The Ever Changing Music Industry and Its Impact upon Music Teaching:

An Opportunity for Further Musical Exploration

As the music industry has changed over recent years, has the teaching of such a subject kept up with the race or is it trailing behind? Whilst in previous years The Buggles claimed that ‘Video killed the radio star’ did education kill the artist?

In order for graduates to achieve a good success rate they need to be provided with the skills essential for self promotion in order to maintain a successful career within music. Therefore, the knowledge of lecturers throughout institutions on the current music scene will enable their own first hand experiences to be passed onto their students. However if this is not present within an institution the teaching may implement a more prehistoric and primitive approach to the industry, which would most certainly impact on a students success after graduation. This kind of knowledge, research and awareness by the tutors themselves would then be reflected upon within the modules taught where regular adjustments and preparations are required in order to effectively implement such practices into the classroom. This encourages the development of student’s musicianship, and knowledge of their peers’ successes, and the industry in which they will become employed. This said, it is important that lecturers have the freedom within their educational institutions to employ such practices which will benefit their students. By teaching previous historical music practices in both recording and performance work enables students to understand how music has evolved over time, including for example the creation of new and varying genres, which will develop their creativity within musical exploration. This therefore enables students to develop a greater appreciation for music history and its future. Although the music industry is inevitably changing, it is relevant that an all round and unbiased view is provided by music lecturers to allow students to receive the knowledge and then mould it in order to allow them to reach their own personal goals and aspirations.

Students would also benefit further from their institution and course through extra curricular activities such as field trips to venues displaying other artists work along with liaisons with other educational settings to enable both lecturers and students to observe the practices of their peers. This would encourage students to develop a better understanding through a more creative and varied approach to music development. The funding of individual institutions and the lack of resources may prevent this kind of practice from occurring. This practice would particularly benefit degree level students where they have already developed the foundations to their instrument. Such opportunities for further progression as musicians would enable greater inventive and artistic approaches to their own work through observation and analysis of fellow musicians and the approaches given by institutions other than their own.

Through educational settings implementing flexible curriculums throughout their practice, and therefore contradicting such structured syllabuses, would provide students with the ability to flourish and thrive within music by developing their skills solely in the areas that they choose as apposed to those that the institutions set. However as lecturers are required to create modules that cover certain criteria this in turn prevents both student and lecturer from practicing more modern approaches to music. However lecturers are to be able to use such specified modules that will enable their students to develop and maintain sufficient levels of success within music after graduation and in turn provide them with skills that allow them to develop the dexterity to continue learning after education. Varied music industry issues however need to be included as core modules within courses in order for students to understand all aspects of the industry.

Most would agree in any type of study, not just music education, that first hand experiences are the most relevant to learning than that of information passed on. First hand experiences enable greater learning and in turn provide students with the ability to experience practices that are current within music production, performance and recording. With the music industry constantly changing through the development of new genres, technical advances and self promotion opportunities it is essential that teaching staff have the ability, skills, knowledge and support to equip students with the most relevant and up to date information. This would allow not only the students individual success but to continue with the progression and exploration of music as a whole.

Emma Crichton