Module 2

Module 2 was much more comfortable in regards to using the technology in the PLN.  I found the Feedly site to offer a wide variety of information in one place.  Following many different sites has provided me with a plethora of information in regards to music, music education, education, and technology.  The music education blogs I am following are of great interest to me.  I find that hearing another music teacher’s failures, successes, and just the general process of their teaching to be very beneficial to me and a blog can give me that in a written format.

Improvisation is a form of creating music that is avoided by many music teachers.  Unfortunately, many music teachers lack the knowledge to teach improvisation, not understanding that there are many different ways to incorporate it into the curriculum.  While most agree that improvisation has a basis in jazz, there are also other ways that it can be incorporated.  Bauer (2014) offers ten ways that improvisation can be utilized in the classroom.  The very simplest is echo rhythm and tonal patterns.  This concept can easily be done in a beginning band setting.  In fact, I think most teachers do this already, not knowing that this is considered improvisation.  Many young performers are very interested in learning how to play their favorite songs by ear.  This is also improvisation.  Technology can also offer resources for students and teachers.

Bauer (2014) offers many different resources for teaching improvisation and composition through the use of technology.  He does a great job of listing an activity type, a brief description, and possible technologies for them.  The reading goes into great detail about the other 80% of kids in our schools.  Since only 20% of high school students participate in performing ensembles, the other 80% can be exposed to music in a variety of ways.  A non-traditional approach with the use of technology in a classroom setting (or at home) can easily be done with programs such as GarageBand.  Students can learn to play instruments and also compose within the program.  Other software programs are available with MIDI components to replicate real instruments in a digital setting.  This gives the students the opportunity to experiment with sounds in a 1:1 setting.  Free resources such as MuseScore and Noteflight offer opportunity for students to compose using traditional notation.  MIDI components are used in them, offering the opportunity for students to hear their compositions without performers.  This is great because they get real-time feedback, but I can see drawbacks in that the students do not necessarily understand the compositional techniques being used.  For instance, the program will not allow the composer to put the incorrect number of beats in a measure.  While the correct number of beats is needed, it is important for students to understand the basics behind musical notation before a program like this is implemented.  Also, not everything is user-friendly and can actually take more time than writing the composition on paper.  Technology is a great supplement to composition and improvisation, but it cannot totally replace a hands-on experience.