Technology, Schools, & Composition

This week we discussed ideas for ways to reach the Other 80% of students in the schools. Across the nation, there are currently only 20% of students in schools that are participating in music courses. The primary courses offered in schools nationwide are primarily performance based including band, orchestra, and vocal classes. Few schools offer additional courses in music theory or music history which is marketing to upper music students. Unfortunately, students outside of performance based classes have little to no course offerings in the secondary schools. Some schools are adding courses in guitar, keyboard, ukulele, mariachi bands, or music technology based classes. In the technology based courses, students are able to use different programs to improvise, compose, learn, and experience music. These alternative courses will draw students that are in the Other 80% into the classrooms and provide music learning to the students. In addition, performance classes may benefit from the added courses (Dammers & Williams 2013-2014). 

                Unfortunately, adding Non-Traditional Music Courses may be difficult to do as there are many pressures in schools due to budgets and time needed. With the current budget situation in many schools, it is difficult to find the funding needed to start many of the courses. One way to do so is to start very small with the technological programs that are available for use for free. Schools would be able to utilize computers that are already in the building. Over time, technology could be advanced as interest in the courses grows (Etherington 2014). Another issue is the difficulties of teacher time. Many teachers are maxed out when it comes to teaching time. One alternative may be the use of clubs or programs before/after school hours. This would provide an opportunity for the students to be involved, and may provide evidence for a class to be added later on. Many teachers would love the opportunity to create a music course to reach the Other 80% but find it difficult to do so due to their current course load. 

While teachers are able to investigate, find technological programs or lesson plans online, there needs to be a change in teaching at the collegiate level. Many colleges focus primarily on the performance aspects of teaching in the school system. As the school system has primarily focused on performance classes in the past, colleges have been preparing teachers for the classroom. With the numerous technological programs available and changing courses available in secondary schools, colleges need to adapt their teacher preparation courses to prepare new teachers. Although I understand the difficulties in creating a curriculum that covers a lot of aspects for teaching, this is one area that needs to develop due to interest and demand. 

There are a variety of music programs available to use for educational purposes. Some programs available involve notation while other programs are sound-based only. Soundtrap is one of the programs available for use in school. Students are able to investigate various sounds through Loops, MIDI input, and Digital Audio. Soundtrap allows teachers to assign students with projects that reinforce music topics involving form, style, instrumental versus vocal tracks, creating loops, and more. Students are able to collaborate with each other and work via the internet together on separate computers. Students can then chat online, make changes that they can all see, and work together to create a composition. Soundtrap is a great tool for students to gain knowledge about music and develop their creativity. Soundtrap is also a program that utilizes sounds versus notation. Those students who are used to notation, may find the program to be difficult to use to write from although they may also find it freeing to utilize sounds instead of determining pitches and rhythms on a notation software. If programs like Soundtrap are overused, they may cause students to struggle with developing hearing the song in their heads and sketching out a map of the music prior to writing as they become dependent on hearing their options to make compositional decisions. In order to prevent this outcome, teachers must carefully assign projects to their students that will push students to develop creatively consistently. 

Composition is an important aspect of musical learning that is often missed or given little time and consideration to in education. All students at all ages should have the opportunity to experiment in composing music. Kaschub and Smith believe that there are several benefits to composing music for students including the ability to understand music, fully experience music through composition, allows students to show their music potential and knowledge, and allows students to grow and create through the use of music. Through the use of composition students will gain an understanding of notation software which will develop music literacy, learn how to compose through guidelines, be able to self-critique and receive critiques and have the opportunity to revise their work. Furthermore, students may have the opportunity to have their compositions shared or performed with others. Another added bonus is teachers may develop their own compositional skills in order to aid in their student learning (Bauer 2014). 

In teaching composition, teachers need to provide specific guidelines for student projects. Students need to be given criteria and guidelines that will promote music exploration and growth through composition. Often students will need stricter guidelines as they first begin composing, which will later be relaxed as they gain insight and confidence in their composing abilities. Student boundaries need to be set based upon a student’s individual ability. In addition to providing guidelines for students, teachers must also be careful with their critiques. Over critiquing students too quickly may result in students giving up or quitting composing before they reach or realize their potential. While teachers want to see students reach their potential, it is important that teachers do so carefully and slowly (Bauer 2014). 

Lastly, teachers need to help students learn how to evaluate their own compositions. Students need to learn how to evaluate and revise their own works (Bauer 2014). Revising compositions may be compared to writing essays for class. Students need to learn techniques over time to edit, evaluate, and revise their own writings, which will in turn improve their overall writing skills. Similarly, students need to be given constructive feedback in ways to self-evaluate and revise their work to improve not only their compositions, but their compositional skills.

References

Bauer, William I. (2014). Music Learning Today: Digital Pedagogy for Creating, Performing, and Responding to Music. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. 

Etherington, M. (Spring 2014).  Educating the Other 80%.  North Carolina Music Educator. Retrieved May 9, 2017 from http://content.yudu.com/Library/A2vsnp/NorthCarolinaMusicEd/resources/18.htm

 

Williams, David B. and Dammers, Rick (2014). If we build it, they will come: Using music technology to reach the Other-80% in secondary school programs.  Published in Kansas Music Review (Spring Issue 2013-14).