Carlyn Morenus is Keyboard Area Coordinator at Illinois State University. Dr. Morenus joined the ISU faculty in 1999 as Assistant Professor of Piano and Coordinator of Group Piano. While completing doctoral studies at The University of Texas at Austin from 1996-1999, she was an Assistant of gorup piano. From 1990-1995 Dr. Morenus served on the Vincennes University (Indiana) faculty as Assistant Professor of Piano, where she taught studio and group piano, organ, keyboard chamber music, and other music courses. In addition to numerous recitals at the university and around the city of Vincennes, she presented annual duo-piano recitals at Vincennes University and elsewhere in Indiana with California-based duo partner Marc Steiner. In addition to university teaching, Dr. Morenus has run independent piano studios in Austin, Texas and in her native Long Beach, California. She maintains an active performing schedule as a solo pianist, collaborative pianist and chamber musician. Dr. Morenus has embraced technology in both her teaching and her research. Her group piano students complete MIDI recording projects each semester; pedagogy students not only complete MIDI projects and do web-based research, but create their own websites. Dr. Morenus' university website includes examples of student projects in addition to MIDI files for all university group piano classes, MP3 files of her own concert performances, and links to group piano tutorials. Her dissertation research utilized the recording capabilities of the Yamaha Disklavier, in combination with computer analysis, to study advanced pianists' pedaling practices. Carlyn Morenus holds a D.M.A. in Piano Pedagogy from The University of Texas where her principal teachers were Martha Hilley, Sophia Gilmson and Lita Guerra. Influential teachers in music education included Robert Duke, John Geringer and Judith Jellison. She holds an M.M. in Applied Piano from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied with Howard Karp, and a B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Southern California, studying with Robert Ward. Other influential teachers have included Dorothy Judy Klein, Malcolm Hamilton and Jean Barr. Along with her piano activities, Dr. Morenus has continued her life-long interests in organ and singing. She has sung with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Roger Wagner Chorale, and is currently a member of the New Texas Festival Conspirare Choir and the Victoria Bach Festival Choir. Tours have included appearances around the United States and Brazil. Dr. Morenus has held church organist positions in California, Wisconsin, Indiana and Texas, and is currently a free-lance organist.
Carlyn Morenus
Department of Music
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois 61790
309.438.3470
cmorenus@oratmail.cfa.ilstu.edu
Technology has become, in a just a few years, a huge topic for those in the teaching profession. Electronic piano labs, of course, have been around for quite some time. The development of personal computers has brought with it an ever-increasing array of music programs. And the internet has created an explosion of information, recorded materials, software, learning and teaching options, and responsibilities that are new to our profession. Many different technological devices and strategies were discussed in the afternoon session centering on the question "What aspects of technology do you feel most compelled to include in your piano pedagogy program?" The discussions are summarized here.
All discussion groups agreed on the need to incorporate a variety of technology-related topics in pedagogy classes. Pedagogy students should be cautioned, however, that technologies should be used as tools, not as ends in themselves. Technology does not replace the teacher, but it can enhance the teacher's work. It is important for teachers to recognize the vast and constantly-increasing offerings of technology, and to be receptive to new possibilities.
Many specific types of technology were discussed. They can be broken down into a few general categories: group piano labs; digital instruments/sequencing equipment and other recording instruments; computer software and technology-centered courses; the internet; and other miscellaneous items.
Group Piano Labs
The group piano lab is not particularly new to us, though labs have certainly changed over the years. Today, some labs include computers at every keyboard; many have either add-on or built-in sequencers for the digital keyboards. The Key-Note Visualizer is a fixture in many labs across the country, though this may be rendered obsolete by the latest generation of digital pianos, such as the new Clavinovas, which have displays that can be projected to a TV monitor, allowing the teacher not only to show keyboard positions, but to demonstrate sequencing steps and other technological applications.
Currently available lab equipment allows teachers to use sequencers in group lessons, providing MIDI backgrounds and model performances; piano students can be assigned sequencing projects, either individually or in groups. This results in a generation of music students who will be prepared to work in the 21st century world.
Digital Instruments/Sequencing equipment and other recording media
Digital instruments do not replace acoustic pianos, but they serve many important and useful functions. For many people in today's society, a digital instrument is the only one they will ever own. Is it right, then, for us to refuse to teach those who play only digital keyboards? Does the recreational pianist really need an acoustic instrument?
