Music production is a language unto itself, involving literacies in multimedia and musical/sonic concepts, physical relationship with sound, collaboration with others, and harnessing the means of its creation to give rise to complex meaning.
With a Sound Arts Electronic Music program, rhythm, pitch, timbre, dynamic (volume), placement, and balance can all be controlled by the turning of knobs or sliding of faders, by electronic instruments transmitting data, and by recording and resampling sounds.
While this concept does not utilize traditional musical instruments and does not teach the classic fundamentals of music, it provides an accessible and potent creative musical experience. In addition, Sound Arts can increase student motivation to learn a traditional instrument and can also prepare a student for a number of music-based career paths.
Power Point Presentation
Please click here to view or download the presentation: Sound Arts
Why Teach Electronic Music?
According to a 2019 study of American high school music enrollment, only 24% of students choose music as an elective. One factor is that elementary schools with no music program are producing high school students with no training in the fundamentals of music, which makes them unable to participate at a high school level. This statistic of 76% not choosing music as an elective is postulated as being the result of traditional music departments and teaching being exclusionary to most students (Eurocentric, irrelevant, unrelatable).
Sound Arts creates an opportunity for Music Education for students who are either uninterested in studying music, or students who have no fundamental training in music. Students come in with a deep understanding of (pop) music, whether or not they have the tools to articulate that understanding, and the Sound Arts concept utilizes the tools that are already accessible to students: laptops and basic music tech software. A successful program requires a change from the teacher-led ensemble model to a creative workshop structure more closely resembling an Art Class.
Using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) for Music Education
Additional Resources:
- Complete Guide to Audio Terminology
- Teachers Trust TI:ME Guide
- How to Get Your Children Involved
- Kids Should Learn Techno Skills
- Educational Music for Kids
- Kids Music Production Intro (not a free resource)
- Authentic and Accessible Music Experiences for Secondary Students
We want to hear from you!
If you are a music educator offering Electronic Music to your students, we invite you to write to us to share your experiences and insights. Or if you have specific questions about the Sound Arts concept, please feel free to send us an email at soundarts@spiritofharmony.org