ICT as an expansion of the music teacher profession

Erik Lundström & Sture Brändström
Department of Music and Media, Luleå University of Technology

Abstract
The purpose of this article is to present earlier and ongoing research about music teachers’ use of technological tools. A certain focus will be on instrument teachers in an environment where music technology and computer communication characterizes teaching. Firstly, some examples are given to show how socio-cultural learning theories could be helpful to describe and understand the music teacher profession. After that follows a review focused on research dealing with music technology and education. The review has been divided into three different content areas: Development of software and physical interfaces, Computer based composing, and Distance music education. At the end of the paper the project Vi r Music is presented. Luleå University of Technology participates in the project 2009-2010 together with Finnish and Norwegian music institutions. Present authors are involved as researchers. The main purpose is to create an active network of distance music educators and in the long run to permanent the use of virtual instrumental pedagogy. The preliminary results point to the technology as an important and at the same time difficult factor to handle for a music teacher in action.

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