Rachael E. Davis
Philosophy of Technology
“Time for announcements, band. I have a surprise for you. I am taking way practice records.”
“What is he talking about? Have our wishes come true? No more practice records? No more papers our parents have to sign every week saying we practiced? Has the band director gone crazy my senior year of high school?” I remember thinking to myself as I sat there wide eyed with excitement.
“Instead, I want all of you to record yourself practicing. Send it to me either through email, or you can use my recorder and practice during your study hall period.”
I wasn’t sure what to think, how was I going to pull this off? Little did I know; I would be taking my first few steps into a technologically advancing world in music.
When people think of technology, sometimes they don’t realize that it is everywhere, including musical classrooms. One of the oldest programs in musical technology is MIDI, which stands for “Musical Instrument Digital Interface.” (Teaching Music, January 2010, Vol. 17 No.4) When used with other programs such as Sebelius, composing any type of a score can become much simpler. MIDI, since the 1980’s has been creating instruments that are computer compatible, so anything one was to play can be easily scored, sent to a teacher, emailed to a judge, and so fourth. By using a method similar to what my high school band director did, student assessments can become less stressful on both the educator and the learner. This will save time in the classroom as well. Instead of playing tests during classroom time, the time spent together can be effectively and efficiently used for teaching and rehearsal.
It doesn’t matter how much technology a school can provide, but how well the technology the school provides is used. Musicians are creative for a reason, they like a challenge. If a musical classroom only has a small sound system, then that can be used to open up a whole new world of music. It allows students to hear how music in their own repertoire sounds and they can listen to melodies from different eras and different places.
Open sourced software is nice, but as far as music programs go, purchased is more reliable, has more features, and lasts longer. When communicating with parents, students, and the community, there are many resources that can be used. Social networking sites are great for this, so is email, blogging, and creating one’s own web page. Using these types of technologies can let parents know what exactly is going on in the classroom, important dates that need to be remembered, activities the class is participating in, and supplies that are needed for that month’s lessons, if any are needed.
In a world of ever changing technologies, it is hard to keep up with what is new and what is reliable. To achieve the ability to stay current with what is being produced; teachers should attend lectures, conventions, workshops, and other classes that could become available.
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