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Music Technology Promoting Violin and String Instrument Instruction

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Music Technology Promoting Violin and String Instrument Instruction

Pirkko Juntunen
Faculty of Behavioral Sciences
Department of Teacher Education
University of Helsinki
pirkko.juntunen(at)lohja.fi

Abstract
This research focuses on the potential of music technology to violin and string instrument
education. The use of audio and video recordings as feedback for the student, her family and the
teacher of the learning and teaching performance, the research on notation programs and creativity,
the method and equipment of distance learning and computer-based aids for classroom situation and
home practice are reviewed. The writer describes her experiences on notation program playback as
an orchestra practice method. It seems that changes in teacher education are crucial for the
involvement of educators in the process of using and developing the new possibilities together with
technology experts and designers of the programs, as well evaluating the usability of the
background materials and tools downloaded from the Internet. Only then can new attitudes be
gained towards different ways of learning and teaching, new ways of thinking in the culture of
music education.
Keywords: violin pedagogy, distance learning, music teacher education, computer-based instrument learning, virtual music teacher,
computer games in music learning, notation programs, creativity, flow.

Introduction
Over the past hundreds of years violin is so loved by people that it wins the fame of “the queen of
instruments". Even today, it is among the most popular instruments, which attracts millions of
learners all over the world. Learning to play a violin is not an easy task, especially for beginners.
Unlike piano or guitar, whose keys or frets offer explicit references for the player to find the correct
fingering position, violin and other string instruments has no specific markers for such
correspondence. Moreover, it is difficult for beginners to control the pressure and position of fingers
and muscles and the direction of bowing movements in order to produce an acceptable sound
quality and good intonation. Teachers who are experts in music education, acquainted with
systematic pedagogy and methodology developed by generations of music educators are the most
influential factors especially in beginning stages. But outside the classroom beginners are also
confronted with the problems of home practice. Most students are on their own in home practice;
their families don‟t know the instrument, cannot tune it or supervise the practice. The young
students have no one at home to tell them whether they are playing correctly or not and it is also
possible that all the time and effort end up consolidating the wrong thing. As the saying goes
“practice makes permanent”, it will take additional time and efforts to bring a student back onto the
right track again.
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Information Communication Technology (ICT) has opened new possibilities to solve some of the
problems in music education. Musicians and technology experts began to research new methods of
music education already in the last century. Nowadays many kinds of technological applications for
learning and teaching music are available for the recording, saving, editing and sharing of audio,
video and music scores, mediating virtual instrument teaching via video conference. There are net-
based courses for informal learning of violin, and research on creating computer assisted tutoring
methods for unsupervised practice for amateur violin students and for home practice is a hot topic
recently. This situation presents possibilities, but also sets challenges to music teachers and teacher
education: is there a need to modify the music education environment and if so, in which way?

My motivation for this research arises principally from my own experiences in teaching violin and
orchestra using technology as an extra method to traditional teaching. I am also interested in
computer based systems of home practice for music school students and amateur violinists; these
unsupervised learning programs might open new horizons for informal learning of instrument
playing. The third source of motivation for this article has been violin distance learning and the
successful virtual master classes for violin students to districts in Finland and to other countries as
well. Due to the fast internet connections today, video conference technology is working well and
using the method in cities should be taken in consideration.

Aims, methods and research material

The principal focus of this research is in which ways music technology can promote violin and
string instrument teaching and learning. Which programs and software are used in classroom
situation at the moment and do they need refinement from the point of view of usability and music
pedagogical principles of professional music teachers? The use of technology in instrument
pedagogy is still new while the traditional teaching methods have developed during generations of
educators. Do these learning cultures go together or is there a need for a change and which kind of
change in education environments and teacher education? Distance learning method solves many
problems concerning long distances in the northern parts of countries. Is it a good method for all
string instrument students? In which ways can music education in cities benefit from synchronic
(real time distance learning by videoconference) and asynchronic (video recordings of questions
and answers concerning technical or other problems in violin practice sent by e-mail) method?
Home practice is vital for the progress of instrument technical skills. In the light of recent research,
can a student`s family get practical support from computer assisted practice aids and are computer
games instrument pedagogically proper? For an amateur student instrument lessons are expensive
and practice time limited, is it possible to learn violin playing in informal way in the Internet
without the teacher involved regularly?

The research method is to review, analyse and reflect how music technology is used and distance
learning researched especially in terms of the violin and other string instruments. I also use my own
experiences as a violin teacher in reflecting on the other experiences and reports on this field of
music education. Music technology and computer based practices are instrument pedagogically
developing but not much research is made in this field of education, that‟s why reference material is
mainly research reports, articles, conference papers and other information from the Internet and
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music journals on the subject along with interviews with the organizers of international master
classes on music technology and violin teaching

Recordings and ICT in classroom music teaching

The first technological aids for classroom teaching and home practice were the metronome for
keeping tempo and rhythm as well and the tuner to ensure good tuning of the instrument.

Using technology to enhance music lessons is nothing new. Some teachers use mirrors so that they
can easily monitor the student's movements from multiple angles. Many teachers use recording
devices (cassette tapes, minidiscs, or computers) to record their students and then play the student's
performance with the teacher's commentary. Seeing and hearing one`s own performance as an
outsider is an excellent method for a student to evaluate how it looks and sounds. Fink-Jensen
(2005) reported that for teachers video recording is a good method for evaluating their own teaching
from an outside perspective as well. It also allows teachers to observe more details than would be
possible in live situations (Fink-Jensen, 2005; West 2005).

Audio and video recordings can be edited with software and saved as files, wav, Mp3 and AVI, all
of which can be loaded into Mp3 players, burned onto CDs or DVDs or sent by e-mail to students
and their families. Recordings may even be peer evaluated on the Internet by other students (Pietilä
2007, 31). A teacher or family may make an archive of a student`s video recordings over the years
to follow the progress in playing as well.

Notation programs are among the most useful software for instrument and especially for school
orchestra teachers. Chris Wild (2010), an orchestra director at DeKalb High School in Illinois
(USA), strongly encourages string teachers to develop their own teaching materials because the best
strategies for teaching might require pieces that are tailor-fitted to their ensembles. By arranging
songs using music notation software a band could specialize for example in jazz. Experience in
extended techniques like slapping the finger board, tapping the body of the instrument like a drum
and ponticello bowing could be gained through the teacher`s own material. For beginners
composing ensemble music is difficult, but notation software and playback make such projects
more possible for students, too. And the experience of hearing one`s own music and arrangements
performed by peers is wonderful. (Wild 2010.)

Because the music sheet written by a notation program is a digital file, it can be quickly edited, sent
by e-mail to print out, and if the receiver has a proper program, she can edit and save her own new
version.

Notation programs and creativity

The playback of a notation program can be a source of inspiration for the arranger and composer,
because one can listen, correct and listen again to the whole full score and evaluate the
instrumentation as well. A child with only minimal skill in notation writing is able to easily create
her own pieces with a full orchestral score. If the notation program is Sibelius, one can send her
arrangements or compositions, if one has the copyright, to sibeliusmusic.com sites to be
downloaded and sold. In these sites are tens of thousands of music scores to be downloaded,
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commented and even discussed. As Salavuo (2006) says, it is exciting and motivating to see one`s
music being discussed and listened to by people all over the world (Salavuo 2006, 235).

Peterson and Schubert (2007) have carried out research to examine the impact of music notation on
a composer`s creativity. Video recordings of writing sessions revealed that the notation program
(writing by notation program) group spent less time purely thinking than the manual (writing music
scores by hand) composers, but much time in accessing menus and software tools. Peterson and
Schubert (2007, 128-130) concluded that it might be useful for designers of notation programs to be
made aware of the time spent in accessing menus and tools, these elements of the software
programs need refining. (Peterson & Schubert 2007.)

A further preliminary research project concerning the order in which composers at different levels
of experience both in composing and in the use of notation software added performance details to
scores was carried out by Peterson (2008) The more experienced participants added expression
markings almost simultaneously while entering notes during the composition component of the test
but not during the arrangement task. The less experienced participants tended to omit musical
expression markings altogether. Peterson (2008) concluded that experienced composers used
auditive thinking in an efficient way and did not rely only on MIDI playback. According to
Peterson (2008) in the teaching of composition through music notation software much more training
is needed in its use; so the disjunction between entering notes and writing performance details could
be minimized. In creative notation writing the students should consider all aspects of the music at
once while writing the notes. This would make notation based writing of music more analogous to
writing notation by hand. (Peterson 2008, 1 - 2, 5.)

