MTNA's commitment to technology

The computer age is upon us ... (how's that for understatement?!). Our society has been utterly transformed by the new digital-reality. This technological revolution is so pervasive in our culture that many self-proclaimed experts and futurists are predicting a paperless society--and sooner rather than later. Among the prophets of electronic progress is Nicholas Negroponte, professor and founder of the Media Lab at MIT. Negroponte describes the technological revolution in terms of a shift from atoms to bits; that is, a shift from the importance of material objects to the supremacy of digital information transmission. He says it is irrevocable and unstoppable, and that all of life is in the process of digital transformation.

Associations like MTNA are confronted with this cyber-challenge as we consider the fulfillment of our mission and purpose. Some association writers today proclaim the end of traditional associations, that they will be replaced by cyber associations that exist only on websites. Others, including myself, believe that the future lies in embracing the new technologies to help us become accessible 24/7 and to reshape our delivery of information, but not to replace personal interaction between and among our members. A proper associational experience must be intensely personal. Therefore, technology must support not supplant the personal aspect of associational membership.

Yes, technological innovations have changed the way we work and live and think. We cannot imagine our lives without computers. But neither can we imagine life, especially association life, without personal interaction, human conversation or for that matter, our music studios without a living, breathing teacher. As Sven Birkerts, a prominent essayist and literary critic, has warned: "I would urge that we not fall all over ourselves in our haste to filter all of our experiences through circuitries." Otherwise, he says, the end result of the new cyber-reality may well be loss of meaning under a tide of endless information and computer bytes.

My role as executive director of MTNA is to balance technological innovation with the best traditional association characteristics. Over the years, I have taken a deliberate, methodical approach in our commitment to technological development. The trials and errors of our attempts have been humbling yet insightful. Technology, I've found, is a dichotomy. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other.

Nevertheless, our commitment to technology continues to expand. In order to advance our association's embrace of the technological revolution, I recently appointed Julianne Miranda, a technology expert, music teacher, college professor and past-president of the Indiana Music Teachers Association, to the newly created fulltime MTNA staff position of Chief Information Officer (CIO). In this position, she will be responsible for strategic planning, program development and overall coordination of all aspects of MTNA's information technology resources and services.

I believe the effective and efficient uses of technology are keys to meeting the needs of our members and the music teaching profession in today's world. Technology will provide MTNA members with a more responsive association, with more personalized services and at the same time, it will enhance the traditional functions of our association. In fact, technology will be the major factor that helps us meet the higher expectations of our members in today's digital world.

This issue of AMT features the proceedings from Pedagogy Saturday X: The Art of Teaching. The sessions were presented at the 2006 MTNA National Conference in Austin, Texas. In addition, this AMT celebrates the 10th anniversary of this unique pedagogy program. The "In Unison" column contains comments by MTNA's former pedagogy chairs, and Bruce Bert, a well-known pedagogue, shares his thoughts about the many Pedagogy Saturdays on "The Back Page."

Join me in this important commemoration, and remembrance of the two people who were the driving force behind its inception: Margaret Lorince and Richard Chronister and their belief that musicians could learn from each other, regardless of discipline.

--Gary L. Ingle

MTNA Executive Director

COPYRIGHT 2006 Music Teachers National Association, Inc.
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