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Volume 16, Issue 1-2
  • ISSN: 1752-7066
  • E-ISSN: 1752-7074

Abstract

The synthesizer, initially conceived as a hardware analogue instrument, has undergone profound transformations in recent decades. Today, it exists in various forms including digital hardware synthesizers, software synthesizers, VST plugins and programming languages dedicated to audio. This article presents a comprehensive review of academic publications exploring synthesizers in music education. To identify relevant publications in this study, a systematic search was conducted across three databases: Web of Science, Scopus and ERIC. A snowball review technique was employed to identify pertinent publications, resulting in a final set of articles of 27 works. Thematic analysis was utilized for data analysis, leading to the identification of three general themes: (1) the synthesizer’s broad spectrum of affordances; (2) there are two main approaches to teaching the synthesizer – and – and (3) the synthesizer is a highly valuable medium for creative expression. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for music education and emphasizing the significance of synthesizers within the contemporary musical landscape.

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2024-12-31
2025-03-15
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/content/journals/10.1386/jmte_00063_1
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The synthesizer in the music education research: A snowball review
Journal of Music, Technology & Education 16, 119 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1386/jmte_00063_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jmte_00063_1
/content/journals/10.1386/jmte_00063_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): education; electronic music; literature review; music technology; sound synthesis; synthesizer

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