David Price gives several examples of the ways in which new technologies are connecting people in meaningful ways. He has three main points: disintermediation, the open learning revolution and its consequences for engagement. The open learning revolution has created online spaces revolving around almost every imaginable topic where people are sharing experiences and knowledge. Price gives his own example of learning and coping with his own condition of Lone Atrial Fibrillation via online forums. Disintermediation refers to the reduction of middle men in various processes. No longer does one need a record deal, agent, recording studio, etc. in order to create music and distribute to an audience. One only needs a youtube account. This process of disintermediation has affected education, business, personal finance, and many other fields. The effects of disintermediation are varied. Although it is much easier for content creators to put their work in the hands of their audiences, there is also a destabilizing effect as it sends free lance work out to the lowest bidder. Price gives the example of his son competing for web development work with those in the developing world who have advanced degrees and are willing to do the work for four dollars an hour. Not only does this destabilize Western economies, but it also has implications for education. How important is it for students to learn things like web development and coding when it is possible that those jobs will no longer be in high demand because of the global workforce. Price concludes by talking about engagement and provides six drivers of open learning. Very often I can dismiss social media because I often feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of posts, tweets, likes, etc. But Price gives examples of how these platforms can be used to put people in touch with one another in meaningful ways. Sites like couchsurfing, ebay, reverb, and the like are dependent on trusting one another. One of my favorite groups on facebook is Jam of the Week where people posts video performances of them playing an agreed upon tune that week. The amount of amazing musicians on facebook is staggering and I’ve not seen any comments that were out of line. It’s a great community of musicians trying to help each other and share their love of music. I use technology often in my own teaching, but would like to find ways of using that technology to create those learning communities in my own school and also connecting my students to the outside world.

I am starting this blog to document my experiences in the Music Technology in the 21st century MOOC offered by the University of Sydney. We are in discussions on how to integrate technology into our music programs to create an exciting musical environment. The Northern Beaches Christian School in Sydney is a model of how to do just that. I hope to learn what principles were used in developing their program and how to apply those principles to the Interboro high school.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton