(Thesis Proposal: Second draft)

Title

Modernizing Music Education: Where Are We & Where Are We Going?

--- A Review & Expectation of Music Education Technologies for Mainland China

Dafu Lai

Abstract

Music education technology is a new term in China, but it turned out to be popular from the past two decades. The development of music education technologies of China has gone through the "Pre-tech" era, the "Electronic time" and now heading the "Digital Time." Modernizing music education, i.e., the way that uses modern technologies, such as audio, video or multimedia equipments and computer music software for music education in order to enhance teaching and learning, is an old dream for a few music generations of China. After computer music and MIDI technology were introduced to China in the late 1980s, more and more people were involved in the field of music education technology. First in two biggest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, then to the other major cities of China, most music colleges or music departments in universities have built their computer music labs and began to offer technology-related courses in the past decade. The highly developing computer technologies, the popularity of internet, as well as the government’s promotion create the urgent needs of professions of music education technology. As a result, the Central Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Wuhan Conservatory of Music and some major higher music education institutes started to build their computer music major or relative programs, from bachelor to doctoral levels. A few music technology societies, such as Digital Music Academy of China (DEMA) and Electronic Music Association of China (EMAC) emerged in recent years. These networks provide excellent exchanging and developing opportunities to music educators and students. Besides, thousands of computer technicians and musicians are creating and developing Chinese version softwares at the same time when they are translating and introducing foreign softwares to China for music education purpose. Today, the new generation are growing in the internet age, and integrating technologies into music education become significant and its advantages became prominent than ever. So “Modernizing music education” is a trend of the new age and a big dream for pioneer music educators as well as the Chinese education authority. However, some problems still exist in the way of fulfilling this old dream: the limitation of technology knowledge, the disparities of urban cities and countryside, the poor public awareness of copyright and the reliability issue are all possible barriers in the way. Consequently, China’s music education is getting the way to high-tech using, increasingly networked and digital world, but still has a long wary to go before catching up the western developed countries. Several strategies for promoting music education technology are proposed at the end of this paper.

Outline

1.       A brief historical review: similar to the West, but came out later

• “Pre-tech” era: adopted music curriculum in public school since the 1910s. The musical instruments and tools were used: Erhu, bamboo flute, piano, accordion, pump organ, percussions and etc.
• The electronic time: First step of modernizing music education. ( used cassette recorder, video recorder, Television set, CD player, slide projector and the other technologies.)
• Digital time: the CAI based (use dominant computer-based and multimedia technologies such as stereo system, electric piano, synthesizer, MP3, VCD, DVD, MD player, and relative computer music software)

 2. Current overview: improved a lot and catching up the west

   <1> Dramatic Change: Mostly because of the economy reason, the development of music education technologies in China still lags behind the one in the Western world, but things are changing very quickly…

• Current figures of internet user: increasing dramatically. China has the second largest internet population of the world today, 111 million (Dec., 2005)

(Source: CNNIC Survey Report in Dec., 2005)

• The using of music education technologies at school: two extreme generations ---technophobia group versus new generation (computer fan)

                Technophobia group: anti-technologists, insist the ideas are more significant than tools

                New generation: music education won’t be improved without using modern technologies.

• Music education technology training for current and prospective music teacher at music institutes in China

The curriculum of music education technology for college level: usually include computer music basic, MIDI and CAI basic.

The common software used for music education in China

In order to get advanced technical support, some music institutes collaborate with the relative department (e.g. computer department) for their music technology program. e.g. Shanghai Normal University offered their first MA in Music Tech Program by a collaboration between Mathematic & Science College and Music College in 1999 .

The key music colleges in China that have technology or relative program

(Source from each institute’s website.)

<2> Governmental Action

 A. The governmental offered special funds for facilitating school and teacher’s training

• Real actions: e.g. building digital music lab, equipping schools with broadband, spread technology education, etc.
• Three steps of facilitating schools

             First step: piano and the other musical instruments

             Second step: tape recorder, television, DVD or VCD player, slide projector, etc.

             Third step: broadband, multimedia computer, overhead projector, stereo system, etc.

(Quote) The national education technology plan: start from 2001, the government will spend five to ten years to make IT education accessible for all schools, including all schools access internet, hardware facilitated and enhancing teacher’s education.

(Source: The Education Ministry of China: “The National Information Technology for Primary & Secondly School Education Conference” Nov., 2000)

 B. The new government policy: computer skills as a requirement for teacher’s promotion.

e.g. The repertoire of primary school teacher’s computer skills examination in Shanghai City: Windows system operation, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Using Internet Explorer & Outlook Express, Macromedia Flash basic, FrontPage basic (webpage design)

(Source: The Education Bureau of Shanghai City, 2004)  

<3> Social Action

  A. Social association advocate music education technology using Associations of music education technology in China:

Chinese Sharing Teaching Network (STN) Annual Conference hosted by DMEA, includes three fields: network music education, multimedia music education and digital music making.

1 st STN Nov. 2001 Nanjing Nanjing Arts Institute

2 nd STN Nov. 2002 Yantai, Yantai Normal University

3 rd STN: Aug. 2003 Lanzhou, North-West Teacher’s University

(Source: SCMA, DMEA & EMAC website)

B.      Social enterprise enhance music education technology using

• Software company: developing Chinese music software (the music software designed by the Chinese companies and used for music education, exclude the foreign imported software)

e. g. Notation software: Zuoqudashi (Master Composer), Jianpu, TT Composer. MIDI software: EyeSong

Hardware company (e.g. Zhongyin Company): promoting sales by giving free training for music teachers

3. Modernizing school music education

<1> the limitation of traditional way of music education

   Singing dominant in music class, depending on the piano too much, little music theory or listening, teacher center.

<2> the advantages of integrating technology into music education:

• Enhance teaching and learning: it’s creative, interactive, intuitive, flexible, visible, student-center based design, …
• Promote practice, extend learning outside of class. e.g. MP3 and online instruction

<3> the needs of innovation of the traditional way music education

• Student’s need: attract and arouse their curiosity and study interest. They are the largest group of new internet users

16.6% internet users are under 18 years old; 35.1% users are between 18-24 years old. More than half users in China are young people; 35.1% users are students. (CNNIC statistic, Dec., 2005)

• Educator’s need: technology enhances teaching efficiency, save time and resources
• Social need: knowledge updating quickly, people should catch up the time.

4. Problems of modernizing music education in China: how to apply for practice?

<1> An embarrassed barrier: the limitation of teacher’s computer knowledge

The CNNIC survey result 46.7% Non-computer person don’t use it due to lack of computer knowledge

<2> Even worse: the shortage of facilities and software

The CNNIC survey result: 19.1% Non-computer people in urban cities don’t use it due to lack of facilities

<3> Diversity: the disparities between urban cities and countryside, the east part and the west part of the country

<4> “Taking one’s book away is not stealing?” ---Copyright problem. 

• Unconsummated copyright law
• The poor public awareness of copyright

<5> How can I trust technologies? ---Reliability and security issue

If the system collapse down… a challenge for music education software and hardware

5. Catching up to the West --- the next step and future expectation

   What shall we do in order to catch up? ---Strategies for promoting music education technologies in China

<1> Promote public acceptance among educators

• Enhance teacher’s training for technology using in different ways.

For current teacher: continue education, short-term institute, online and distance training

For prospective teacher: integrate technology relative courses in music colleges

• Promote cross-major collaboration: e.g. Music & computer science

<2> Establish a national resource network for music educators: cross campus resource sharing system

• Create and standardize online resource libraries in all education institutions
• Make online resources more accessible to all students and educators

e.g. The website of “ Shanghai Jianpin Middle School ” ---the online resource for music education including following contents: Art works library (music and images), Education software library, Online Dictionary, Project library (both teacher and student’s), Online course, BBS, Research project library, etc. http://jpibm.edu.cn

<3> Promote online learning and distance education, make it as a compensation for remote and less-developed area

Web-based learning system: use protocol site and personal webpage

<4> Improve English education, translate more foreign software, introduce more foreign technologies, and borrow experience from developed countries

(Quote)

Sunzi (Ancient Chinese Strategist & philosopher): “Knowing both myself and competitor makes me never lose. "

Mao, Zedong (The first president of P.R. China): “Borrow ancient for today and bring the West for China. ”

<5> Develop and design more creative and easy-to-learn Chinese software for music educators and learners

e.g. WaveCN, Master Composer, Jianpu

“Teachers are teaching music, not teaching technologies.”

<6> Found more social organizations & associations of music education technology

e.g. building local chapter for DMEA, EMAC in different cities

<7> Improve school facilities and software updated, especially for the west part and countryside schools.

<8> Promote music copyright by law and governmental support

<9> Enhance website security

6. Conclusion

Where are we & where are we going?

An optimistic expectation “modernizing education” and “catching up the West” --- it’s no longer an old dream.

Compare to the 1.3 billion population of China, the 111 million internet users are only less than 10% of Chinese people. As the development of education and technologies, this portion becomes larger and will keep growing quickly in the coming years.

Definition of Terms

Modernizing music education: The way that uses modern technologies, such as audio, video or multimedia equipments and computer music software for music education, in order to enhance teaching and learning.

Music education technology : in general, music education technology can be any technologies used in music education. In this paper, it’s narrow meaning. It refers analog, digital audio, video and multimedia technologies that used in music education.

Digital time : compare with the industry time and electric time, digital time refers the contemporary age when the computer digital and technologies are widely used in our life.

Electric time: the time that people use electrical equipments to produce audio and video message via analog technologies.

Traditional means of music education: it means the education way with a teacher-center based, singing dominant method and without using modern education technologies.

Music copyright: the copyrights of all music publications and compositions. It means that the user should acquire written permission before using any music works which are protected by copyright law.

CNNIC Report : A semiyearly official national report for internet development which done by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).

DMEA: Digital Music Education Academy of China, a subsidiary social organization of Chinese Musician Association. It was founded in 2001 and focus more on music education technologies.

EMAC: Electronic Music Association of China, a subsidiary social organization of Chinese Musician Association. It was founded in 2003 and focus more on electronic and computer music.

STN: Chinese Sharing Teaching Network, an annual conference of DMEA. The first conference was in 2001, Nanjing.

Need for the Study

• Historical and current figures related to music education technology
• The concept of using music education technology
• The potential and current problems of using technology in music education
• A comparison of music education technology using in China and the other countries

Methodology

• Library research
• Online research
• Online survey
• Telephone interview and etc.

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Online resource:

China Internet Network Information Center (CINIC): http://www.cnnic.net.cn/

Digital Music Education Academy of China (DMEA) http://www.digimus.cn/

Electronic Music Association of China (EMAC) http://www.emac.net.cn/

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