For me, Music Technology is more than the intersection of music and technology. It is a window into the core cultural values of our society. Teaching provides an opportunity to bring those values into tangible, living space.
Learning Goals
This perspective motivates me as a teacher, where I target students learning along three primary dimensions:
- Concepts, theories & critical thinking
- Agency, autonomy & problem solving
- Creativity & aesthetic appreciation
Understanding the trends, concepts and theories that have driven the development of the field will allow students to think critically about the present and make meaningful intellectual contributions to contemporary academic questions. To work successfully in technology, students must have confidence in their ability to solve problems, and a sense of agency for what they make. This learning goal has important implications for them not just in their classes, but as they move forward in their professional careers. So often in design there is more than one solution, and success is dependent upon divergent solutions with unique aesthetic values. In my experience, creativity and aesthetic appreciation cultivate a deeper sense of meaning and value in students’ personal lives.
Methods
To develop an understanding of the concepts, theories & critical thinking ability, students critically analyze thought-provoking and high-impact articles through in-class discussion and writing. To develop agency, autonomy & problem solving, students fabricate new musical instruments for performance in a concert. To develop creativity & aesthetic appreciation, students learn about the major styles of contemporary computer music composition, performance & instrument design, and perform, present and write about self-designed instruments that reflect their personal aesthetics and creativity.
Experience
My teaching methods were developed through experiences as a teaching assistant at the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology (GTCMT). I am also inspired by the learning experiences I had as a student of the arts, science and humanities at The College of Wooster—a small liberal arts college that prioritized undergraduate education and research. These methods were also influenced by classes I took with leading researchers of music cognition & technology at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.
| Teaching Context | Learning Goal | Advisor(s) | Students | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design Thinking & Co-Design | Creativity & Aesthetic Appreciation | Emily B. Moore & Eric Guillory | Visually-Impaired High School | Summer 2019 |
| VIP – Brain Rhythm Group | Concepts, Theories & Critical Thinking | Gil Weinberg | Undergraduate | 2015-2018 |
| Live Multimedia Production | Agency, Autonomy & Problem Solving | Chris Moore | Undergraduate | Spring 2018 |
| Music Perception & Cognition | Concepts, Theories & Critical Thinking | Tim Hsu | Graduate & Undergraduate | Fall 2017 |
| Technology Ensemble | Agency, Autonomy & Problem Solving | Gil Weinberg | Graduate | Spring 2016 |
| Interactive Music | Creativity & Aesthetic Appreciation | Jason Freeman | Graduate | Spring 2015 |