Great Fitness

Class of technology and instrumental music

Music education in some form, goes back as far as education itself. Although sometimes struggle for legitimacy, it has nonetheless had its champions. More recently, technology has developed in education, technology applications designed specifically for the teaching of music have been developed. Although much of this technology is designed primarily for the class, there are programs designed for students to use at home, although limited to those students a computer and Internet access.

The teaching of music in American education goes back 1838 when Lowell Mason introduced singing classes at school Boston Grammar. Instrumental music appeared in fits and starts over the next fifty years, but have never been included during the school day, rather, it has been relegated to extracurricular activities. Around the turn of the century, instrumental music began to see some acceptance in the classroom, although often been taught by those untrained in the field of music education. In addition, little or no standardization of the instrumentation or music literature existed. (Rhodes, 2007)

Towards the end of the First World War the quality of the music school started increase. This is due mainly to veterans who, having been musically trained in the various service branches, has begun to fill teaching positions in music schools. Band, however, was still considered an extra activity. (Ibid)

In 1907, supervisors of music or MSNC National Conference (now known as the National Conference of Music Educators or MenC) has been organized to support school music. In 1912, it was proposed to include as accredited subjects, a number of activities, including including the music of choirs and music in general. Band has been included – but at a level much lower priority. Later, however, when Conference MSNC Cleveland in 1923, Edgar B. Gordon said,

The group of high school is no longer a business school Accessories prompted largely by the volunteer services of a high school teacher who happens to have some experience of the band, but rather a business that is assigned to a definite place in the school calendar, with one class per day under a qualified instructor and credit has allowed a satisfying work. (Ibid)

In the same year, and probably due to the increase in both acceptance and importance, Carl Greenleaf (then head of CG Conn Ltd.) helped organize the first national competition of the band Chicago. Later, in 1928, he led the company to contribute Conn the founding of the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan and later supported publications to support the directors of the band. Although these efforts may have appeared a bit selfish in the light of its position by Conn, they nevertheless helped establish the school orchestra as an important curriculum. (Banks, 1997)

Despite a gradual decline, while still limited, the acceptance of instrumental music programs in school, budget cuts are often reduced or eliminated these programs. In addition, with the recently increased emphasis on "teaching to the test "because of the pressures of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and similar state requirements, support the inclusion of music in schools began to decline. Michelle R. Davis, Education Week, "" said: "The federal government No Child Left Behind Act raises many schools to reduce on topics such as social studies, music and art to make more time for reading and mathematics … "(Davis, 2006) is most unfortunate, given that the study of music, especially instrumental music, has proved beneficial for all students – even increasing their ability to reason and solve problems.

Many theorists have contributed to the rise of music as a central element of education, or at least has shown that limiting the school environment to the "three Rs" is shortsighted. Howard Gardner postulated his "Multiple Intelligences" theory with the understanding that children do not have identical propensities for learning. Not only do they have different learning abilities, but have not the same learning abilities in many areas. These areas, as he explains, are different intelligences which he speaks. Originally describing seven intelligences (whose music is highlighted), it has identified two in particular (linguistic and logical-mathematical) that "those which have generally been assessed at school. "(Gardner, 1999, p41) Clearly, Gardner acknowledged that the education system was not reached all students – those who could "do school" well. Gardner has not limited its study, of course, the mere existence of multiple intelligences, but has shown a certain person may be strong in more than one, allowing these intelligences interact with each other. He explained that "there are other ways intelligence can affect the other … an intelligence can mediate and constrain the others intelligence can not compensate for another, and intelligence can catalyze another. (Gardner 2, 2006, P219) He also advocated the benefits of musical intelligence by explaining that "… a strong musical intelligence can lead a person engaged in a linguistic task to be more sensitive to the rhythmic properties of language and meaning. "(Ibid, P223)

While many may think that music and studying it is primarily associated with what is understood, it is also closely related to mathematics. Dahlhaus, reflecting Rameau said that "music has its origins in the proportions of Pythagoras (ie the music is math)." (Gargarian, 1996, P137, 138) Regardless of whether one agrees with the theory that music is mathematical in its entirety, it should be little dispute about the relativity of musical notation in mathematics. Indeed, the introduction of coordinates, or Cartesian plan appears to help students understand the new music of the horizontal (x) and vertical (Y) axes of musical notation. Simply words, the horizontal (x) axis on the music staff refers to the duration while the vertical (y) axis refers to the height. This, of course is a reflection on that theory of interaction Gardner intelligence.

