Children’s Musical Play

Description

Ann’s Fellowship was research-oriented, examining children’s musical play based on videogame playing and the influence of technology on children’s musical practices. According to Ann, several music researchers investigate musical play in informal settings, such as a playground or recess, but few researchers investigate how technology is changing these musical play activities. Ann used qualitative research methods to examine modern musical play, including interviews and videos of students interacting with different types of music technology, such as music-oriented video games.

The research led to new teaching methods, helping Ann educate her students and illustrating new ways future music educators can relate to young students and engage them through music.

It was career changing for me. I had this great team that was dedicated to help me do what I wanted. They pushed my thinking in ways that I hadn’t been thinking about previously.

Ann is still highly engaged with the TLT, particularly the Educational Gaming Commons (EGC). Ann has experience using games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band in her course, illustrating how video games can act as a motivator or gateway into the world of music for children. Recently, Ann worked with the EGC to integrate iPads into an Ensemble course, enabling students to collaboratively create music using a variety existing applications on the iPad. Local news station, WTAJ, aired a story about the course iEnsemble in early 2012. Ann, with the help of Education Technology Services, also produced a video to promote the course.

Additionally, Ann maintains a YouTube Channel for the course, where you can listen to some of the music the students create.

Cohort

2010

Focus Area

Student Engagement
Theme: Gamification