With continued support from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation and TI:ME, we are pleased to announce a highly competitive program to select a group of undergraduate and graduate music education majors for the 10th Annual Music Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA). Since the inception of the MTLA program in 2012 some 170 music education students nationally have participated as interns in the program.
For 2021, due to the safety demands of COVID-19, the MTLA will take place virtually during the month of May 2021. Zoom sessions with the full cohort of interns and the instructors will take place on the Saturday’s of May 1st, 15th, and 29th, interspersed with asynchronous assignments and projects among selected teams and individual work throughout the month.
The Music Technology Leadership Academy is open to undergraduate (juniors and seniors), masters, and doctoral music education majors. Through a competitive application process, interns will be selected through essay or video submissions. MTLA’s focus is on strategies for engaging non-traditional middle and high school students through technology-based music programs. For more information on strategies and schools that serve as exemplars of technology-based music programs as well as more information on MTLA and its past interns, refer to https://musiccreativity.org.
The MTLA staff are nationally known music educators who specialize in technology-based music learning. They include Drs. William I. Bauer (University of Florida), Rick Dammers (Rowan University), V. J. Manzo (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and David Brian Williams (Illinois State University, Emeritus) as well as guest speakers.
Students who are selected to participate and complete the month-long activities will receive a package of music software provided by the music industry, the TI:ME organization, and the NAMM Foundation program grant. All accepted program participants are required to attend all scheduled program events and activities.
To apply, please do the following:
1. Complete and email about a four-page, double-spaced essay, or a video of about four minutes in length. The essay or video should focus on the promise of technology in broadening the reach of music education to all students, including non-traditional music students, in K-12 schools. Your essay or video should reflect the extent of your teaching experience and the scope of your music technology training and experience. The reviewers will give the strongest consideration to your music education philosophy; teaching, research, and learning strategies; and other relevant training and background. Less weight is given to your technology savvy and the technology tools and software you may already know and use.
2. Provide a one-page, single-spaced cover letter justifying the benefits of participating in the Academy for you professionally. In the letter also provide your name, school, year in school, email address, and confirm that you are a music education major at the undergraduate or graduate level.
3. Provide a letter of reference from a music education professor at your institution.
Email to [email protected] with “Music Technology Leadership Academy Application” in the subject line by March 15, 2021. Participants will be notified by the first week in April 2021.
Music Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA): A Tenth Year Progress Report
What is it? The Music Technology Leadership Academy (MTLA) is designed to provide a highly select group of music education majors the opportunity to immerse themselves in studying instructional strategies for using music technology to reach students in secondary schools who are non-participants in traditional music ensembles. The strategy and philosophy of this initiative is aligned with the website musiccreativity.org and its focus on using technology to reach “The Other 80%” in secondary school music.
Leadership: David B. Williams (Illinois State University), Richard Dammers (Rowan University), V. J. Manzo (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), and William I. Bauer (University of Florida)
About TI:ME
Technology in Music Education, TI:ME is a 501c3 founded over a quarter of a century ago to help bring best practices standards of applying the latest technology for music to the world of music education at all grade levels. TI:ME teaches teachers to integrate technology into traditional and non-traditional music programs, across genres, disciplines and instrumental and vocal programs. ti-me.org
About the NAMM Foundation. The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization funded in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its 9,000 members. The Foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org.
Activities:
• Multiple day academy offered in May 2021 as a virtual academy of synchronous sessions with the instructors combined with asynchronous individual and team online activities.
• Training sessions on technology tools, strategies, and research related to non-traditional music students.
• Assigned activities related to music technology and its application to instructional settings.
• Social networking times for participants to share experiences.
• Final capstone project tailored to non-traditional music classroom lesson plans.
Value: This project provides several unique experiences in support of music making, learning, and teaching. The MTLA offers:
• A unique format for blending music technology study with real-life music teaching experiences giving student interns not only insights from the MTLA instructors but from music education and the music industry at large.
• An opportunity for student interns—chosen competitively from diverse music education programs across the nation—to network with their student colleagues as well as conference presenters and attendees.
• Training on instructional strategies for using technology to reach a critical student population within secondary music education, the estimated 80 percent of students nationally who do not participate in traditional music ensembles.
History:
- • Louisville, KY (January 2012) with the TI:ME National Conference and the Jazz Educators Network Conference: leadership participation from music education majors from University of Cincinnati, Case Western Reserve University, Grove City College, Northwestern University, Rowan University, University of Massachusetts, and University of Michigan.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2013) with the TI:ME National Conference and the Texas Music Educators Association; leadership participation from music education majors from Boston University, Loyola, Northwestern, Penn State, Temple, and University of Massachusetts.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2014) with the TI:ME National Conference and the Texas Music Educators Association: eleven MTLA interns select from schools across the U.S.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2015) with continued TI:ME, TMEA, and NAMM support; MTLA interns from Arizona State, University of Arizona, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Hope College, New York University, University of Illinois, SUNY-Fredonia, SUNY Potsdam, Ithaca College, University of Delaware, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, and Columbia Teachers College.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2016) with continued TI:ME, TMEA, and NAMM support. MTLA interns from Colorado State University, Ithaca College Michigan State University, New York University, SUNY Potsdam, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and Valley Forge University.
• Cleveland, OH (February 2017) with continued TI:ME, OMEA, and NAMM support. Interns from the University of Arkansas, Northern Illinois University, University of Montevallo, University of Arkansas, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Penn State, Michigan State University, Rowan University, University of Cincinnati, Ithaca College, Auburn University, and University of Florida
• San Antonio, TX (February 2018) with continued TI:ME, TMEA, and NAMM support. MTLA interns from Auburn University, Christopher Newport University, Colorado State University, Georgia State University, Ithaca College, James Madison University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, SUNY Potsdam, Temple University, Texas Tech University, Truman State University, University of Florida, University of Michigan, and University of South Florida.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2019) with continued TI:ME, TMEA, and NAMM support. MTLA interns from the University of Massachusetts- Lowell, Cincinnati Conservatory, Christopher Newport University, Ithaca College, University of Northern Colorado, Truman State University, University of Florida, Eastman School of Music, James Madison University, Northwestern University, Indiana University, Georgia Southern University, Kansas State University, and DePaul University.
• San Antonio, TX (February 2020) with continued TI:ME, TMEA, and NAMM support. MTLA interns from SUNY Fredonia, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Auburn University, Louisiana State University, Ithaca College, Michigan State University, University of Oklahoma, Georgia State University,
