James Humberstone | The University of Sydney (original) (raw)

Papers by James Humberstone

Routledge eBooks, Dec 14, 2022

The use of new-format tablet computers (such as iPads) in educational settings has increased mark... more The use of new-format tablet computers (such as iPads) in educational settings has increased markedly since the first tablet computer was made commercially available. In secondary schools, the use of tablet computers has been used to help students learn a variety of subjects, particularly numeracy, literacy, and the sciences. The success of using tablet computers in schools is largely owing to the diversity of available electronic resources, such as Apps and web-based content that transform the boundaries between formal and informal learning. This is enhanced by the immediacy of access by students, both at school and at home. However, with the focus of interactive tablet content largely aimed at core subjects, there has been limited interactive content designed solely for music learning. In this paper we describe the design philosophy, and learning and potential teaching benefits of an interactive iBook that has been developed for secondary school students (years 7 and 8) to learn m...

This table shows an Overview of content from the MOOC "The Place of Music in 21st Century Ed... more This table shows an Overview of content from the MOOC "The Place of Music in 21st Century Education". This overview helps inform qualitative and quantitative analyses of participant data in a number of resulting studies.

The Music Technology Cookbook, 2020

The lesson in this chapter explains a compositional approach for students who do not have any the... more The lesson in this chapter explains a compositional approach for students who do not have any theoretical understanding of chords or harmony. Students are often put off by a music theory-first approach to composing, which can be a barrier for many interested but inexperienced students. This lesson emphasizes having fun and making music. This approach gets students who are using a keyboard (MIDI, on-screen, piano, it does not matter) to “randomly” create chords, then order them, and sequence them, to create an original piece of music. By diving directly into composing, students can gain both knowledge and confidence in their own musical voice.

&amp;quot;Malcolm Williamson’s ten cassations, mini-operas devised to introduce children ... more &amp;quot;Malcolm Williamson’s ten cassations, mini-operas devised to introduce children to the operatic form, remain unique in a number of ways. Most importantly they are the only collection of work in this genre by an established art music composer intended for musically-untrained children. Many composers have written children’s opera, sometimes as entertainment for children, performed by adults, and sometimes as opera to be performed by children. In the latter case, the great majority of composers write for specific ensembles or schools where music is taught by specialist music teachers to every child. Very few established composers write children’s opera for musically-untrained children. Only one has written a series of ten and single-handedly directed them with his own children, in primary schools and church groups, with physically and mentally handicapped children, and even with adult audiences and professional orchestras in the Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House. Williamson’s cassations were performed on nearly every continent of the world, hundreds of times, often under his own baton. Largely ignored in the (itself scant) analysis of Williamson’s body of work, the collection was of great importance to the composer himself. This thesis fills that void in the literature. It also suggests that the compositional concessions made by Williamson provide a model to other composers interested in writing opera for musically-untrained children. This speaks to the broader question of how composers can modify their compositional approach without losing their ‘voice’. A broad range of analytical methods are considered and compared with existing analyses of Williamson’s repertoire for professionals (Gearing 2004; Kendall-Smith 1994; Philpott 2010). Implication-Realization analysis of melodic expectancy (Narmour 1990, 1992; Schellenberg 1996, 1997) is used in combination with analysis of structure, part writing, vocal support, range, and harmonic language to allow quantitative comparison to the writing for professional vocalists in Williamson’s full operas and to summarise his approach to writing for musically-untrained children.&amp;quot;

Routledge eBooks, Dec 14, 2022

The Music Technology Cookbook, 2020

This Chapter proposes that a truly pluralist approach to music education - one that recognises al... more This Chapter proposes that a truly pluralist approach to music education - one that recognises all musical genres as sophisticated and embraces new, technology-rich musics - can revolutionize (and perhaps even rescue) curricular music education. It presents new data on creativity in music education cross-genres, and offers a meta-modern view of formal education in music.

In A. Ruthmann & R. Mantie (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Technology and Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press.

The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, 2016

In this video James Humberstone interviews conductor, composers and music educator Richard Gill, ... more In this video James Humberstone interviews conductor, composers and music educator Richard Gill, to provide a counterpoint to the ideas shared in the prior lectures in this module. While Gill does not believe that students shouldn't learn popular music at all, he believes that it is a little like chocolate - if you feed kids too much, they'll just get sick. This paper is a transcription of the video which is the 16th in the free online course.

The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, 2016

In these lectures transcripts, I interview performer, producer, DJ, and record label owner Franci... more In these lectures transcripts, I interview performer, producer, DJ, and record label owner Francis Xavier, and the director of Liveschool, a private school where all aspects of music theory are taught through electronic popular music practice, Adam Maggs. In my interview with Frank, I ask him what a DJ does (something I think that we classically-trained music educators often misunderstand), and how he learned music that allowed him to have the career he has.

