I am currently leading a project to develop connected learning playlists focused on music. The Sound Explorations: Creating, Expressing, Improving Communities project is an awardee of the 6th Digital and Media Learning Competition, with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
Sound Explorations: Creating, Expressing, and Improving Communities, connects pre-service and in-service music educators, teaching artists, community youth organizations, and youth to create a set of six interconnected learning playlists with multiple learning pathways around the following themes:
- Building instruments and interfaces
- Coding and programming music
- Connecting music and culture
- Jamming: Solo and Groups
- Making beats
- Producing music
Learning experiences will emphasize creativity and self-expression while fostering musical inquiry, deepening musical skills and understandings, and strengthening participants’ sense of selves as musical people who make a difference in their communities and society.
I am excited about the collaborations taking place throughout the project. Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education partners are serving on design teams and we are partnering with NYU’s MusEdLab and consultants ranging from Beats by Girls and Today’s Future Sound to individual content experts. There are opportunities for anyone with an interest to provide their perspectives and even pilot test the learning experiences and playlists we design.
Each playlist will merge:
- Robust foundations of pedagogy and curriculum supporting musicianship and musical inquiry developed in K-12 music programs
- Diverse interest-based aspects of after school programs
- Support for personal and social growth in community youth programs
I recently had the pleasure to discuss opportunities, challenges, and issues around connected learning and music education in relation to the Sound Explorations project with Paul Allison and Christina Cantrill from the National Writing Project on EdTechTalk’s Teachers Teaching Teachers livestream. You can watch a recording of the conversation below:
You can stay up to date with developments on this part of the Consortium for Innovation and Transformation in Music Education site.
Get in touch if you would like to be involved!
Consider taking part in this survey to contribute to the project (there are questions that allow you to register your interest in being involved):
If you are interested in pilot testing some of the learning experiences or playlists, fill out the survey below: