MaryKate Mandeville

Benjamin Guerrero

MUS 150

December 6, 2022

“Technology-Based Music Classes in High Schools” Scholarship Reflection

Richard J. Dammers’ article, “Technology-Based Music Classes in High Schools in the

United States” is highly informative on the matter of how technology has been recently

integrated into music curriculum and the challenges schools have faced when doing this. While

reading this article, I learned many things about music, music learning, and music education in

technology-based music classes at the high school level. In order to create a music technology

class, there are many components that must go into consideration from both an administrative

perspective and a teacher’s perspective. For example, administrators must consider the

socioeconomic status of the school district, the geographic location of the school district, and

whether or not they actually value adding a technology-based music class to their school’s

curriculum. From a teacher perspective, they must consider the curricular nature of the class, the

background required to teach the class, the software utilized in the class, and the support this

class would receive from the school district. After taking all of these concepts into

consideration, the school must decide a location where the class will be held. For example,

according to this article, some music technology classes take place in a lab, but many of them

share a space with the band, choir, or orchestra. Once this class has a meeting location, it then

must be added to the school’s curriculum. According to Dammers, it is exceptionally challenging

to add a single elective to a high school’s curriculum, and even then, normally only fifteen
students enroll in music technology classes each academic year. This article was very

informative, and I believe it is important for people to read this article if they wish to further

understand technology-based music classes at the high school level.

After reading Dammers’ article, my thinking and knowledge of technology-based music

classes at the high school level have changed greatly. Before I read this article, I did not know

that technology-based music classes were even held at the high school level. My high school did

not offer this course, so it had never crossed my mind that other high schools possibly offered

this course. These classes are designed for nontraditional music students (those not in band,

choir, or orchestra) with a lower socioeconomic status, yet about thirty one percent of the

students that take these classes are already in music performance classes. I was also unaware that

once created, music technology classes can be adapted for any student. Previously, I thought that

anyone in a technology-based music class needed to have the ability to read notes, but according

to Dammers, this is not true. For example, if a student has a piano playing background and is

able to read music, they can do a composition assignment on a notation software. If a student is

unable to read music, they are still able to do this same assignment, but rather than using a

notation software, this student would utilize graphic notation to complete their assignment.

Overall, after reading this article, my thinking, knowledge, and feelings towards technology-

based music classes has changed. Now that I know the amount of work it takes to create one of

these classes, who these classes are designed for, and that these classes can be adapted to include

any student, I have come to appreciate technology-based music classes much more than I did

before reading this article.

 Works Cited

Richard J. Dammers. "Technology-Based Music Classes in High schools in the United

States." Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 194, Fall 2012, pp.
73 - 90