Dalcroze meets technology: integrating music, movement and visuals with the Music Paint Machine. (15th March 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nijs, Luc
• Is Part Of: Music education research. Volume 20:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 163
• Page End: 183
• Publication Date: 2018-03-15
• Subjects: Instrumental music education -- interactive technologies -- Dalcroze approach; Music -- Instruction and study -- Periodicals; Music -- Instruction and study -- Research -- Periodicals; Musique -- Étude et enseignement -- Périodiques; Musique -- Étude et enseignement -- Recherche -- Périodiques; 780.72
• DOI: 10.1080/14613808.2017.1312323
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-3808

Abstract

ABSTRACT: New interactive music educational technologies are often seen as a 'force of change', introducing new approaches that address the shortcomings (e.g. score-based, teacher-centred and disembodied) of the so-called traditional teaching approaches. And yet, despite the growing belief in their educational potential, these new technologies have been problematised with regard to their design, reception, implementation and evaluation. A possible way to optimise the realisation of the educational potential of interactive music educational technologies is to connect their use to music educational approaches that stood the test of time and as such may inspire technologies to become a bridge between tradition and innovation. This article describes an educational technology (the Music Paint Machine) that integrates the creative use of movement and visualisation to support instrumental music teaching and learning. Next, it connects this application to such an established music educational method, the Dalcroze approach. Through the lens of a set of interconnected aspects, it is shown how the Music Paint Machine's conceptual design aligns to the underlying principles of this approach. In this way, it is argued that integrating Dalcroze-inspired practices is a plausible way of realising the didactic potential of the system. An appendix with example exercises is provided.