Acting self-determinedly and critically in a post-digital future? A critical review on digitalisation in music education

Abstract

In this article, we will ask how music education can prepare learners for future-making in a post-digital world. Starting with a critical literature review we identify characteristic logics and central topics in the discourse on digitality in music education: the polarising argumentation in dichotomies, the tendencies of deterritorialization in post-digital practices, the focus on smart mobile technologies, the new awareness and changing role of things and musical instruments, and the strong interconnection to popular music (education), the upcoming discussion on creativity, artificial intelligence, hacking and sustainability, and the debate on the high demands on teachers, that are connected to the use and implementation of digital technologies in music education. On this basis we discuss the potentials and constraints that occur in music education due to the transformation to a post-digital world. Further, we discuss future steps for research and teacher education, and different practice contexts in the field of music education which help to enable learners to act in a self-determined way, and critically, in a post-digital future.