Teaching with Technology

Solo performance can be a key factor in developing skills of musical expression, sensitivity, and style. It can bolster musical confidence by supplementing the ensemble experience. Instrumental solos are often performed with the assistance of musical accompaniment. The frequency of rehearsals between soloist and accompanist can critically affect the level of performance. Interaction between accompanist and soloist is necessary in the performance experience, but limited accompaniment availability sometimes inhibits this interactivity. The article examines the differences in performance quality ratings between instrumentalists who prepared solo music selections in three different conditions (with live accompaniment, with intelligent digital accompaniment and with no accompaniment). Participants were undergraduate instrumental music education majors who volunteered for the study. They were assigned a secondary wind instrument that they previously studied for a semester in group lesson. Each student received a solo piece with moderate difficulty and each piece gave students opportunities to display technical and expressive performance capabilities. For this study, technologically advanced accompaniment tools such as Smart Music and MIDI were used in their 6 week investigation. In the process of using the digital system, the students were able to control the tempo, select a certain section to practice separately, customize their accompaniment playback to maximize expressiveness, and even allowed the insertion of brief pauses for breathing or phrasing.

The Result

There was no significant difference in their performance as a final result. The only one big change was in rhythm. The group that practiced with digital accompaniment may have showed the low rating in interpretation, but is fair to assume that the expressive freedom cannot be musically achieved with “pre-recorded” (even with some manual changes) accompaniment. According to the study, the students’ reactions to the digital accompaniment were positive. Except for a very few negative comments, most of the students reacted very positively on the use of this digital tool. And most of the positive comments reflected the motivational aspects of using the accompaniment system for individual private practice. Nearly all students stated that it was fun to use and it made practicing more enjoyable. Other observations included the opinions that the accompaniment tool was helpful in establishing correct pitches and tempo, offered a good intonation check, and was relatively easy to learn to use. The students also said that it helped teach continuity in performance, helped players learn what the music should sound like as a whole, and offered the advantage of being able to play with accompaniment all the time. Results from this study showed that the use of accompaniment changes the practice task, and the study also suggests that performers need to focus on both forms of performance in their practice. The intelligent digital accompaniment system gave students a variety of opportunities to manipulate several parameters of performance. It may not be for everyone. Music teachers must determine methods that provide the best practice environment for the student soloist. It can motivate students to practice in a more musically engaging environment, yet still needs a careful pedagogical approach to use it.

Source: Deborah Sheldon, Sam Reese and John Grashel
Journal of Research in Music Education, 1999; 47;251