Digital Storytelling in Music and Audio Education: Inspiring Modern Reflective Practice with Relevant Technology

Abstract

Digital storytelling (DST), a method of reflective practice using simple multimediatools, presents highly useful, multidisciplinary curricular options across the K–16educational spectrum and in community programs. Although it has a rich, emergentpedagogical vision in the digital humanities, digital storytelling as a creativeassessment tool remains under-explored in music and audio education. Millennials,deeply embedded with multimedia technology proficiency, now represent a growingpopulation of music and audio students pursuing higher education degrees incommercially focused disciplines. This article examines digital storytelling as acentral part of a germane curricular design in popular and technology-based musiccourses in university settings. Finally, some pedagogical suggestions and guidingquestions are offered that university teachers can use to encourage studentreflective practice through digital storytelling.