This semester has been a huge learning curve in terms of developing an understanding of music technologies, and I have really only just touched the surface. I managed to get through the first year of my MTeach without delving much into the technology side, as the focus of my studies was more curriculum-based. I realise now how deeply lacking my skills and knowledge of music technologies have been.
I amused myself by going back to the old Conservatorium handbooks from my undergraduate days to see what exactly I learnt in my Music Technology class in 1998. All I remember is learning how to use Finale, and some basic MIDI stuff, all of which is vague in my mind.
Here is the blurb for the Music Technology class from 1998-2000 (and the Technology in Music Education class for 1998): “The aim of this course is to give students proficiency in key areas of music technology. Students will be introduced to the Internet and gain experience on the world wide Web, with a particular focus on current music resources. Several music notation programs will be considered, and students will learn to use Finale, perhaps the most common software package. The MIDI protocol will be studied, with particular reference to the sequencing program Cubase”.
Interestingly, the students in the Music Education stream received a slightly more progressive version of the course from 1999. Here is the blurb for the Technology in Music Education class for 1999: “The unit further examines areas of music technology relevant to musicians with an interest in Music Education. The class will explore digital sampling and the manipulation of soundfiles on a computer, particularly in the environment of the Cubase VST software package. Students will be introduced to the recording studio, using mixing desks, effects units, DAT machines and so on. The MIDI protocol will be studied in greater depth, with particular attention to external synthesis units and samplers, and alternative MIDI controllers such as the MIDI drum kit and Disklavier piano. Finally, strategies to incorporate music technology into a school teaching program will be discussed.”
The general Music Technology class did not broaden out its content until 2001/2002. Here is the 2002 blurb: “The aim of this unit is to give students proficiency in key areas of music technology. The MIDI protocol will be studied and key soundfile formats examined. Students will develop studio techniques using the mixing desk, microphones, effects units and so on, and gain experience manipulating digital audio to develop an understanding of current recording and composition practices.”
The expansion of teaching content in the Music Technology units through the beginning of the 21st century reflected the development of digital music technologies, though there is a small lag between the advent of the technology, and its incorporation into courses which train musicians and music educators. The development of the early Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) throughout the nineties, has particularly revolutionised the music production industry. Early sequencers, like Logic and Cubase, controlled external MIDI devices but were limited in overall functionality. Multi-track digital audio recording and editing capabilities existed in rudimentary forms from the early nineties. Then in 1996, the VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plugin specification for effects was introduced in the newly released version of Cubase. This was followed three years later by the virtual instrument specification (VSTi). With these advancements, producers could now mix within these early DAWs without the need for outboard gear. Thus the “basic blueprint and functionality [for the DAW] had been set by the close of the ‘90s, changing the way in which music could be recorded forever” (Mixdown). DAWs have continued to evolve in the last 20 years and have heavily impacted the way we listen to, compose, perform, record and produce music. Nowadays, “anyone can record and mix high quality audio in their home studio” (Mixdown).
Well, anyone with the knowhow. It seems I missed the boat. Actually, I never had a reason to get on the boat in the first place. My 1998 Music Technology class was a little premature to be able to teach me techniques like digital sampling or sound manipulation. Since my undergrad days, my music activities have involved teaching piano, accompaniment and tutoring choirs, while I focused on raising my 3 children. None of these activities required knowledge of, or skills in, music technologies, beyond plugging in a keyboard or connecting to a speaker. I even despised digital pianos, as I could not achieve touch and tonal control in the way that I could on an acoustic piano. Anything additional in the technological realm was always taken care of by an expert. It was outside my role. I also relied a lot on my husband who is technologically savvy. Even during Covid restrictions last year, when we frequently needed to record videos of performances and teaching which could not be presented live, I left my husband to set up the mic, audio interface, and computer software, as the setup was too complex for me to grasp quickly and easily.
This year has been a turning point for me. The music world today is vastly different from the music world I grew up in, and to survive I need to become technologically literate. The easy access of recording, editing and mixing technologies in the form of DAWs means that music production is in the realm of the everyday musician. Formal study in music theory, composition, performance or sound engineering, whilst desirable, is not essential to be able to make and create music and even produce a finished track. This is the music world in which the current generation is growing up, and the ramifications for classroom music are significant. My role as a music educator is ever expanding, and it is time for me to embrace the music technologies that will inevitably shape the way I teach music.
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