Music Technology –
Creating Music
Few people believe
that creativity is a gift. People who are creative are so because they were
simply born with an embedded creative gene. In Chapter 3 of the book Music Learning Today, the author William
Bauer challenges that belief and provides the reader with the necessary tactics
that may help students learn how to be creative. I agree with Bauer that some
people might be genetically inclined to be creative, and that at the same time other
influences may also contribute in developing creative capabilities. Creativity
is a nurturing and a “process that takes time and persistence” (2014,
p. 50).
This chapter
resonates with me very strongly because I take the music teaching business very
seriously as a music educator. I believe that music is an important puzzle
piece of education and an art form that requires a great level of engagement
and creativity regardless of the musical style. I have been teaching for twelve
years now both private lessons and public schools and the experience has been
and continues to be very rewarding. I have had the great opportunity to teach
both the so-called talented and non–talented students and realized that anyone
can learn creativity. It just depends on the level of the interest that the
student has in the subject matter. After all what good would a teaching
profession serve if teachers could teach only those who would thrive anyway
regardless of who their teacher is. Therefore my main objective when I teach is
to first motivate students.
Although it is not
realistic to motivate all students at the same level, with the technology of
our times reaching everyone in some way or another has become easier than ever.
In my music production classes there are students who have zero musical
experience but love to listen to music and have some sort of desire to explore music
just like Katie and other students mentioned in the book. According to Bauer “these
are students who aren’t enrolled in school bands, orchestras and choruses yet
who have strong musical interests and untapped creative potential”(p. 46.). To
most of those students technology is just like a box of crayons full of colors
and sounds that allows them to tap into their composition and arranging
creativity. If this technology did not exist these students would not have had
a chance to at least even try musical creativity.
I have been
advocating for music technology since the day I was hired, I use technology in
all the classes I teach. The technology tools I use vary from projectors and
sound systems to Garage Band and Smart Music. However, Bauer and the
lecture of this week gave me some great suggestions that will definitely
refresh my teaching approach with new ideas and new tools such as early
improvisation, Noteflight and Musescore . I feel that now I am better
equipped to engage all students at some level with sophisticated hands on tools
that will give them a chance to explore and discover the possibilities of music
technology and hopefully discover their creative potential.
References
Bauer, W. I. (2014). A conceptual framework for technology - Assisted music learning. In Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music (pp. 46-50). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hi Elton,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I also connected with Bauer's idea of "the 80%" who aren't enrolled in band, orchestra, or choir. Some of the most musically talented students I have ever met in my school were not in any performing groups. Twice a year, I help with my school's talent show, and I am always impressed with the level of musicianship that students have. A few in particular have stuck with me. Two boys used a free online sequencing program to create background beats and write rap songs. It really taught me a lesson not to assume that the only musical students are already in performing groups.
I teach middle school, and often encounter resistance whenever I ask students to be creative. Common responses include, "I'm not good at this," "I can't do this," "I don't know what to write," etc. It's funny to me how in middle school, self-confidence subsides into self-consciousness. I always take the approach that everyone is creative in his or her own way, and that anyone can be a composer. I also try to remind them that even the greats had trouble, and show them pictures of Beethoven's sketches that had been crossed out and re-written dozens of times. I also believe that technology empowers students to be even more creative because it is a medium they are already comfortable with, even if they don't know the specific software.
-Steve
Hi Elton,
ReplyDeleteI found this chapter to be very interesting as well, and also a bit depressing in a way. I have had the opportunity to teach general music as well as instrumental string music. The depressing part is that I do not have any technology to use in my classroom at any time. I have taught improvisation and composition without any computers or anything else. Everything had to be hand written or memorized. I have had issues keeping the students engaged when writing out notation. Even if they are working in groups, there is only one student writing at a time, and the others start acting up. Now if I want to use computers to work on composition, I can borrow laptops from other teachers at the middle school since they have laptops. It is not always possible. When the students are using the computers, even if it is one per group, the students are more engaged because they can all see what is happening and feel more a part of what’s going on. This is not always possible for me to do since I can’t depend on using the laptops all the time. The instant gratification of seeing then hearing their compositions is huge.
I have watched another music teacher teach composition with non-music students using the computer. Some of these students I have had years before in elementary school when I attempted writing out music composition. It is amazing to see how these students reacted to writing music on the computer. When they were writing it out by hand, they were not as exciting or engaged as they were when writing it on the computer. The simple act of having a playback feature made all the difference for these students who are not what many would call musically inclined, or the 80%. Using technology has allowed them to become engaged in the act of composing music and unleashing more creativity.
I think that creativity can be something you are born with but it also can be taught. You can be born with a creative streak but without proper encouragement and guidance, the creativity might fade. The more we can teach students to think outside the box we can insure that our students continue to be creative.
~Jodie