Getting in the Way?: Limitations of Technology in Community Music

Abstract

New music technologies are often promoted as tools that can enrich music learning experiences, in and out of the classroom. However, their success is context dependent rather than universally assured. This chapter examines some of the limitations that occur in facilitator-led community music activities, where project goals frequently encompass social and health-related as well as musical dimensions, and where sustainability of activities and outcomes is often a priority. Descriptions of music composition projects in three diverse settings—from a remote village in postwar East Timor (Timor-Leste) to a school-based residency in suburban Australia—illustrate some of the limitations of new music..