Playback orchestra
As Csiksentmihalyi (1996) points out, in the centre of the game enjoyment there is an experience
called “game flow” which is born when the idea of the game, the difficulty and the possibilities of
the game are in balance with the player‟s own skills building an intrinsic motivation
(Csiksentmihalyi 1996. Cited by Ruismäki et al. 2010, 5. ) According to my experience the
playback of a full score, playback orchestra, a kind of orchestra learning play, can be used as an
orchestra teaching method with success. An orchestra student can practice her orchestra part in a
classroom or at home with the playback orchestra in her PC, choose the tempo and instrumentation
and how many and which instruments she wants to hear in the in the practice. And if the orchestra is
rehearsing a new music piece for the first time in music school, a nice method is “catch the train and
play along” in which the orchestra hears the playback orchestra, read the music and play along. This
practice is one of the focuses in orchestra learning: to catch the ongoing music in prima vista (first
reading) playing by listening the playback (and by the extra help of seeing the pointer, perhaps). As
the student and her family gets to know how to use this method, it helps to learn an orchestra part at
home and learning is much quicker and fun than by the traditional “reading from the paper”
method. And if the student reads the music from the PC, the pointer helps her to follow the music
while playing. (Based on writer‟s experiences with the use of notation playback as a teaching tool.)

Using notation playback as a tool in school orchestra training has been described in an article by
Joutsimäki (2006). The full score of a newly notated piece is displayed by data projector on a wall
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and orchestra students read the score while listening. The score may perhaps be edited during
orchestra rehearsals together with expert players of the instrument and then they all can play along.
The full score can be downloaded from the Internet by an orchestra student who can then practice it
at home. Joutsimäki informs (2006, 304) that learning is fast with this method and that using
playback in practice motivates both students and their parents during home practice. (Joutsimäki
2006).

Especially in the case of an occasional concert projects with only two or three rehearsals and
orchestra players living far away from the classes I have sent the music scores by e-mail to be
listened and practiced beforehand. Furthermore, the students who have difficulty in reading music
can follow the score easily with the additional assistance of the pointer and because the reference
for playing in correct rhythm and good intonation is given by the playback throughout the practice.

For the little songs of beginners the playback can also be used as an accompaniment tool. When
rehearsing with the pianist after playback practice a violinist can go with the flow because she
knows the whole music beforehand and the detailed modification of the performance together with
the pianist can be started on at once. Playback accompaniment should not be used at the very
beginning of learning a new piece and not for too long. Contact with a live pianist is important
especially when a public performance of the music is approaching. Furthermore, there will be a
saving in costs for the music school because of a lesser need for a teacher pianist in accompaniment
practice. (Based on writer‟s experiences.)

Computer-based aids for home practice of violin students

According to Ruismäki and Juvonen (2009, 5) making music and playing games are closely
connected. For instance a pitch game, as characterized by the Karaoke Revolution or the SingStar
series, tests a player`s ability to match the pitch of a piece of music provided by the game. Given
that the effectiveness of daily practice is vital to a student`s progress, is there anything in digital
signal processing to raise the quantity of home practice of a violin students, monitor their
practicing, correct their intonation, and improve with daily practice? The answer might soon be yes.
Computer Assisted Music Instrument Tutoring (CAMIT) programs will perhaps be available that
can address these aspects. CAMIT projects take the advantage of multimedia technology in helping
to learn to play a musical instrument.

Possibilities for computer games aiding in home practice have been described by Percival (Percival
2008); games could be extra features in an open-source program for music students called
MEAWS, a CAMIT program that creates simple exercises for music students to practice rhythms
and intonation. MEAWS deals mainly with audio analysis and visualization of errors. Nevertheless,
the violin intonation exercises are useful only for beginners playing long notes. (Percival 2008, 3.)

In a computer game an exercise may come in the form of a game character whose behaviour can
be affected by the violin student`s playing (Percival 2008, 13-15). In Percival‟s description, the
computer analyses the sound of the student`s performance and gives a score, say 70%. An
acceptable score can be given after no sooner than 10-15 repetitions of the exercise. Percival (2008)
states that a good feature in intonation games could be having the computer play back the
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performance of the student with perfect intonation, but still using the sound of the student's own
instrument. The benefit of using this is that the student hears in which way she should actually be
playing. (Percival 2008, 67, 92-93.)

According to Percival (2008, 14), a musician himself, in human-computer interfaces such as music
computer games the users should play their instruments as much as possible. The violinist could for
example control the game through the sound of her instrument and the game reacts in a certain way
to an out-of-tune note or chord. And to compel players to use the whole range of their instruments
the use of each note can be limited to once only, thus encouraging one to move to other octaves.
(Percival 2008, 14-15.)