The interview with Adam Maggs, and observation of his school, gives us a model of what a completely alternative music curriculum, based on popular electronic music, might look like. I ask him how detailed music theory can be taught it the emphasis is on making music and learning the software they use (Ableton Live).

In these lecture transcripts, we consider provocative questions such as "are music teachers neces... more In these lecture transcripts, we consider provocative questions such as "are music teachers necessary", now that we have YouTube? We look at the careers of those who have succeeded in music despite failing in traditional music education. And we meet DJ, producer, and record label owner Frank Xavier, who talks about career and why it's despite his formal music education rather than thanks to it.

Transcript of an interview with NYU's Ethan Hein, who suggested in his Masters thesis that classr... more Transcript of an interview with NYU's Ethan Hein, who suggested in his Masters thesis that classroom music, as we typically teach it, is culturally alien to most children.

Introduces the Western Art Music - Educator cultural cycle, ideas of Informal Learning that may h... more Introduces the Western Art Music - Educator cultural cycle, ideas of Informal Learning that may help break this cycle, and transcripts of interviews with Sydney Conservatorium students on the establishment of their musical identity.

This paper is an enhanced transcription of two lectures given as part of the University of Sydney Massively Open Online Course (MOOC), The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, published on Coursera (Humberstone, 2016) that has been edited in order to provide the clearest possible communication to the course participants. Additional context from the original scripts that was omitted from the video and/or occasional clarifying screenshots may have been added for greater understanding. Each of the 36 short content lectures in this series either presents the author’s synthesis of the literature on a particular topic with his own research and practice; or is an observation or interview to further explore the topic beyond the confines of published literature. In most cases the intention is not to present new data (although many of the interviews published in this series become, in their own right, primary source material) or findings, nor to publish a “position” on a particular topic, but to illustrate that taking a position is incredibly difficult when the literature is in a state of contradiction and flux; the intention, instead, is to provoke critical thinking in the course participant. The lectures are best understood in their original format: video.

A summary of the learning in the prior talks, a synthesis of the literature, and a provocation to... more A summary of the learning in the prior talks, a synthesis of the literature, and a provocation to write.

The transcript of an interview with Natalie See, the principal of Hilltop Road Public School, Syd... more The transcript of an interview with Natalie See, the principal of Hilltop Road Public School, Sydney Australia. See has transformed the school by adopting Sugata Mitra's SOLE approach, integrating technology, and insisting on an entirely project-based curriculum.

Observation of an Orff pedagogy approach used in a music class at Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School i... more Observation of an Orff pedagogy approach used in a music class at Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School in Sydney, Australia.

Observations and interview transcript from Kamaroi Rudolph Steiner School in Sydney, Australia, f... more Observations and interview transcript from Kamaroi Rudolph Steiner School in Sydney, Australia, focusing on how the arts are integrated into all learning in the curriculum, as well as how the school as avoided the use of technology.

Observations and transcripts of interviews in the music classroom at Northern Beaches Christian S... more Observations and transcripts of interviews in the music classroom at Northern Beaches Christian School, Sydney Australia, where all classes are taught through blended learning.

This paper is an enhanced transcription of two lectures given as part of the University of Sydney Massively Open Online Course (MOOC), The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, published on Coursera (Humberstone, 2016) that has been edited in order to provide the clearest possible communication to the course participants. 1 Additional context from the original scripts that was omitted from the video and/or occasional clarifying screenshots may have been added for greater understanding. Each of the 36 short content lectures in this series either presents the author’s synthesis of the literature on a particular topic with his own research and practice; or is an observation or interview to further explore the topic beyond the confines of published literature. In most cases the intention is not to present new data (although many of the interviews published in this series become, in their own right, primary source material) or findings, nor to publish a “position” on a particular topic, but to illustrate that taking a position is incredibly difficult when the literature is in a state of contradiction and flux; the intention, instead, is to provoke critical thinking in the course participant. The lectures are best understood in their original format: video.

The transcript of an interview with Steve Collis, Director of Innovation at the Northern Beaches ... more The transcript of an interview with Steve Collis, Director of Innovation at the Northern Beaches Christian School in Sydney Australia.

This paper is an enhanced transcription of two lectures given as part of the University of Sydney Massively Open Online Course (MOOC), The Place of Music in 21st Century Education, published on Coursera (Humberstone, 2016) that has been edited in order to provide the clearest possible communication to the course participants.1 Additional context from the original script that was omitted from the video and/or occasional clarifying screenshots may have been added for greater understanding. Each of the 36 short content lectures in this series either presents the author’s synthesis of the literature on a particular topic with his own research and practice; or is an observation or interview to further explore the topic beyond the confines of published literature. In most cases the intention is not to present new data (although many of the interviews published in this series become, in their own right, primary source material) or findings, nor to publish a “position” on a particular topic, but to illustrate that taking a position is incredibly difficult when the literature is in a state of contradiction and flux; the intention, instead, is to provoke critical thinking in the course participant. The lectures are best understood in their original format: video.