An appraisal of the use of computer music notation software among selected high school music teachers

Abstract

The use and availability of computer software in support of music composition developed dramatically during the latter part ofthe twentieth century. As technology advanced, so did the ability to compose, notate, and edit music using computer software. The use of notation software has impacted music education. Many high school music educators have implemented music notation software into their music courses. The purpose of the present study was to gain a greater understanding of the practice of high school music teachers who use music notation software in their music classrooms. The specific research questions guiding this project were: (a) How do the high school music teachers in this study describe their experiences with music notation software in the music curriculum? (b) What do the high school music teachers in this study believe students learn through the use of music notation software? (c) How does using music notation software influence the teaching practices of the high school music teachers in this study? This was a collective (multiple) case study investigating how three high school music teachers at three different schools used music notation software in their curricula. I (a) observed and audio recorded music technology classroom instruction, (b) took field notes, and (c) conducted personal interviews over the course of one nine-week high school marking period. Each participant was observed and interviewed three times. The interviews were audio recorded and field notes were taken during each observation. A system of coding was employed to organize the data into categories for analysis. Member checking, triangulation of data sources, bias clarification, peer briefing, and an external audit were used as measures of trustworthiness. Findings ofthe study indicated that music teachers used notation software primarily for teaching students music composition, theory, and ear training. The findings also revealed that music teachers observed in the study preferred the use of music notation software over traditional means ofteaching and noted an increase in its pedagogical value in the classroom. Additionally, the results of the study showed that music teachers observed an increase in student classroom engagement and adaptability when using music notation software.