Tobias,E.S.(2013).

Towardconvergence:Adaptingmusiceducationtocontemporary
societyandparticipatoryculture.MusicEducatorsJournal,99(4),2936.doi:
10.1177/0027432113483318
In this article Tobias (2013) does an outstanding job of not only
discussing, but also outlining solutions for balancing the musical
interests of students and traditional music education in the classroom.
There is a table in the article that discusses how todays youth engage
with music and outlines each of the examples (creating covers,
parodies and remixes.) The nice thing about this article is it does not
diminish the importance of classical training, but encourages applying
these more contemporary practices to classical music. This is not only
engaging for the students involved, but also teaches them necessary
musicianship skills and about the rich history of Western Art Music. As
a classically trained musician, this appeals to me. I find it frustrating to
think that people are trying to move away from classical training in the
classroom for a more popular music approach. This is not how I was
educated, so however unpopular this opinion might be, that is not how
I would educate my students.
To that end, I understand that not everyone wants to become a
classically trained musician and that we need to find effective ways to
make music education more relevant to students. I think that Tobias
(2013) makes an excellent argument that convergence is the way to
go. When talking about convergence, it is suggested that we lower the
barriers to artistic expression and encourage informal mentorship and
social connection in the classroom. Even before reformation, all of
these things can be applied to the traditional curriculum and would
already improve the students outlook on music education. It is also

suggested that we should be more concerned with how people engage

with music rather than if they do or not.
To encourage integration of both pop and art music into the
classroom, teachers may choose arrangements of popular music for
band, along with traditional repertoire. Another way that people
interact with music is by remixing songs. The Berlin and Brooklyn
Philharmonics offer remix contests of Mahlers 1st and Beethovens 9th
symphonies, which further bridges the gap between popular and art
music.
Convergence is not limited to genres of music, but can be looked
at in terms of technology too. Old forms of technology, such as T.V.,
radio and books are being experienced via new forms of technology
like the Internet, tablets and computers. When the old and the new
technology meet, students have access to more creative outlets and
more sources of information to enrich their education. Tobias (2013) is
looking for a balance in music education. I do not believe he wishes to
abolish classical training, or keep things exactly the same, but he
recognizes that change is necessary right now. He suggests that
students and teachers work together to merge two worlds of culture
and technology to create an optimal learning environment for students
today.