These questions were raised in discussion, though not answered. These are questions that each teacher must consider when deciding who will or will not be accepted as a student, and in deciding how the student should be taught. It was generally felt that students should be given exposure to both digital and acoustic instruments, but that students should not be denied access to instruction for lack of an acoustic practice instrument.
Digital instruments and sequencers can be used beneficially in private instruction as well as in a group piano situation. Sequenced materials enhance a simple piece, aid in keeping a steady tempo, or provide concerto accompaniment. Digital pianos with built-in recording capabilities provide a useful method for recording a student's playing, and the student gets immediate and accurate playback, so that he/she can listen for balance, rhythm, tempo, musicality, pedaling, or any other element. We all know how difficult it is to hear our own playing accurately while we're playing; it's certainly harder for our students than for us. This frees them from that problem.
Other recording instruments, such as the Disklavier and other recording acoustic pianos, have the same capabilities for recording and playback of performances. Here there is the added opportunity to watch the keys or pedals move during playback, often very telling when dealing with such issues as evenness of tone, technical control, or use of pedal.
More traditional recording media, such as video and audio taping, were also mentioned.
Computer Software/Technology Courses
There are two categories of software with which pedagogy students should be familiar. There are many programs available to help students with note reading, music theory, ear training, basic music history, and simply to have fun using the music knowledge in their possession. Pedagogy students need to be aware of these resources as they contemplate setting up studios.
Pedagogy students also need to be familiar with software that they can use themselves. MIDI software such as Cakewalk, music notation software such as Sibelius, web authoring software such as Dreamweaver, and business software for operating a studio are all important applications for the current generation of teachers. Multi-media software such as Director for creating computer 'movies' may be too complex to learn within a pedagogy course, but finished products should be shown. Whether students are taught to use these programs as a part of pedagogy courses is negotiable, but the students certainly need to know about them.
'Computers in the Arts' and 'Introduction to Technology' courses are now being offered at many universities. Some universities also offer courses on specific software applications such as Dreamweaver or Director. These courses provide opportunities for pedagogy students to explore computer technology more deeply than the time constraints of a pedagogy course allows.
Degree programs such as Arts Technology and Music Technology are being developed at various universities around the country.
The Internet
The internet has exploded into our lives, putting the world quite literally at our fingertips. New possibilities develop practically on a daily basis, so we can hardly hope to teach our pedagogy students about everything that is on the web. What we can and should do is educate them to the possibilities of the web, teach them how to explore it, and also include cautionary notes. Anyone can put information on the web, so one must be on guard. "Is this really a reliable source?" should be a question often asked when surfing the net. Students also need to be educated about copyright implications for downloading/uploading music and other web materials.
All that aside, there are tremendous materials available to us via the internet. MIDI recordings for quick downloading or on-line play, and MP3 recordings of concert repertoire for quality sound reproduction, are available in abundance. The internet is being used for distance learning, as a virtual classroom, for research, for distance listening, for email or web-board courses, and for computer-assisted learning. Email keeps communication lines open between students and teacher. The teacher of the future -- and of the present -- will have a studio website. As pedagogy teachers, we should be sure our pedagogy students are aware of these resources, and know how to utilize them.
Miscellany
With all these technological resources, we have a responsibility to our pedagogy students to introduce them in our pedagogy classes. This can be done in a variety of ways. Guest speakers provide expert information on specific areas: a music store representative demonstrating the capabilities of the piano lab may educate teacher as well as students; a web designer can get students building their own websites in a single class period; students can give presentations about their own experiences with technology; projects can be assigned utilizing specific technological resources.
Technology should be considered when choosing piano method books as well. Many children's methods, as well as group piano textbooks, now offer MIDI disks, CDs, tapes, web support, or other enhancements. Some keyboard literature is written specifically for digital keyboards.
Technology may be useful in teaching students with disabilities. Tremendous possibilities exist for experimental research using computers, digital keyboards, and the Disklavier.
There is no longer any question about whether or not to include technology in pedagogy study. The challenge is deciding what to cover in classes, and what students must discover for themselves. Teaching an awareness and openness to new technological developments is the most important thing we can offer our students.
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