Research aiming at creating a computer based violin practice tutor

In classroom situation teachers take active role in the students` learning process and use their
professional expertise to equip learners with the knowledge of musical instrument playing and give
advice for their home practice. But home practice is the phase when the students take the sole
charge of the learning, consolidate what their teachers have taught, train them to control the
instrument and sharpen their musical insight to evaluate their performance through repetitive
practice all by themselves without any supervision. As students get more experienced and mature in
playing, supervised learning will take less and less proportion in the learning cycle, while home
practice takes bigger and bigger role in learning process . Thus, the quality and effectiveness of
practice is really crucial to the learners' progress and time and cost efficient methodologies should
be introduced for unsupervised home practice.

For unsupervised practice a digital violin tutor program (DVT) has been developed by Yin & Wang
& Hsu (2005). The student`s audio is transcribed and compared to the transcription of the teacher`s
audio (Yin & Wang & Hsu 2005). If mistakes are detected, the correct actions are demonstrated in a
2-D fingerboard animation, or 3-D animations. (Jie et al., 2006; Yin et al., 2005).

In his research Computer Assisted Musical Instrument Tutoring Applied to Violin Practice
Huanhuan (2010) focuses on a practice aid for beginning and amateur violin students. According to
Huanhuan (2010) CAMIT systems consist of two components: performance evaluator and
interactive feedback generator. Performance evaluator consists of three modules, the recorder, the
transcriber and the evaluator. The recorder records the user's performance in digital formats and
with the maturity of sensors and digital media, recording is no longer confined to audio and video.
The transcriber extracts useful information from the raw data and transforms it into certain
representations for subsequent evaluation. Depending on different aims of verification, different
representations may be adopted. For example, the verification aiming at pitch accuracy probably
needs representation that contains aural information, while the verification aiming at gesture
correctness may adopt representation that holds kinetic information. The evaluator compares the
transcription results with the reference standard to provide the evaluation of the performance.
Interactive feedback generator is the component of the framework that provides users with
informative and interactive information during unsupervised practice. The three modules in
interactive feedback generator are relatively independent of each other. Reflector is the module in
interactive feedback generator that provides the user with a clear picture of her own performance. It
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is an extension of the mirrors used in conventional musical instrument tutoring. The reflector can
improve the mirror in breaking the time constraints. The mirror reflects the player's gestures when
the performance is in progress; this practice is not effective because concentration can hardly be
split between playing the instrument and checking gestures through the mirror, especially for
beginners. The reflector keeps tracks of the player's performance and makes it possible for the
checking to be carried out after the whole performance. This enables the player to concentrate on
the playing while performing, while investigate more carefully about the gestures afterwards when
self-checking. Visual information is just a fraction of the whole picture of the performance: aural
and tactile information, for example, also provide invaluable information about the user's
performance. With the maturity of digital cameras and sensors, the reflector can do much better in
recording and presenting the player's performance from more meaningful aspects of perceptions.
Instead of merely recording and revitalizing the performance, the reflector receives analyzed results
from the performance evaluator and feed back to users in more intuitive ways. This is really in need
to amateur learners. The instructor provides instructions to guide the users during unsupervised
practice: the instructor can take the form of descriptive instructor or demonstrator accordingly.
Descriptive instruction is similar to the conventional guiding text books except that it may adopt
more interactive features, it may analyze the context of the user considering his performance and
progress, and give instructions accordingly. The powerful multimedia capability of computer
technology makes CAMIT a perfect carrier for multi-modal demonstration. (Huanhuan 2010.)

Following the general framework outlined above, Huanhuan (2010) developed interactive Digital
Violin Tutor (iDVT), a practical CAMIT system aiming at assisting beginning and amateur violin
players in unsupervised violin practice. It also has the potential to be applied to other musical
instruments. iDVT has the following three main benefits. Firstly, it provides informative feedback
which boosts the learning efficiency of beginners during unsupervised practice. Secondly, it is
convenient for students to access in home environment, which gives learners more flexibility over
the time and place of practice. Thirdly, the hardware configuration of the system is low and cheap,
which is affordable and cost-saving for general public. (Huanhuan 2010.)

