Chapter three explores ways in
which to foster musical creativity with students through the use of
technology. Bauer lays out this chapter
in perfect order discussing creativity before discussing two methods of musical
creativity: improvisation and composition.
As both an elementary music teacher and
band director for grades 5-12, there are many opportunities for myself to
incorporate technology to teach improvisation and composition to both subjects.
Bauer
writes that the “willingness to take risks is often cited as an attribute of
skilled improvisers. If performers are
afraid to make mistakes, they most likely will not take creative chances and
may even feel intimidated by the whole improvisation process.” (Bauer, 2103, p. 68) I believe this statement to be correct for
not only improvisation but for composition as well. I’ve seen this in my own personal classroom
that students do not take the willingness to try something based on
intimidation whether it is making up their own sounds or songs or presenting a
composition in fear that it may not be good.
Many attributes may have led to this whether it is the fear of personal
performance in front of their peers, lack of instruction in these two creative
methods, lack of the musical skill needed to take on these tasks, or lack of
the technological skills to write a composition. Bauer discusses the exploratory stage of
improvisation as trying out sounds and that free improvisation activities help
students get comfortable at improvisational skills. As improvisation can be used to allow
students to understand notation; improve performance achievement; increase
sight-reading proficiency; and enhance aural skills (p. 66), I believe the exploratory stages of
improvisation can work hand-in-hand to help a student take risks and become
more fluent in musical composition.
Bauer writes that technology can be used to
help students become more acquainted with improvisation and composition
skills. Music teachers have an endless
amount of resources at their fingertips that can be loaded onto computers or
mobile devices. Bauer lists many of
these programs and applications such as Garage Band, Band-in-a-Box, SmartMusic,
or Pitch Painter (Creating Music). He
also lists technology such as commercial or teacher produced recordings and
electronic instruments as a way for students to explore music.
Because I
write this blog believing that exploratory improvisation can help students
become more fluent in composition, there are applications and software from
this reading and this week’s activities that I would like to take into my own
elementary and band classrooms so they may become more familiar with technology
and how to learn various musical skills as well as improvisation and
composition. I think my new MIDI keyboard
is a great plug-and-play tool that upper elementary and band students would
love to use on programs such as Garage Band and MuseScore. This tool would also be a great way to basic
recording software such as Studio One Prime and Reaper that allow MIDI
capabilities. For my younger elementary
students, I would like to see Pitch Painter and Creating Music utilized more
often in the classroom. Another great
tool that I got my hands on this summer is the “Wii Music” video game. After playing this there are multiple ways
for a students to improvise in music through this game. As I continue to work with my students and
they become more comfortable with the technological and musical skills needed
to write through exploratory, I would love to do interactive learning assignments
in whole-class, group, and individual settings using compositional software or
Garage Band. Doing these may open up opportunities
to do a technology recital.
Bauer,
W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating,
performing, and responding to music. [E-reader
version] New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hi Kris,
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry to hear that you have less class time with your students because I already think what I have is so little! I should be thankful. : )
In response to both your PLN post this week and your comment on my own post, I think a technology recital is a great idea. Performance is an important experience for students to have, but it is also important for performances to reflect student learning. I have so often said to many people who are less aware of what goes on in a music classroom, “there is so much more we do than sing!” Your idea of a technology recital seems to be a really effective way to address this problem. In order to have a process-based model that shows a more accurate picture of what goes on in elementary music, I have often toyed with the thought of informances instead of performances. In these parent-attended events, students would demonstrate the methods and tools they have used in music class to improve and develop a series of musical skills. As Bauer (2014) pointed out: “A reason for these perceptions of creativity as magical and mystical may be that many people experience only final creative products; they don’t witness the process used in developing those products” (p. 48). These informances would showcase the students’ process, which is, in many ways, much more impressive than the final product itself.
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.