges and the results of doing so. This interview being part of the first week of Music and Education in XXI Century by University of Sydney - Coursera. Certainly children who are kept apart of this new world may find difficulties to adapt when confronted to it once probably they will have to live amongst a technological world. Maybe it is like someone who used to live in the country and is suddenly forced to live in the big city.

On the other hand, as it is justified in the interview with Virginia Moller, principal of the Kamaroi School (Australia), the creativity and social behavior provided in schools that follow Steiner’s philosophy or some pedagogy similar to is certainly another important tool in this technologic and industrialized world. We also need to foster these abilities to our students in order of preparing them to an ever-changing world with economic and social crises that overcome our capacities and bring us the need of surpassing new obstacles all the time.

Education in our times

I have just read two articles about education. One of them, written by Anna Cunningham named “Steiner schools should adopt modern reading methods” which appears on the website The Conversation verses about how, after a research, the author concludes that these schools should adopt forms of learning how to read that are used in standard schools in UK. According to her the methodology adopted in Steiner schools is bringing results that tend to be less effective in learning how to read well and even spelling. Other subject explored is about what happens when one child, one family or both do not match the philosophy of the school and the possibility of bullying when the child is not able to follow the school’s proposal.

The other article, written by Stephen Heppel in his own blog talks about an education that can be more instrumentalist. He claims that we should be worried about allowing students and teachers to be more proactive in terms of providing the world people more prepared to our challenges and that can be more useful in a modern society. In terms of his thoughts, technology and creativity develop a central role.

In my opinion and as a teacher schools should be able to provide both ways to students. In our modern world, technology can be a central part of apprenticeship if well used as we can see in the interview with Natalie See, principal of the Hilltop Road Public School in Maryland about the challenges and the results of doing so. This interview being part of the first week of Music and Education in XXI Century by University of Sydney - Coursera. Certainly children who are kept apart of this new world may find difficulties to adapt when confronted to it once probably they will have to live amongst a technological world. Maybe it is like someone who used to live in the country and is suddenly forced to live in the big city.

On the other hand, as it is justified by Virginia Moller, principal of the Kamaroi School (Australia) in her interview, the creativity and social behavior provided in schools that follow Steiner’s philosophy or some pedagogy similar to is certainly another important tool in this technologic and industrialized world. We also need to foster these abilities to our students in order of preparing them to an ever-changing world with economic and social crises that overcome our capacities and bring us the need of surpassing new obstacles all the time.

The Place of Music in 21st Century Education

Hi everyone, here I am to say that I've just started a wonderful course with the grandiose name "The Place of Music in 21st Century Education".
It is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) developed by the University of Sydney - Australia and supported by the platform Coursera.
Our instructor or educator in this courser is Dr. James Humberstone, Lecturer in Music Education at the University of Sydney.
The plan is to approach music pedagogy nowadays and the use of technology and traditional methods of teaching music still in use.

If somebody becomes interested in participating we are on the very first week and there is still time to join us.
Take a look at this link https://www.coursera.org/learn/music-education

Have fun!