Challenging Music Education: The Transformative Potential of Social Media

Music is a ubiquitous phenomenon that is used to shape personal, community, and cultural identities and forms the basis of significant economic activity and engagement. Given that musical activities are predicated on social interaction, the potential of social media to intensify and extend musical action has significant implications for developing a critical approach to music education for twenty-first century citizens. This paper explores the intersection of social media, educational theory, and music education to argue for the importance of transforming elements of music education to reflect the ways in which individuals currently navigate the various uses (and abuses) of music in a digitally networked society, where music is a powerful social and cultural tool. A current exploratory study of music education and social media is discussed, and the implications for a "future" music education are presented.