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- Volume 9, Issue 2, 2016
Journal of Music, Technology & Education - Volume 9, Issue 2, 2016
Volume 9, Issue 2, 2016
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Cantus: Construction and evaluation of a software solution for real-time vocal music training and musical intonation assessment
Authors: Manuel Pérez-Gil, Jesús Tejada, Remigi Morant and A. Pérez-González De MartosAbstractThe development of the ability to sing or play in tune is one of the most critical tasks in music training. In music education, melodic patterns are usually learned by imitative processes (modelling). Once modelled, pitch sounds are then associated to a representation according to a syllabic system such as the Guidonian system – or an arbitrary single syllable – or western graphic notation system symbols. From a didactic standpoint, few advances have been made in this area besides the use of audio-supported guides and existing software, which use a microphone to analyse the input and estimate the pitch or fundamental frequency of the given tone. However, these programmes lack the necessary analytical algorithm to provide the student with precise feedback on their execution; and also they do not provide adequate noise-robust solutions to minimize the student assessment error rate. The ongoing research discussed in this article focuses on Cantus, a new software solution expressly designed as an assessment and diagnosis tool for online training and assessment of vocal musical intonation at the initial stages of music education. Cantus software embodies the latest research on real-time analysis of audio stream, which permits the teacher to customize music training by means of recording patterns and embedding them into the programme. The study presented in this article includes the design, implementation and assessment of Cantus by music teachers. The pilot study for the software assessment includes a sample of 21 music teachers working at thirteen music schools in Valencia, Spain. These teachers worked with the software at their own pace for a week in order to evaluate it. Subsequently, a two-part questionnaire was filled in with (1) questions related to demographics, professional experience and the use of ITC; and (2) questions related to the software’s technical and didactic aspects. The questionnaire also included three open questions related to Cantus, namely advantages, issues and suggestions. The results show an excellent reception by teachers, who consider this software as a highly adequate music training tool at the initial stages of music education.
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Digitally mediated keyboard learning: Speed of mastery, level of retention and student perspectives
Authors: Radio Cremata and Bryan PowellAbstractIn this study, four different media were investigated regarding learning to play keyboard instruments on beginning level musical selections. Among these were Synthesia, eMedia, YouTube piano tutorials and standard Paper Notation. A sample of 564 beginning keyboard instrument students in grades 6–12 was measured on timed learning tasks to determine speed to mastery, level of retention and perspectives. Results indicated that Synthesia was more effective than the other three learning approaches at enabling students to quickly master beginning level songs and retain that information on a post-test seven days later. These data are potentially transformative in providing open access, efficient, relevant, personalized and effective music education experiences to greater numbers of students who might be marginalized.
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Revitalizing music teacher preparation with selected ‘Essential Conditions’
More LessAbstractThe widespread adoption of technology makes it necessary to extend technological resources to the classroom to best prepare students for long-term success. While technology can improve many facets of learning and teaching, music educators have generally been hesitant to incorporate technology to its full potential. Partnerships with professional organizations, such as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), can help music educators best reach students and achieve cultural relevancy in the digital age. Restructuring music education to integrate what ISTE calls ‘Essential Conditions’ of learning with technology, such as student-centred learning, equitable access and engaged communities, begins with undergraduate music education preparation. The purpose of this article is to identify the necessity of a synergism between music education and selected ISTE ‘Essential Conditions’ for technology-based learning, describe implications these selected conditions have on the current state of American undergraduate music education programmes, and provide recommendations for music teacher education.
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Introducing technology in Cypriot primary classroom music lessons: ‘I learnt using things in music I didn’t know existed’
More LessAbstractThis articles presents issues around the introduction and use of technology in primary music education with particular reference to a study set in Cyprus that looks at the change in teachers’ practices, thinking and concerns as they become more engaged with technology and use it more. It examines the availability and use of technology in music lessons, the development of creative thinking and teaching with technology and the elements that facilitate the introduction and use of technology in music lessons. The study examines the cases of ten primary music teachers in Cyprus and uses interviews, questionnaires, observations and teacher reflection. It was indicated that if encouraged and provided with the technology, education, support and training they need, teachers can overcome their hesitations and use technology in their lessons.
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BitBox!: A case study interface for teaching real-time adaptive music composition for video games
More LessAbstractReal-time adaptive music is now well-established as a popular medium, largely through its use in video game soundtracks. Commercial packages, such as fmod, make freely available the underlying technical methods for use in educational contexts, making adaptive music technologies accessible to students. Writing adaptive music, however, presents a significant learning challenge, not least because it requires a different mode of thought, and tutor and learner may have few mutual points of connection in discovering and understanding the musical drivers, relationships and structures in these works. This article discusses the creation of ‘BitBox!’, a gestural music interface designed to deconstruct and explain the component elements of adaptive composition through interactive play. The interface was displayed at the Dare Protoplay games exposition in Dundee in August 2014. The initial proof-of-concept study proved successful, suggesting possible refinements in design and a broader range of applications.
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Understanding sheet music as a medium to expand pedagogic practice
More LessAbstractIn the field of sound studies, a medium is the contingent network of recurring relations between people, practices, institutions and technologies. This article explores sheet music as a medium that can serve to expand the pedagogic practices typically pursued in music education. Understanding the medium of sheet music as a network also can encourage music educators to understand and critique how all practices are enmeshed in media. The theoretical perspective of expanded practices is then connected to two examples of classes exploring Beck’s sheet music project Song Reader: one, a class at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music (OTSFM); and, two, a project the author undertook with a graduate music education course. Eight specific practices are presented through these two examples: one, to incorporate sheet music into new media practices; two, to connect a local community of musicians to an online community; three, to move sheet music beyond face to face concerts; four, to note how audiences now routinely produce content consumed by artists; five, to connect sheet music to amateur music-making; six, to reclaim popular music for participatory music-making; seven, to invite music educators to participate in the larger renaissance of amateurism; and, eight, for educators to join in the joy exemplified by Song Reader.
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