Instructional Technology
How are your students creating music?
In your lessons, do you use GarageBand?
Ableton?
LogicPro?
Do you use laptops?
Desktops?
Tablets?
Do you use digital keyboards?
Pianos that record?
Electronica…stuff?
Are your students sharing their music via YouTube?
AudioMack?
Tidal?
MixCloud?
Instructional technology consists of the hardware and software you use when teaching.
Most piano instructors use the piano, some sheet music, and maybe a tablet to pull up samples and such. In a couple of live lessons here, I used GarageBand, Spotify, YouTube, my Macbook Pro, my cellphone, and a tablet.
One of the best ways to expand your knowledge regarding technology is to ask your students:
How are you finding new artists? and How are you creating music?
This process changes all the time as technology develops, as world events force a change in music creation and consumption, and as society expands.
You’re not behind if you have no idea what any of these are. You simply need to ask your students, and most are happy to share their knowledge with you as you have shared yours with them over time.
The way I create music is very different from the way my youngest son (the musician) creates music. By the time he was in high school, he was in band in school, he was participating in the Ypsilanti Youth Orchestra, and was playing in a band with all online members scattered around the world. He went from playing the saxophone to the piano to the guitar.
Astonishing how quickly he took to it all.
He had no issues downloading apps to mimic songwriters, or to learn chords, or to hear different versions of the same song.
That kind of hunger to learn and immerse oneself is intoxicating. I’m not at all objective about him, but for sure one of the most incredible moments of my life is being on stage at the piano, and looking over my shoulder to see him performing with me. He taught me a lot about busting through creative limits by using all of the tools at our disposal.
Me and my son at the Willis Recording Studio in Willis, Michigan
As teachers we sometimes lose that enthusiasm in favor of “what works”. Best practices and all.
But it is valuable to ask your students, How are you finding new artists? and How are you creating music?, because your teaching will expand. Your knowledge base will grow. And it shows up in the music as well as the studio or classroom.
We teach this.
Contact us today at 313.687.4433 for information regarding teacher training, curriculum writing, and lessons. You can also email us at Lessons@ThePianoInstructor.net.
