XArt Online Journal

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Many of the articles on this site by Andrew R Brown are availible in revised versions in the book:
"Computers and Music Education: Amplifying Musicianship"
New York, Routledge, 2007.

Issue 7.  December 2001.

7.1:

Unselfconscious Motion: Educating musicians to excel in the Creative Industries in the first quarter of the twenty-first century.

Dr Steve Dillon 

Unselfconscious motion is the term coined here to describe the seamless movement of 21st century music makers between time, space, media and context. The paper draws from current long termed doctoral research into the meaning of music and a colloquium of artist educators and discusses a need conceptualisation of skill and meta skill development and expanded notions of musical form and educational constructs. The paper argues that the needs of the Creative Industries require meaningful engagements with artistic products that communicate and express something to our community and for the community, ground students in real world music making experience and push the boundaries of musical knowledge. A framework and philosophy of curriculum is described and supported by evidence drawn form the case study and the musical life of the author as example of a musicians work in the 21st century. Through this process it is argued that the key to educating musicians for excellence in the twenty first century hinges on a reflective and dynamic curricular that is reverent to community, critical and reflective of its past, present and future and that continually seeks to extend the boundaries of expressiveness.

 

Issue 6.  June 2000.

6.1:

Why use music technology in the classroom. 

Karen Henderson

As music educators, we have a responsibility to present to students different ways of viewing the world of music. The potential of music technology is to allow exploration of new areas of music both in a mechanical and creative sense. With the increasing penetration of technology into all fields, music software developers have become today's instrument makers and are no less part of the creative process. This process of building the tools of music technology is proceeding at a growing pace, so it is an opportunity for teachers to catch onto this wave and harness some of its creative power to ignite the spark of enthusiasm in their charges. This article explores some of the ways this is possible.

6.2:

The Computer or Digital Appliance? 

Andrew R. Brown

Not everyone likes using computers. Come to think of it very few people do, most simply put up with it. We need to rediscover dedicated digital music appliances as an alternative to beige boxes. In this article Andrew argues that despite the proliferation of personal computers in music education, we should not loose sight of the benefits of dedicated hardware - even if it seems less cost effective in the short term.

 

Issue 5.  March 1999.

5.1:

The teacher as builder of music learning contexts. 

Steven C. Dillon

This paper examines the role of the teacher in constructing meaningful learning experiences for students of music in the classroom. Utilising data drawn from a larger doctoral participant-observation-case-study, the research discusses the role of the teacher as 'builder' and interpreter of context, experience and reflection. It argues that the teacher can facilitate both analytic and intuitive concepts in music through attention to the process as a system of context, experience, perception in and upon action, and structured reflection. It is proposed, that the multiple role of the classroom teacher; is to act as 'gateway' to deeper musical experience in ensembles and studio learning, to provide access to a variety of musical experiences and to unify the understanding of music learning through reflection. The paper utilises both conceptual data drawn from literature, narratives, interviews and observations of students and teachers involved in making music.

5.2:

Music Technology - The Broader Issues 

Bradley Merrick

This article emphasises that contexts of learning are relevant to the individual musical development of our students, and that Music Technologies are an exciting medium as pat of that context which provide the flexibility to cater for the differentiated needs of the students, providing them with worthwhile and motivational learning experiences. I argue that through the development of better technology based teaching practice, educators will also develop a higher level of technology based self efficacy within the profession.


Issue 4.  October 1998.

4.1:

An Introduction to Music Analysis with Computer

4.2:

The Student as Maker: A case study analysis of the meaning attached to early childhood musical encounters.

Steven C. Dillon

This paper examines the meanings and contexts of early childhood music experience. The research draws its themes primarily from thirty interviews with students and teachers in a participant-observation-case-study that formed part of a larger doctoral study. Participants were asked about their first remembered music experience and music life story, and the data is primarily retrospective reflections on those experiences. The intention was to explore the meaning now given to those experiences by the individuals and their views on the processes that they experienced. The paper examines early childhood music experience with particular reference to the contexts of family, studio, instrumental music teachers and pre secondary school institutionalised music learning such as choirs, bands and primary school music.

The paper suggests that the meaning of music is located in three primary areas of the child's life: the personal, interpersonal or social, and universal, which is defined as what music brings to the child's perception of self, and of others perception of them.


Issue 3.  May 1998.
 

3.1:

Co-operative learning with computers 

 

 

3.2:

Histories and directions of music technology

 


Issue 2. December 1997.
 

2.1:

The Internet and Music Research in Education

 

 

2.2:

The Synthesizer: Education's electronic xylophone?

 


Issue 1. July 1997.
 

1.1:

The student as maker: A narrative for a pragmatist aesthetic

 

 

1.2:

Changing Technologies, Changing Minds: Taking account of music technologies in the curriculum

 


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