The Cross-curricular Approach to Technology-Supported Composition: Experiment / Abordarea interdisciplinară a compoziției muzicale cu suport tehnologic: Experiment

Abstract

This paper presents a cross-curricular approach to musical composition supported by ICT, an experiment based on the model of Phil Kirkman. The investigation was carried on in the 2021-2022 academic year. It was realized in collaboration with teachers from the Sigismund Todu?a High School of Art in Deva and the High School of Art in Sibiu, respectively, involving middle school and high school students from year 7, year 8, year 9 and year 10. The experiment started with a debate on a recommended topic suggested by images, which constituted the visual stimulus. The path to achieving the final goal supported students in developing creative skills, the primary purpose of musical composition, and building musical knowledge. It also enriched learners with information from different areas and knowledge fields belonging to several other subjects. Following the received information on the composition topic and the debates in the classroom, the students developed their ability to understand the world by building their own opinions on the issues. These opinions could be supported by historical, geographical, philosophical, economic, and psychological data they achieved. The cross-curricular approach to music composition offered a creative way to develop understanding, knowledge, and practical skills through an interconnected study of multiple disciplines. This approach to music education that transcends its boundaries brought educational benefits to both students and teachers, who took advantage of the learning situations within the experiment to broaden both their musical knowledge and their across-the-board knowledge beyond the subject taught or studied, respectively.