"Playing in The Digital Studio" summary and response

Hein, E. (2017). Playing in the digital studio. In S. A. Ruthmannm & R. Mantie (Eds.). Oxford Handbook of Technology and Music Education (pp. 383-395). New York: Oxford University Press.

The article begins by discussing how technology has allowed a new platform and method of creating new music and ideas. Providing creative musical experiences is now much more accessible to a wider group of people. However, technology is not always used effectively in the music classroom. Sometimes teachers do activities that are the equivalent of worksheets that don't allow students to be engaged and creative. According to the article, they teach the kids about music without actually engaging the students in the music making process. It can be more effective if the music classroom embraces music from popular culture around the world. The author discusses how he encountered a variety of genres of music from outside the classroom. One view of the purpose of teaching music in schools is to provide gratification and satisfaction for the people engaged in the musicking and the listeners. With digital music it can be easier to improvise, compose new ideas, and give students the tools to be musically and creatively independent. 

Reading this article I feel like I had many similar musical experiences in my music education.  Music has always been meaningful to me in my personal life. My family is musically inclined and jamming with classical music, bluegrass, or any other genre is a frequent occurrence when we're all together. That's also how I was exposed to genres other than classical. As a future music educator, I think it is important to incorporate different genres and methods of musicking. Digital music technology seems like a good platform to do that. I feel like I missed out on gaining creative confidence in my music education. By using digital technology, it is a safe space for students to be engaged and create their own new ideas. I think that when students are engaged in creating something that is meaningful to them it provides a sense of gratification. This is how music can, according to the author, "make life more bearable" and be a "powerful weapon against depression". 

What are ways that teachers can effectively take pedagogical risks and introduce students to new ways of learning?

How can a teacher build "flexible educational environments" and meet the creative needs for individual students in classrooms with large amounts of students?