IN THIS FINAL CHAPTER I address several important implications presented by the idea of using technology to facilitate creative work in music education. They are (1) copyright considerations, (2) the creative output of teachers themselves, and (3) a discussion of common reservations teachers have about integrating technology.
Teachers whose students engage in creative music projects need to be mindful of copyright implications. Those who have grown up accustomed to freely downloading and sharing digital media (music, movies, pictures, etc.) may have a hazy idea of what is appropriate when it comes to using protected material. Aside from the need to comply with copyright law to protect teachers and their school district, dealing with these issues as they arise provides a great opportunity for teaching students some valuable lessons regarding intellectual property. When a project involves arranging, recording, or disseminating existing musical material, some important criteria need to be addressed.
Fair use allows persons to employ protected material in a very limited way without a fee. Many educators incorrectly assume that they and their students may use protected music without restriction because it is education related and not for profit. However, for the use to be “fair,” at least three criteria must be met. First, the use should not be a substitute for or discourage normal sales of the material. If the use you have in mind circumvents you or your students having to make a purchase, it probably is not fair use. Let’s say you have personally purchased a great collection of drum and bass loops. It would not be right to copy those loops onto all the computers in your music tech lab at school so the kids could enjoy using them, even if they would be using them for a class proj-