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Caleb
Warnar
Kari
K
Veblen
Music
1800
October
25,
2015
Tobias, E. S. (2014). From musical detectives to DJs: Expanding aural skills and analysis
through engaging popular music and culture. General Music Today, OnlineFirst, 1-5. doi:
10.1177/1048371314558293
This
article
addresses
how
music
culture
is
changing
over
time,
as
well
as
how
students
and
young
people
use
technology
as
part
of
their
practical
application
of
music.
Tobias
discusses
the
importance
of
broadening
music
education
beyond
just
classical
instruction,
and
in
turn
developing
aural
skills
and
forms
of
analysis
that
are
of
interest
to
students.
I
found
it
interesting
that
Tobias
suggested
the
possibility
of
school
music
programs
that
instruct
students
to
play
and
learn
music
without
using
standard
notation.
I
find
this
concept
to
be
both
very
abstract
and
practical.
I
have
found
that
in
most
forms
of
classical
education,
students
will
merely
play
just
what
is
on
the
page
and
do
not
necessarily
always
rely
on
their
ear
in
order
to
play
musically
beyond
the
page.
By
instructing
students
to
exclusively
use
their
ear
in
music,
I
believe
that
students
will
be
better
equipped
for
practical
music
experiences
outside
of
just
classical
music.
Examples
may
include
balancing
better
with
a
band,
jamming/improvising
at
a
gig.
Ultimately,
this
may
allow
for
bands/orchestras
to
more
easily
achieve
a
unified
sound,
which
is
a
sought
after
by
many
classical
ensembles.
Additionally,
when
students
are
forced
to
use
their
ear
they
no
longer
divide
their
concentration
between
reading
a
sheet
of
music
and
playing
their
part
musically.
It
was
surprising
to
learn
of
Tobias
perspective
on
DJs,
since
I
had
a
negative
pre-
conceived
idea
of
DJs
in
the
world
of
music.
According
to
Tobias,
DJs
are
responsible
for
gauging
the
musical
interest
of
the
crowd
and
responding
appropriately.
Also,
DJs
will
mix
and
layer
music
as
part
of
their
work.
While
I
realize
that
our
culture
primarily
listens
to
recorded
music,
I
personally
believe
that
DJ-ing
requires
very
little
skill
in
comparison
to
musicians
who
have
trained
all
of
their
life
on
a
particular
instrument.
However,
as
Tobias
describes,
DJ-ing
demands
a
totally
different
type
of
skill
than
live
performers.
I
have
also
found
the
topic
of
music
and
technology
to
be
both
fascinating
and
frustrating.
This
is
because
I
realize
the
musical
potential
that
technology
provides,
but
also
the
restrictions
that
it
places
on
students.
The
many
benefits
of
technology
in
music
include:
music
distribution,
recording,
and
editing.
However,
I
think
that
pre-recorded
music,
such
as
music
played
by
DJs,
is
very
automatic
and
demands
little
skill
in
a
performance
setting.
My
only
caution
is
that
if
Dj-ing
(or
pre-recorded
music)
is
integrated
into
the
school
system,
it
may
actually
hinder
some
aspects
of
creativity.
This
is
because
most
DJ-ing
actually
just
involves
playing
or
sampling
music
composed
by
others.
Also,
I
find
that
when
music
is
only
made
through
a
computer,
the
music
will
often
sound
less
human
with
less
dynamic,
improvisational,
and
personal
elements
inside
the
music
itself.
Overall, I found most of Tobias suggestions regarding new forms of music education
surrounding
technology
to
be
very
practical
and
useful.
While
I
agree
with
many
of
his
suggestions,
I
also
think
that
his
objective
to
broaden
education
beyond
classical
music
is
taken
to
the
extreme.
Most
of
his
suggestions
actually
rely
heavily
on
aspects
of
classical
music,
whether
it
is
musical
knowledge
in
general
or
musical
technique.
Even
some
of
the
most
successful
DJs
in
the
world,
such
as
ZEDD,
are
classically
trained.
I
fear
that
with
the
growth
of
digital
and
processed
music,
there
will
be
less
need
for
live
musicians
over
time.
It
is
critical
to
realize
that
if
new
forms
of
music
are
introduced
into
the
education
system,
classical
instruction
must
not
be
eliminated
or
diminished
in
any
way.