COLLABORATIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC

KEITH A. BROWN
For practicum this semester, I assisted with the On The Road:
Collaborative Electronic Music class at Harrisonburg High School
on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30. I helped students make tracks in
Ableton, where they created original content or added new
layers to pre-existing pieces of music. The students will then
present their products at a festival hosted by Harrisonburg HS.

Professional Knowledge: Learning Environment:

The students had knowledge that they could use Ableton to create music, but
were not entirely sure how to at the beginning of the semester. As I had limited
experience with Ableton myself, I was in a similar position. Thus, I had to take
time outside of class to develop my proficiency and build my skillset with it on
my own. Through this, I was able to teach them new skills that I learned in
Ableton. These include adding triplet grids for swung effects, adding additional
layers of melody/harmony/percussion, and adjusting the tuning and balance of
the track. From here they were able to come to a deeper understanding of the
different factors that go into writing songs and what makes certain tracks
unique. In addition, I came to understand that changing even just a single
miniscule factor in a track can have a significant impact on the structure and
style of the overall product.
NAFMEC conference reflection, shows how professional knowledge is applied:
https://ka3brown97.weebly.com/engagement/nafmec-conference
Assessment reflection, further showcasing research on professional knowledge:
https://ka3brown97.weebly.com/engagement/pre-service-music-educators-
perspectives-on-large-ensemble-assessment
The learning environment in which I was placed was a unique one. It was an
afterschool program, and students would show up rather sporadically. There
weren’t more than about ten kids total in the program, and no more than
five ever showed up on any given day. I knew that inconsistent attendance
could potentially be troublesome for productivity. Despite this, the students
were really engaged when they came in and worked, and created some
really creative products. They came in and bounced ideas off one another
and shared concepts so that their overall products would be of a higher
quality. They were also open to asking questions and seeing what I thought
or how I could help them out. Because of this, I was able to fill in gaps for
some students that had missed out on some instructional time. I now
understand that students’ curiosity and willingness to create can really be
the driving force behind a project.
My projected education map, which predicts the learning environment in
which I will be situated in the future:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7cBKQxXUCqAx7WrxjhgeQrSMdE13TlEI
RcNNDfRqX7jVAwxjWtZZ2s_-NFK5StPZQmz0jXFpcuQ=w1349-h625
New Horizons Band reflection, where I taught in a different environment:
https://ka3brown97.weebly.com/engagement/new-horizons-band

Pedagogical Principles
• Teachers should guide students towards the right answer instead of giving it away
• When students have control of their education, they will accomplish greatness
• Teachers must be proficient at both classroom and individual instruction
• Both teachers and students should take maximum advantage of the classroom and
other resources at their disposal in order to enrich the learning experience
Instructional Delivery:
There were many times I was called upon to give instructional delivery to the
students. They would often ask me how to get to a certain screen, or download
this track, or manipulate this variable. As I tried to help them out as best as I
could, I also asked them questions to get them to think about what deeper
implications their actions would have. How will getting to that screen improve
your content? Why do you want to download that specific track? What
difference will manipulating that factor cause? While they had basic answers to
these questions, I implored them to dig in more. Soon, they started seeing
bigger picture ideas about how these would shape their content, and they began
to connect more dots. I knew that asking them questions like these would lead
to deeper thinking, but I was never clear on how do it. Now I know that if I
engage students on a topic at hand that they care about, they will naturally
ponder and want to learn more. I can add this to my skillset, and I understand
that this is true for various subjects.
Backwards design; explains curriculum/guidelines for instructional delivery:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZWF4xU9PlpM2-
7c31JB3Qoapy8EBfYjxTywdOgTm20k/edit
https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1o_mgiUoisPqGbrlOtlnv5iUrDviIgKDD
hzdfWCjY8I/edit?usp=drive_open&ouid=105770675155892199040
Professionalism:
As I was going to a local school to assist with teaching a class, it was
important to maintain a professional appearance and demeanor.
Furthermore, it was important that I come prepared for class so that I could
fulfill my role. While I’ve had to do this as a student, it’s different as a teacher.
If a teacher isn’t properly equipped, then the whole class suffers. There were a
few times where I wished I had done a little more review to make sure that
class ran smoothly. However, I did take initiative in learning about Ableton
outside of class on my own, and would contact my colleagues if I needed
extra assistance. Through clear and efficient communication, we were able to
resolve most issues ahead of time so that they did not become troublesome
during class. To function as teachers and as a team, we need to maintain
standards of professionalism so that the system is run as smoothly as possible
and the students can receive the best possible instruction.
NAFMEC conference reflection, professionally engagement with experts:
https://ka3brown97.weebly.com/engagement/nafmec-conference
JMU CCM 2019 Spring Coffeehouse, where we upheld professional standards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2SF8vy7M78

Music Learning Ukulele project, where I learned ukulele and would apply many
of these same skills and concepts if I had to teach ukulele:
https://ka3brown97.weebly.com/musicianship/learning-ukulele-musicianship-
portfolio-project