Module 3 Reflection

Unabashedly, I am a strong proponent of teaching composition skills. I was excited to jump into composition pedagogy, and I was equally excited to see how technology can open more doors and enhance students' learning opportunities.

I truly enjoyed the readings this week, particularly the passage about how to be a successful composer-teacher (Bauer, 2014). Margaret Barrett lists several "best practices" of composer-teachers (2006), a type of teaching mold that at times I believe I can fit. Her steps to success seemed to be surrounded by structuring activities around the students being their own critics, fans, and editors. I agree that classroom activities geared around composition will be successful when students are empowered and encouraged to be able to praise their strengths and evaluate and improve their weaknesses. The avenues beyond music composition that these skills apply to is infinite, and thus I think there is great value in teaching composition. 

I enjoyed learning about (Schroeder, 2007) and toying with digital audio workstations during this module. Prior to this week, the only experience I've had with a DAW is Garageband, and the more I use it, the more I have become frustrated. Soundtrap provided an invigorating new way to compose. The technology provided an easy-to-use interface and informative tutorials, and I was quick to find success in using the program (an aspect of technology that in my experience is critical for students to see its value). The program immediately allowed me to get creative without bogging me down with too many music and audio vocabulary words or complicated interface deterrents. My biggest complaint is that the loop search engine could be expanded, and sorting options could be in place to see what loops and instruments are accessible with whatever subscription level you've purchased. Complaints aside, I really enjoyed working with the software. (Song link HERE.)

That being said, using Soundtrap still required a substantial amount of music-speak, and in order to use the MIDI instruments, you had to have proficient keyboard skills or a musical ear. In exploring Dr. Bauer's online book portal, I was immediately intrigued by applications such as Isle of Tune and Hookpad. Isle of Tune offers picture-based composition, creating musical compositions by designing a road (path) and adding sounds to it (texture). I loved the micro and macro levels of the software, almost as much as I loved how accessible it is to non-musicians. Hookpad produced a similar effect, though it does require more knowledge of music. What I enjoyed most is that it gives suggestions as to what musically makes sense. In this sense, both technologies provide a crutch to those who do not have developed theoretical knowledge like that of classically trained musicians.

Practically, I'll be conducting a Soundtrap experiment of my own in my spare time. At our previous concert, my students wrote the lyrics and assisted in composing the melody to a song that is a response to the struggles associated with pediatric cancer. With the raw vocal file in hand, I hope to create a performance-worthy accompaniment. My fear is that the tempo inconsistencies of live performance may hinder the workload, as I have experienced with Garageband in the past. But I am excited to try out new technologies and see how it can enhance the work and the education of my students!

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Barrett, Margaret (2006). ‘Creative collaboration’: an ‘eminence’ study of teaching and learning in music composition. Psychology in Music, 34(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735606061852

Bauer, William (2014). Music Learning Today. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Schroeder, Dave (Producer). (2007, March 2). What is a digital audio workstation?. Digital Audio Principles. Video retrieved from http://www.lynda.com