So far, our Blogs have not gone very far (with one or two exceptions) in exploring the concepts of technology as applied to creating opportunities in making, teaching, and learning music. For one thing, as group we have no rhythm to our blogging, and there is virtually no evidence that we are reading each other's work. We are a small group, and it is relatively easy to visit all the blogs on a regular basis and to enter comments on each other's work. Of course, I would like to see this emerge as part of your own discovery process. For me, nothing is more deadly than requiring you to comment on at least three of your colleagues entries. All too often that is the value system that drives our activity: "Is this a requirement?"
So here I am, a participant with the rest of you in this blogging group. I have the same pressures on time, and the same doubts about what to blog about, and I find that few are really entering into the spirit of the process. Unless we are engaged as a group and as individuals, there is no chance that anything special will emerge from our quest.
If you think this is a class about Flash and Dreamweaver, then you are definitely missing the point. This is a class about process and engagement of ideas. Flash and Dreamweaver are implements of process, a means to an end. In a few years time, they will likely disappear and be replaced with new instruments of process, and if we have learned to see the changing technoscape, we will come to understand that it is not about "memorizing steps" as one of our colleagues has put it, but about discovering the concepts underlying a particular application.
It is somewhat similar to the idea of learning music by rote or by conceptualizing the content as phrase and musical ideas. Sitting with an instrument and playing the same thing over and over again has been shown to be counterproductive to developing musical understanding and expressive range. Musicians have a special opportunity to engage technology as creative expression. The processing of images and sound can draw upon our musical sensibilities of feelings and proportion. The authoring of websites can draw upon our musical sense of structure.
If you can imagine yourself doing something, you will be able to do it, because that is the process of bringing newness into the world. The exciting thing about music is that it is born out of the silence of the moment. As musicians we bring this music into being from the origins of its silence. The mind of imagination is the most potent force in the world. It is the source for creation of all that we experience.
2 comments:
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"If you think this class is about Flash and Dreamweaver, then you are definitely missing the point."
On the first day of class I asked what the class is about. The reply was “what would you like the class to be about?” This led me to believe that the contents of the course were not set in stone. It seemed abstruse at the moment but I had no idea that one month into the course I’ll feel like I’m taking a course on advanced blogging. Am I missing the point? I certainly hope so.
"Flash and Dreamweaver are implements of process, a means to an end. In a few years time, they will likely disappear and be replaced with new instruments of process, and if we have learned to see the changing technoscape, we will come to understand that it is not about “memorizing steps”… but about discovering the concepts underlying a particular application."
I already know that just memorizing steps isn't going to take me far in anything but how are we supposed to discover the concepts underneath Flash and Dreamweaver if we only brush the surface of these programs? We haven’t done enough in either to understand much. Of course these applications will be obsolete sooner or later but if we want to learn any concepts behind these applications, we better dig much deeper than what we’ve been doing. I think there’s a lot to be learned from actionscript. Here’a concept: a series of logical commands will let you be as creative as you want to be!
"Sitting with an instrument and playing the same thing over and over again has been shown to be counterproductive to developing musical understanding and expressive range."
Where was it “shown” exactly? If it’s really true then I'm really screwed! I do that all the time! The part that worries me most is that I think I’m growing musically! Sure I “process” images and sound and without a doubt “draw upon” my “musical sensibilities” and “feelings and proportion”. But how am I supposed to communicate all these things if I can’t play my instrument properly? Practice makes perfect and practice is repetition. I salute practicing and have a hard time believing any claim that playing the same thing over and over is shown counterproductive to my musicality. Like everything else it's more *how* than *what*.
The authoring of websites can draw upon our musical sense of structure.
Anything can. The world is full of symbols- it’s the artist’s job to make others pay attention to it.
If you can imagine yourself doing something, you will be able to do it.
I imagine myself making a very nice Flash website.
I, too, sort of feel like I'm taking a class on Advanced Blogging. When I registered, I was under the impression that this class was based on web design concepts specific to music and education, and blogging is a variation on that, but not one that I personally find enjoyable. I hope that we move on to a different concept in the coming weeks. I do see the merits of blogging as a connection, but I think that the frustrations that you are feeling about the rhythm/quality of our class blogs are likely the same results that would appear in a more professional blog setting.
This is not the first small group topic-specific online forum that I have been a part of. One of my flute teacher's students at a different school set up a flute class website for all of my teacher's students to discuss our experiences/get tips from the master. Since my teacher is such a revolutionary figure and has students all over the world, this was a cool idea. It started out promising, but ended up fizzling out after a couple months because there was little contribution.
It's challenging coming up with posts that are as thought provoking as I think you are envisioning, and my way of finding content to write about is looking to outside sources, like magazines and newspapers. I don't naturally think about how blogging ties to my life, but I do regularly make the effort to look for ways that I can positively contribute to the discussion and will continue to engage in every way that I can.
I wouldn't normally critique a class mid-semester out of fear of my grade being docked, but since I clearly am making an effort to write insightful posts and we are trying to reinvent the title and purpose for CAI, I imagine that you would probably welcome honest, eloquently worded feedback.
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