Huanhuan (2010) invited several teachers and students to evaluate the system. "It is really awesome
to see my own playing so closely and highlighted. I can pick out each and every mistake which I
would not notice myself!" But knowing what is wrong is critical but not sufficient: knowing how to
correct the error will be a higher demand for users. Moreover, if teachers are present in this kind of
situation, they would not stick to each and every mistake made by the student, but put the most
serious one or two mistakes in priority for the students to correct. Improving in a step-by-step
manner will serve especially the inexperienced learner better. In the short term, the instructor should
give more descriptive instructions and hints during the demonstration. This improvement can be
easily included by music professionals when the demonstration is record. In the long term, the
instructor can be more interactive during the practice: online instruction could give instructions
according to the user's performance in real time or near real time. This function will make the
system more intellectual and make more sense in real application scenario. Last but not least, the
motivator, schemes such as performance scoring and RPG (Role Play Game) storyline can all be
adapted to the application scenario to stimulate the attention, passion and motivation of the users in
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using the system as well as musical instrument practice to make the system more fun and attractive.
(Huanhuan 2010.)

Informal learning tools for amateur violinists

As Locke (1993) wrote, a concertgoer of a hundred years ago was often not only a consumer, but an
active and sometimes interactive player or singer. (Locke 1993.) Even today increase in education
possibilities for musical amateurs, perhaps informal learning methods in the Internet, would help
elevate musical culture from inside. An amateur musician is one who loves playing and making
music for the sheer love of it. But even intelligent, hard-working amateur musicians can have
enormous difficulty in evaluating their performance and practicing without any support.

According to Salavuo (2008) social media has an important role also in modern music education
and learning. Social Networking Platforms (SNPs) are used for creating connections, but also for
sharing one's music, providing information as well as for learning. Salavuo (2008) stresses that SNP
can also introduce a pupil-centred approach to learning by offering ownership of the environment to
its core users, and by creating a need to communicate and contribute to a community of practice.

There are websites in the Internet for informal learning of violin playing: the violin site
(www.theviolinsite.com). On this site are links to free musical scores and recordings, information
on violin pedagogy, tips for memorising music, written instructions for practicing a certain
technical skill and video recordings of the correct execution of certain exercises. (The Violin Site,
2011.) These websites are an excellent tool for an amateur violin student who has basic knowledge
of violin playing technique and does not have time or money for violin lessons with the teacher. The
background material and exercises could be used by music school students and teachers as well.

The video recordings from the asynchronous violin courses organized by Särestö Academy, Caprice
Ky and Virtuosi in Kuhmo ( in which a student`s performance and some questions concerning
technique or music style were video recorded and sent by e-mail to Pinchas Zukerman, who then
returned his video recorded answers by e-mail as well, described by Rajamäki 2007), could from
the point of view of self-directed study of technical and artistic problems of violin playing be an
excellent source of material for classroom teaching and also for amateur violin learning .

Conclusions, discussion and future challenges

I remember from quite early stages of my violin studies how excited I was when I finally could play
the piece of music that I had practiced with a piano accompanist. With the piano I and my violin
had the whole music. So I was very delighted with the possibilities of notation program playback: I
could offer to my students the whole music, not just one part of it. Furthermore, the printouts of the
score are so plain and easy to read.

To find out how motivated string instrument teachers in Finland are to use music technology in
their work, I sent them an informal pilot questionnaire by e-mail. I received 40 answers. YouTube
was their most often used means of acquiring background information and a notation program in
writing music scores. Only 3 string teachers reported using notation playback in orchestra teaching
and as a solo accompaniment. My interpretation on the current lack of interest in benefiting more
 9

from playback technology is that perhaps more notation program instruction is needed for teachers
to be able to edit the sound and instrumentation, tempo and articulation and so on of playback to a
level that is acceptable to the ears of string teachers. To increase the use of notation programs the
accessibility of menus and tools needs improvement, as does the sound quality of the playback,
perhaps by recording the sound of good string instrument players using top-quality instruments.

The designers should take care that programs are simpler and more practical in use and instructions
clear enough. Furthermore, the technology teaching methods suitable for adults who don‟t have
much knowledge of ICT beforehand, as most experienced teachers are. And teachers should be
encouraged to share their methods, materials, music scores and experiences with other teachers.

