The use of technology in the classroom is a hot topic. Particularly in the field of music, tech can fundamentally reshape the whole nature of education; what it means and who it’s for. As such, controversy swirls around the use of technology in the context of music education. This panel discussion, filmed at Ableton Loop, explores what technology brings to the classroom and what it has taken away, as well as how it has transformed student musicians from performers to composers.
The panelists are Ethan Hein, Doctoral Fellow in Music Education at NYU, and an adjunct professor of music technology at NYU and Montclair State University, Melissa Uye-Parker, British songwriter, performer and educator based in London, Jack Schaedler, software developer at Ableton who has worked on Live, and most recently, Ableton's microsite for learning music fundamentals, and Dennis DeSantis, composer, sound designer, percussionist, and author, as well as the Head of Documentation for Ableton in Berlin.
Questions discussed include whether there’s a particular type of student who benefits from – or is hindered by – a technology-rich learning environment, and how to address such complexities in a classroom. The panelist also talk about interesting emerging technologies, and share ideas about how to best make use of music technology in your own teaching.