It is further evidence the study instrumental music is beneficial to the student. In 1995, Gottfried Schlaug, et al, published a study, "Increased Corpus Callosum Size in Musicians "which they described an increase in nerve fibers in the corpus callosum (CC), which contributes to its enlargement. They also been able to determine that this increase in fiber size and the CC is due to study instrumental music. (Schlaug, et al, 1995) any Clearly, the assumption can be easily done that if there is more crosstalk between the two hemispheres of the brain (specifically, left – thought to the analysis, and the law – considered the creator), the result would be a person with a bigger, more creative, the ability to solve problems.

Reflecting on Gardner theories and those of Schlaug, et al, it should not surprise anyone others have confirmed the links between music and other skills. Bahr and Christiansen in their article "Inter-Domain Transfer Between Mathematical and musicality "published results showing that students who had studied music has demonstrated superior performance on mathematical tasks on condition that had some structural overlap with the music. (Bahr, Christiansen, 2000) This "structural overlap" could be almost everything, including the relationship of the division of measures or notes into fractions on the frequency of land or, as above, linking coordinates (Cartesian) plane and the staff of the music.

With this enhanced capacity to solve problems and this decision increased awareness of mathematical concepts, it would not be a big leap to assume that music students would perform well with the technology in the classroom. Indeed, music students are expected to do at least as well as other students with respect to technology. If this is true, then the next step would be to assume they would do particularly well with technology designed specifically to them.

Quite recently, technologists, while acknowledging a lack of musical applications based on the technology began to develop computer programs for education music. Solfeggio sites have begun to appear, many have been produced by and linked agencies Symphony. Others have been produced by teachers and graduate students, either through courses or perhaps for their own use (and all those who wish to use the application). A quick search of the Internet reveals that there are quite a number of technological tools produced and published for the student music. There are games and interactive music, classroom applications, keyboard music theory, not many online websites and rhythm, and perhaps the most powerful, known applications such as computer education "assisted (CAI)" specifically for the music class and students. In January 2005, Steven Estrella published the results of a study showing how music teachers in the United States has used the technology of music. Among its conclusions, he found that about twenty percent of respondents used some form of CAI in their teaching. Survey also discovered that the software has been predominant "SmartMusic." (Estrella, 2005)

SmartMusic is a teacher / student interactive application that allows students to practice at home with a bunch of synthesis or orchestral accompaniment. The program can also, with microphone included, student records and rank efforts to use rhythm and field data. The student can immediately see the results and can try again if they wish. The recording and accompanying notes are then sent to the student teacher / director and automatically entered into the database of teacher quality books. The program includes accompaniments for thirty thousand compositions, including band and orchestra method book pieces. (Nagel, 2007) Although the comments at the beginning of the program have been mixed, the company produces SmartMusic, "MakeMusic," was apparently sensitive to the teacher / consumer complaints and suggestions. The program requires that the version Home to be installed on the computer and students in earlier versions, installation, configuration and microphone placement were problematic. In the latest version, SmartMusic 11, many of these issues have been addressed, either by simplifying the process or user guides increased. (Whaley, 2008)

For the classroom, SmartMusic holds a wide range of applications. The most basic functions of the program include tuner and metronome appears. (A classroom of music with an interactive whiteboard can make excellent use of SmartMusic utilities.) Teacher can then play pre-recorded version of a room to study and, while the students play along, you can instantly record independent of the pre-recording for future playback. The program also includes fingering charts for all instruments and a quick check student may need additional instruction is easily achievable. Keys and tempos can be easily changed, if necessary, and if an artist wants to play with a single pre-recorded accompaniment, the accompaniment, "listening" to the artist via a microphone, can follow the evolution of the artist in tempo – not unlike what the leader of a symphony orchestra would in a live performance.

