Cecilian Music Club Presents Technology and Education Discussion

How has music technology
impacted music education? That's the question Patrice DeVincentis,
Professor of Music Technology at Bergen County Community College,
asked the Music Hour audience on Friday, June 8th, 2018,
at Freehold Music Center. She asked us to consider that technology
includes the invention of the microphone, the use of electricity, and
the invention of the multi-track tape recorder. While we all agreed
on the benefits of these technologies, she next turned to sound
engineering in music education.

Any student with a DAW
can produce and arrange music. What is a DAW? It's a digital audio
workstation which consists of a laptop or iPad with software, an
amplifier, and a MIDI interface. The software allows the laptop or
iPad to work with the interface to convert audio signals into digital
ones and send the signals to a monitoring device like headphones or
speakers. This allows the user to manipulate the sound in many
different ways.

This technology
democratizes sound engineering – any music students with these
components can generate and edit electronic music. And students who
have never learned to read music can create music. And the downside?
Well. . . students who have never learned to read music can create
music. Are we “dumbing down” the ability to produce music? Or are
we opening up the field to students who would otherwise find music
inaccessible? So many interesting questions were raised that we all
agreed we need to hold another session to discuss this topic further.

Patrice DeVincentis is a
professional keyboardist, specializing in the production of
contemporary music. She has maintained a successful production studio
for over 25 years. She has produced 2 albums for Jazzical Records,
and has toured with the Wall, Shaman, and other club bands. You can
email her at sncsurgery@aol.com,
and visit her website at www.sonicsurgery.com.

Alan Wasserman's Music
Hours, sponsored by the Cecilian Music Club, are free and open to the
public. A different musical topic is picked for each session, and
ideas are discussed in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The Cecilian
Music Club, founded in 1883, is an organization of teachers,
performers, and music lovers dedicated to the study and performance
of classical music. For more information, or to become a member,
visit our website at cecilianclub.org.