Adapting Music Education Response

The concept of media and technology is most definitely new on the education scene, but is also a huge aspect of our lives, and therefore a huge aspect of music. I feel as though it should be incorporated in the music education process, regardless of the musical context or genre. I understand that this is a controversial discussion, as some teachers are hesitant to even change their yearly repertoire, yet alone willing to consider bringing a computer into their classroom. The thing is, young people love technology. We LOVE technology, we carry little computers around with us everywhere and I guarantee that students would also love a project they could use their technology to create music. 


Remixing or covering songs is a wonderful way for students to explore their capabilities. Students may also potentially feel a greater level of accomplishment as they reproduced a song that THEY made (even if they had a structure to guide them towards success). The most fascinating thing about these projects, is that each groups’ cover or remix would be completely different from the rest. This is because everyone’s perception of the same thing is unique, and every combination of ideas will reflect that. I think it’s SO COOL how an entire class could use the same song and none of them would have a similar composition.​

I feel as though students who may not be taking music by choice would be more so engaged by activities related to covering, sampling, remixing etc. It would shift their view of music class and what the reality of the experience might be. I understand that for many students who don’t identify as musicians they have a skewed vision of what music education is, as is brought on by many media platforms. We as educators have to play with the idea that every student’s background and experiences are different, and that they may have had some horrific music experiences in the past. It is also our job as educators to create a positive experience in our classrooms, by connecting to our students in ways that they feel empowered. Children younger and younger know how to use cell phones these days, many of them know how to use garage band (which is still a skill I need to work on), and I’m sure they would be thrilled to play around with different virtual instruments in a way that is ultimately educational.

The idea that composers are beginning to provide the opportunity for their audience to respond to music with constructive feedback is lovely. This would shrink the barrier between the composer and the audience, and would bring the listeners and the composers closer. Also, it would help the artist improve in the long run because they can clearly see the areas that they could personally work on. In a way, they’re turning to their audience to educate them in future improvement and potential inspiration. I love it.

Tobias, E. S. (2013). Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 29-36.