As important and powerful as SmartMusic is in the classroom, its purposes, the most powerful – and the primary purpose for which it was intended – is that of a Home and practical assessment tool. There are literally thousands of accompaniments and scales included in the software as well as thousands of titles music. When students have signed up, downloaded (or installed from a CD), and set up the home version of the program, the teacher can play the mission design that the student then goes to the house on their own computer.

Playing through a microphone to the accompaniment program provides an instant visual and auditory response, while the registration of the student's performance is played, the correct notes are displayed in green while the errors are displayed in red. The student can decide and set their own pace, then practice with the accompaniment generated by computer as many times as they wish before the registration of a degree. In short, the student is in control home. Students with a high-speed Internet access and a reasonably current computer can realize the full potential of the program – as well as their own. (Rudolph, 2006)

But what about those students who are not lucky enough to have a computer at home – and even less access to the Internet?

Clearly, the power of SmartMusic is largely lost on the students without home computers or Internet access. Cost version of the house is small, and some districts have even provided the free subscription for students. (Nagel, 2007) However, districts can provide a computer practice and access to the Internet or all of its students?

David Thomas said that schools have made great progress in the introduction computer and Internet access. However, access for disadvantaged students, remains in school. (Thomas, 2003) Thomas further quoted then U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige

We need to address the limited access to technology that many students have outside school. There is much we can do. Closing the digital divide will also help to close the achievement gap that exists in our schools. (Thomas, 2003)

A 2007 study in New York revealed that between sixty and eighty percent of students have computers at home. (Traber, 2007) might suggest that the actual number of background are actually much lower.

There are many music students dependent on the school has provided instruments, method books, and supplies instrument even as reeds and valve oil (usually provided by the teacher's pocket). These students are already lagging behind their counterparts richer and can not afford private lessons, and even less practical and a computer with Internet access. These are students who could benefit SmartMusic such a program. However, as useful and powerful as SmartMusic is, it can not by itself bridge the "digital divide" still exists.

Educational technology is very promising for the student musician, but until a method for access Fair is discovered, the disproportionate achievement will persist.

References

Bahr, N. Christensen & CA (2000). Inter-Domain transfer between math skills and musicality. In Journal of Structural Learning and Intelligent Systems (Vol. 14 (3), 2000, p. 187. – 197). USA: Gordon & Breach Science Publishers

Banks, Margaret Downie (1997). A brief history of the Company Conn. (1874-present). The National Music Museum.

Davis, Michelle R. (2006, April). NCLB leads to Cuts for certain subjects. Week Education: study.

Estrella, Steven (2005). Survey of Music Educators and Technology Music. Shearspire.

Gardner, Howard (1999). Intelligence Multiple intelligences for the twenty-first century. First Basic Books Reframed / Perseus Books Group: New York

Gardner, Howard (2006). Multiple Intelligences – New Horizons. Basic Books / Perseus Books Group: New York

Gargarian, Gregory (1996). The art of design. In Kafai, Y., & Resnick, M. (Eds.). Constructionism in practice: designing, reflection and learning in a digital world. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Nagel, Dave (2007, August). Tucson U.S. gives SmartMusic Subscriptions to Students, Journal.

Rhodes, Stephen L. (2007). A History of the Wind Band – The school of American Movement. Lipscomb University.

Rudolph, Tom (February 2006). The Wide World of SmartMusic. Technology music education.

Schlaug, Gottfried, Lutz Jancke, Huang, Yanxiong; Staiger, Jochen F., Steinmetz, Helmuth (1995). Increase corpus callosum size in musicians. Neuropsychologia, Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. 1047-1055.

Thomas, David (2003). Internet Access Soars in Schools, but the "digital divide" still exists in the home of minorities and poor students. U.S. Department of Education.

Traber, Chris (2007, September). Poor students struggle in class. News YorkRegion.com.

Whaley, Roger (2008, September 10). SmartMusic 11! – MakeMusic has released SmartMusic 11!. The Band Ed toolshed (Weblog).

About the Author

Tom Crawford is a middle school instrumental music educator currently finishing a graduate degree in Education Technology. He can be reached at tom.crawford@tusd1.org Website: http://edweb.tusd1.org/maxwell/band

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