As experiences from virtual master classes have shown, the video conference equipment has
developed to a level high enough to be accepted by high grade professionals like Pinchas
Zukerman, an internationally well-known violinist and a pioneer in virtual violin teaching. Maarit
Rajamäki, artistic director of the Särestö Academy informs that the fast internet connections of
today make the sound quality in video conferences close to that of being in the same room
(Rajamäki 2007). A research project on distance learning, Vir Music set up by five institutions in
northern Finland , Sweden and Norway has recently been completed. As one result of the project a
bachelor`s thesis was submitted at the Oulu University of Applied Sciences entitled the Violin on
the Web-Introduction to Violin Distance Education. In the conclusion of her research Kangasluoma
(2010) states that when lessons are carefully prepared and the technical equipment is correct and
working well, teaching violin by distance is not problematic. At the very beginning of violin studies
it is best to concentrate on normal contact lessons because it is vital to learn a good playing position
right from the start and face-to-face guidance is needed. After several years of playing, as the
student has acquired good knowledge of violin practicing, distance lessons could be the main
method, with the teacher acting more like a regulating and directing agent. As a drawback of the
method is that because information via videoconference is transmitted mainly verbally, this may not
be effective enough to produce the changes in performance needed to improve for example bowing
technique and quality of sound. Haptical information is also necessary in string instrument
instruction. (Kangasluoma 2010, 4.)

As Rajamäki says, in the cities distance learning could be employed as an extra method in addition
to basic contact teaching (Rajamäki 2010). The problems with the availability of classrooms and
calendar can be minimized because the teacher can give distance lessons at home and the most
popular teachers can mediate their teaching to many districts at the same time (Mäntyranta, 2011).
Although Oulu University of Applied Sciences, the School of Music in Piteå and University of
Tromsö are integrating distance education into their curriculum (Mäntyranta, 2011), it should be
integrated into high school teacher education as well.

As a principal conclusion of this research it seems that changes in teacher education are needed
before the music technological methods, such as distance learning for example, come into use to
benefit instrument education. And it is necessary for music schools to be much more aware of the
new horizons in music education as well. Common courses for teachers and students might produce
a fine atmosphere of mutual education environment. With education, information and experience
 10

the attitudes of teachers will change more positive towards the new methods and materials and other
substance available “just around the corner”. A music teacher with wider knowledge in the area
can help student offering them the not only the necessary skills but also by teaching them a critical
attitude towards information from the Internet. All the music scores and arrangements, for example,
don‟t promote good musical sense, taste and musicianship, as a teacher can tell right away.

No computers can ever replace a skilled teacher`s estimation of a child´s mood and personality. As
Percival (2008, 70-71) writes, a system generating targeted exercises must allow human teacher to
direct the whole flow and take considerate care of the student. The same is true for all unsupervised
tutors designed to be used in home practice.

Computer games are popular and certainly motivating. But in the words of Huanhuan (2010, 23-24)
such incentives should not go too far from the true goal musical instrument tutoring. The user
should really be playing her instrument. As a provocatively taken example, adapted instruments like
the game consoles in the popular music game Guitar Heroes are not plausible to be used in CAMIT
systems, since adapted instruments and real instruments are totally different. The user should be
able to develop musical capability through using the system and her instrument. Take Guitar Heroes
again as an example, playing musical instrument has somewhat been mutated into a shooting game.
Instead of training musical acumen, musical sense and skill of instrument playing, Guitar Heroes is
more of training motor reflex and memorization. The music educational contribution of it is really
limited.(Huanhuan 2010, 24.)

As far as the research and developing projects of experts of technology, professionals in music (or
the both in one person like Percival) and the designers of programs go hand in hand the computer-
aided tutoring programs will be a brilliant contribution for home practice and informal learning in
the Internet for music school and amateur students of violin and other instruments as well. Even
now the web pages for informal learning of violin are a treasure for amateur violinists who don‟t
have the time or money for regular lessons with a teacher. But having a violin lesson with a
professional teacher every now and then is certainly a good thing. A teacher with good knowledge
of pedagogy and technology can make a tailor-fitted learning program including contact violin
lessons and informal learning -and even participation in a distance learning group.

A genuinely new learning environment which is both fun and effective can soon be welcomed to
stand by and enrich the old fine and well-working tradition of music education.

References

Csiksentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity. Flow and Psychology of discovery and Invention. New
York; Harper Colins Publishers, 111-113.

Fink-Jensen, K. (2005). Teacher as researcher with video in music education. Summary Papers of
The Fourth International Conference for Research in Music Education, 5-9. April 2005. A CD-
ROM conference publication.
 11

Huanhuan, L.(2010). Computer Assisted Music Instrument Tutoring Applied to Violin Practice. A
Thesis submitted for the Degree of Master of Science (Department of Computer Science. School of
Computing). National University of Singapore, 1-24.

Jie, W., Boo, J., Wang, Y. and Loscos, A. (2006). A Violin Music Transcriber for Personalized
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Locke, R. P. (1993).“Music Lovers, Patrons, and the „Sacralisation‟ of Culture in America”. 19th
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