After reading the chapter entitled Technology Fundamentals from William Bauer's (2014) book, Music Learning Today, I have noticed the various types of technology that past music educators have implemented into my musical experiences. For example, my private flute teacher encouraged the use of Smart Music, a program that includes piano accompaniments and technique books that can monitor and record pitches and rhythms one has just played. The program then grades the recording based on its accuracy, which can then be used to help the student improve for the next time. Smart Music fits into the category of practice that Bauer mentions because this instructional software allows for drilling and practicing of etudes and repertoire with immediate feedback. In my opinion, Smart Music is an excellent tool for practicing solo works without the need to pay for a pianist. I also found it to be great at providing a quick, clear assessment of an etude that I had just played. However, there are some inaccuracies with pitch and rhythm recognition depending on the quality of microphone and computer used, which can be frustrating.
Another example of technology that I have been exposed to is blogs. In my AP Music Theory class, the teacher offered handouts and practice worksheets that came from another more experienced music theory teacher's blog. This blog was extremely helpful in providing a different teaching method than my high school's music teacher in case his method of learning chords and proper voice leading did not make sense to me. The extra practice worksheets were also beneficial in providing more practice with certain topics because we did not have enough time in class to continuously practice the more difficult concepts. Overall, I believe technologies are extremely beneficial in providing extra practice for students, whether it be through extra worksheets, video tutorials, or instant feedback on playing. However, all technology has its flaws, so it is important to be careful that the technology used is credible and easily accessible to all students. During this semester, I would love to learn more about music technologies that involve the use of only human body movement, such as Scratch and the Theremini. An example of the Theremini being used is found in this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cqcTbDxsHM. I think it is amazing how only body movement can create musical sounds through the use of technology. It's almost unimaginable that my hand moving in the air could be the tool that can change pitch. With the technology, my kinesthetic learning can easily be combined with audio learning, which in turn will hopefully lead to better memory and enjoyment of musical skills and sounds. In order to learn more about this technology, I would love to use and practice the Theremini or other kinds of music technology that employ physical movement to produce sounds. The two questions I had related to the reading were: "How can music teachers use music technology in a way that is interesting to students without wasting too much time with technical difficulties?" and "How should sessions and workshops be formatted and given so that music educators have more knowledge on music technology?". Comments are closed.
|
Davina MiawOn this page, I will present examples of my scholarship in the form of reflective essays and philosophical assignments. Archives
November 2019
Categories |