Conference Paper
The Music Technology Ensemble: An Approach to Implementing Problem-Based Learning for Newcomers in Audio Education
AES Conference: AES 2023 International Conference on Audio Education · Paper 10 · September 2023
Abstract
Inspired by multi-hyphenate artists in the commercial audio industry, it has become increasingly common for students to begin their academic journey in audio education with an eagerness to explore tools that combine compo-sition, performance, and fixed-media production experiences into a single process. To match these expectations, curriculum centered on group creative projects and problem-based learning approaches to using real-time computer music platforms has been explored to provide a more immediate pathway to artistic expression while learning fundamental techniques in digital audio.
As a parallel approach, the author proposes the adoption of music technology-focused ensembles into the standard audio education curriculum as an additional method of supporting students’ initial curiosity about music production skills inside a less rigid classroom and assessment structure. A case study in the author’s formation of a music technology ensemble at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley—aimed at introductory audio education students with various levels of performance and composition experience—, this article provides an overview of the group’s success in fostering collaborative experiences in composition, interactive performance with technology, and strengthening of techniques learned in fundamental of audio courses inside of an ensemble setting. Information on the course structure, group exercises in collaborative listening and improvisation, and a detailed look at the software/hardware systems used as instruments to showcase how ensembles of a similar nature can be established at other schools and community centers.
