I asked the AI module built in to Squarespace to write a paragraph on why music is relevant to teachers of Computing. Here’s what it said:

Music is highly relevant to teachers of computing in various ways. Firstly, music can be used as a creative and engaging medium for teaching computational concepts. By integrating music into coding activities, teachers can help their students develop problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, and logical thinking. For instance, using music software to compose and edit songs can provide opportunities for learning about algorithms, loops, and conditionals. Furthermore, understanding music theory and composition can enhance students' understanding of patterns, sequences, and data structures, which are fundamental concepts in computer science. Beyond coding, music also plays a crucial role in promoting a holistic education. It helps students develop emotional intelligence, teamwork, and self-expression. By incorporating music into their teaching practices, computing teachers can create a dynamic and stimulating learning environment that fosters creativity and critical thinking.

As it happens, I used to play Vivaldi music while my students were poring over a difficult programming problem. I had no complaints, and in the more shall we say exuberant lessons it had a great calming effect!

To be honest, I think reviewing a book about music that isn’t focused on digital technology in a blog about education technology is a bit of a stretch. However, it’s a delightful book, an easy read, and a romp through several thousand years in quite a painless manner, and we all need a break don’t we.

The problem with most, if not all subjects is that topics tend to be divorced from their history and influences. One stipulation of the Music Programme of Study is that students ‘develop a deepening understanding of the music that they perform and to which they listen, and its history’. Covering a huge array of types of music and associated aspects across cultures and time periods, this book provides both depth and breadth.

For instance, the historical development of the keyboard, musical notation and different types of music may be found here. Crucially, however, there is discussion of the cultural influences at work to explain how such changes came about.

A broad sweep like this will inevitably overlook some aspects, and the lightness of tone might not appeal to academics – but as a reference source and exposition of the connections between genres, it could hardly be bettered.

This review was first published in Teach Secondary magazine.

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