Download Cambridge University Symposium

Cambridge University Symposium
October, (date unknown) 2013
A role for the e-portfolio in educating the professional musician (not the
music teacher)
This provocative title doesn’t intend to imply that music teachers are not professional
musicians –rather, the e-portfolio is ideal for this cohort who, because of professional
accreditation standards, can use it to build a folio of their work and thinking over the degree
program. The teacher trainee is, therefore, often the focus of e-portfolio literature. This
seminar presentation, instead, seeks to focus attention on some of the roles the e-portfolio
can play in B. Music programs which aim to produce professional musicians who will be
active in many different careers in the community. It looks at the role of an e-portfolio in
three different areas of music – performance, sound technology and a final year, capstone,
community and professional practice focused unit – in two university Music programs. For
group/ensemble performance, the e-portfolio medium is used for an e-essay, enabling
analysis of embedded performance videos, collaborative essay writing and peer evaluation
of the e-written task. The e-portfolio is being used with composition and performance
students who have chosen the recording studio as their main study instrument, to enhance
the development of disciplinary craft, to clarify professional contexts and to enable a new
hidden curriculum’ across the entire learning ecology encouraging reflection ‘in action’ and
‘on action’ across the three year degree program. And in a capstone unit the e-portfolio
houses a professional portfolio built up over one semester, including CV, photograph and
summary of a music project taken into the community, all in a format suitable for a
prospective employer.
Diana Blom is Associate Professor in music in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts,
University of Western Sydney. Research interests focus around tertiary music education –
interpretation, collaboration, assessment – and practice-led research drawn from composing and
performing. She plays harpsichord and piano and is a member of a chamber trio, ‘Three in a Boat’,
which performs contemporary classical repertoire for voice, cello and piano. A composer, she has
several works and performances released on CD. Music Composition Toolbox, a composition
textbook co-authored by Matthew Hindson and Damian Barbeler is published by Science Press.
Matthew Hitchcock is Head of Music Technology at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.
As Senior Lecturer in Music Technologies & e-Media, Head of Area and Program Convenor, Bachelor
of Music Technology, Matthew’s current research projects include: sound production for music and
linear and non-linear moving image contexts (film, animation, gaming, performance and
installation); research on higher education, blended learning, learning communities, curriculum and
learning environments; and ongoing recording and multimedia authoring projects within the IMERSD
(Intermedia, Music Education & Research Design) recording studios. He has had many years of
experience as a recording producer and engineer, freelance musician and composer and is
experienced in digital technologies including working as multimedia author, web designer and
software programmer. Matthew’s national leadership in these areas has been recognised by the
receipt of a National Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and a Griffith
Award for Excellence in Teaching.