Technology in Music Education

            Part of music education involves listening to music.  Since technology has affected the way we listen to music, this carries over into the classroom.  We’ve gone from records to cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s.  Smart phones allow us to carry around thousands of songs with us at all times.  We can find almost any song or musical artist we can think of on youtube.  This means that teachers have greater flexibility.  One general music teacher just recently showed me how she has every song she teaches along with every lesson plan and activity organized in iTunes on her phone by grade level and time of year.  I can think back on how different things were since I was in college only ten years ago.  In my private lessons, every week my teacher would give me music to learn and a cassette tape with a copy of the recording to practice along with.  I’m sure today he just has students look up the song on youtube, or email them the file.  Having the Internet at our fingertips all the time has made exploring music much easier and more convenient for both teachers and students.

            I think that technology has helped especially in the area of composition and performance.  Not so long ago, to record music, you had to go to a recording studio.  Now, we can carry around portable versions of Garageband and Sibelius on our phones.  There are things like metronome apps, tuner apps, and ear training apps that can help aid in practicing.  One free app that I’ve used quite a bit myself is iReal Pro.  In addition to a few other uses, it allows musicians to practice along with a song, and the volume level of the practice instruments can be lowered or muted all together.  As a bass player, I’ve found this especially helpful.  I can really see how a teacher would be able to use it with students.

            Since it seems like just about everyone now, including kids, have smart phones, one may think it would be a no brainer to take advantage of some of these applications.  However, I can see a possible downside.  A lot of schools have a strict no cell phone policy, and I can understand why.  For much of the day, students really shouldn’t have any need for their phones in school.  I can see a possible scenario where if exceptions are made to this rule, it could be hard to monitor.  Overall though, I would be in favor of using phones as long as it’s only for specific lessons the teacher has planned.

            Since kids grew up with this technology, there’s a good chance that they know how to use some of it better than the teachers do.  By using it to help teach music, teachers can make their lessons more relatable and fun for their students.  The only other down side I can imagine is if the technology itself becomes the focus rather than the actual music.  However, as long as teachers always keep this in mind, I think that technology will continue to have a positive impact on music education in the future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMrxdXagJUQ