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digital culture

A Call for inclusion of Media Arts in the California Arts Standards

This post was updated on 8/27/16 with positive information about media arts being considered for inclusion in the California Arts Standards. The earlier post about media arts being excluded is no longer accurate. Update 8/27/16 I received the following information from my colleague Dain Olsen, who was the writing chair of the National Core Arts Standards: Media Arts Standards. Dain is currently Lead Teacher/Coordinator of Multimedia Academy, Belmont HS, LAUSD and Faculty member of Vermont College of Fine Arts, Master of Arts… Read More »A Call for inclusion of Media Arts in the California Arts Standards

Robotics to augment musical engagement?

A recent development out of Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology demonstrates how robotics can be used to augment live performance. However one feels about this type of technology and its connection to human performance, I find it helpful to think through these types of developments and imagine future scenarios that might relate to or impact music teaching and learning. I’ve written in the past about robots in relationship to music and musical engagement. More recently, in my article Reflecting on… Read More »Robotics to augment musical engagement?

CS For All: Creating music with code!

While science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is still a dominant paradigm in contemporary society, many people are engaging in STEAM (STEM with the arts included) in a robust manner. President Obama’s recent announcement of a Computer Science for All initiative (and $4 billion in funding) is an important development in STEM education as well as the potential for a larger presence of STEAM in instances where the arts might otherwise be absent.

CS For All and related initiatives provide music educators with an opportunity to take a lead role in identifying the potential for STEAM and substantive connections between music engagement, teaching, and learning and computer science.

Creating music with programming and code is just one approach to having people engage with aspects of STEAM and make connections to computer science. Read More »CS For All: Creating music with code!

Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms

Tobias, E. S., VanKlompenberg, A., & Reid, C. (2015). Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms. Mountain Lake Reader: Conversations On the Study and Practice of Music Teaching, 6, 94-110. My co-authored article with Abigail VanKlompenberg and Catherine Reid  Reflecting on Changes in Practice Through Integrating Participatory Culture in Our Classrooms is published in The Mountain Lake Reader (in varied formats thanks to the work of Janet Cape). The article is a result of a… Read More »Reflecting on changes in practice through integrating participatory culture in our classrooms

Perspectives on garageband and musical engagement?

The article Democracy of Sound: Is Gargageband Good for Music by Art Tavana is an interesting read. It’s also the type of article that could surely include the perspective of music educators, but does not. Coincidentally I had a very productive conversation with students in my Art of Teaching Contemporary Musicians course the other day about how music educators should consider the affordances and constraints of technology when situating them in teaching and learning contexts, another conversation with a music… Read More »Perspectives on garageband and musical engagement?