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Caleb Warnar
Kari K Veblen
Music 1800
November 1, 2015

Tobias, E. S. (2013). Toward convergence: Adapting music education to contemporary society
and participatory culture. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 29-36. doi:
10.1177/0027432113483318

Throughout this article, Tobias discusses the use of digital technology in music as well

how it can be integrated into music education. By making music education more relevant to the
ways that people engage with music in society, students may participate in music practices such
as covering, remixing, or producing music.

I found the concept of participatory culture to be interesting, because it allows for

musicians from around the world to have the opportunity to engage in music. Whether it is
through remixing an original song, parodying, or arranging music, the ultimate result is that
through the use of technology individuals can interact and connect with one another
worldwide. I believe that these practices should be apart of the education system, because it
encourages young students to be creative, and it also would also help prepare students that
wish to pursue these practices in life.

The question of what sort of pedagogy would be needed in order to integrate various

forms of music into education programs surprised me, since I often think of what could be done
to expand music education, not necessarily how it can be done. I suppose that sample-based

producing and remediating would be challenging to integrate into an education setting, since
there are often copyright issues that are involved with that sort of activity. However, I believe
that even with these copyright laws in place, it is an excellent opportunity for the students to
work through dealing with copyright issues and receiving permission from record labels, since
they will encounter this in life anyways.

Tobias also questions, to what degree are we preparing students to engage with music

in the broad ways taking place outside of school in a sophisticated manner? what does it
mean to be musically educated in the twenty-first century?. As I thought about even how I
have been trained as a musician, I realize that only a portion of my training is applicable to my
life outside of school. I find that the demand for classical performances is diminishing, and
while I value the technique that I am being taught I do not believe that it is practical for me to
perform classical music outside of school. Even at University, I would love to learn about the
technological aspects of music while also continuing my education as a classical musician. This
way, I may have more musical opportunities upon graduating.

Overall, I am impressed with Tobias thoughts on how convergence in music programs

can come into effect because ultimately, music education should reflect the music in todays
society. By integrating technological elements into music education, more students may be
encouraged to interact and connect with others through their creative work.