lifelong engagement in music
Creative Intersection: Music and Technology Kristin Tjornehoj, WMEA State Chair, Lifelong Engagement in Music
The idea of music, expression, inno- vation and vision casting is not new. Composers and per- formers have been pushing to new heights in a variety of ways to share their voices, history,
current events and communication since the beginning of time. Culture is the result of all things happening in a place and reflects people and history, while the arts are the reaction of people to the surroundings. Technology is part of the cultural devel- opment and reactions as we continue to improve through innovation and scientific developments.
I believe that the new age of technology and all its uses is a wonderful gift to the music classroom and across the globe. Utilizing advancements in the class al- lows us to teach, learn, share and preserve music in a way previously unimaginable. The COVID-19 takeaway is that the world
spent more time online, and we are limit- less in our sharing of ideas, culture and enrichment.
I found in teaching a music appreciation course in Scotland this semester that the students combine experiential learning with three to four field trip experiences weekly with a daily course of 2.75 hours of class- room daily. We use technology in every aspect of our course, assignments, reflec- tions, compositions and creative reflections. Having the ability to watch original videos from events years ago, to ones posted for viewing in recent times, the technology is wonderful. It is amazing what we can glean about the history of music, the current state of living in our society, and the technology that makes so many things accessible across the globe for free or a nominal price.
One of the most innovative musicians that I know is a pianist, born in Paris but lives in New York City. A citizen of the work, Dan Tepfer reflects skills in tech- nology, science, innovation and musical prowess. Online you can find he plays the “Goldberg Variations” as originally written, then improvises over the same tonal struc- ture and adds visual effects to enhance his recordings. The result is captivating.
I met Dan Tepfer in 2016 in Prague, CZ, at the American Spring Festival. I was a guest conductor, and Dan was the featured com- poser/performer with the Prague Castle Guard & Czech Police Symphonic Band. Our concert was performed at the Prague Castle, with his original com-
Published with the permission of Dan Tepfer, Feb. 2024.
“I believe that the new age of technology and all its uses is a wonderful gift to the music classroom and across the globe.”
position for wind band, under the direction of Maestro Vaclav Blahunek. This was the first time I had heard a composer write a work with his own algorithm restraint method, creating boundaries and chal- lenges for musical inspiration. When you think back, all composers have a form, method or structure that they use to create organization of sound. Dan Tepfer does a brilliant job of using technology to enhance the music-making process as a composer and performer.
Dan creates computer and technology enhanced jazz performances using the program FAR PLAY, plus self-generated computer apps and algo-rhythms that he then runs through the computer and plays live improvisations. The result is abso- lutely the epitome of using technological advancements in ways never imaged. This is worth checking out and exploring for any musician or technology inspired individual.
Natural Machines is algo-rhythmic and spiritual; emotions and intuition, rules and constraints are what create the forces for music creation for thousands of years. Free improvisation is what we focus on, yet the computer is governed by rules with program (simple rules written by the
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April 2024
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