TECHNOLOGICAL RESOURCES SUPPORTING INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC EDUCATION IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ROMANIA
N. Nedelcut1, M. Moldovan2
The increasing use of musical programs in the aural and instrumental education of young children, particularly in individual study, reflects technological advancements and their integration into musical pedagogy. AI-based programs analyze children's performance, providing feedback and suggestions, adapting learning to individual needs, and making the educational process more engaging.
This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of using the recorder, as a musical instrument, in the individual study of children aged 7–14, to test the efficiency of the aural and instrumental education program Sing with Me.
The musical material used for evaluation was structured into three modules, each containing seven lessons, facilitating the achievement of goals set by teachers, such as: acquiring essential skills for playing the recorder; developing fundamental abilities for reading musical scores; establishing effective practice routines; learning a suitable and motivating repertoire for beginners.
Based on the unified exercises from Modules 1–3, recordings of the children’s interpretative performances were collected. A total of 315 student performances across five schools were documented, of which 264 were assessed by teachers as accurate. The program enabled the differentiation of results and identified various types of errors in the performances, while teachers conducted an analysis of the students' responses. It also enables the synchronized display of practical performance and musical scores, significantly enhancing the efficiency of the student sight-reading process.
It was concluded that the lessons represented an effective tool for developing basic interpretative skills and technical instrumental elements. The ability of students to watch and listen the model performances by a single click was appreciated by both teachers and students, enhancing individual progress.
The lead teachers reported increased awareness among students regarding their roles within a group, especially during pieces with instrumental accompaniment, where students alternated between soloist and accompaniment roles.
The project boosted students' motivation, sparking healthy competition and greater interest in accurate performance, focusing on intonation, rhythm, tempo, and phrasing. The innovative approach captured students' curiosity, keeping them engaged and interested in developing their instrumental abilities, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining traditional methods with modern technology.
Keywords: Music education, Technological resources, Record performances, Evaluation.