«No Delay?» – Om å undervise på avstand med minimal digital lydforsinkelse

Abstract

“No Delay?” – Online teaching using low latency technology. Playing music together using low latency technology has been possible for some years now, provided fast and robust digital networks. The accessibility of low latency networks has been limited, and the available software has been complicated to install and use. At the music conservatory in Tromsø, associate professor Geir Davidsen has developed soft- and hardware that to a large degree solves the problems regarding usability and price for musicians that want to use this kind of technology. In the academic year of 2021–2022 we investigated the didactic potential of the developed technology concept together with brass students at the music conservatory. In this study I examined how the participants experienced presence and engagement in these digital musical settings, and what possibilities low latency and good audio quality might bring to the digital pedagogy in higher music education. Using an action research design based on workshops with four brass students, we gathered qualitative data that show different possibilities and limitations of the low latency instrumental teaching. The findings show different modes of presence in these digital meetings (bodily, technological, musical, didactic, and social), and that user-friendly technology that emphasizes low latency and good audio quality is an important factor in the development of sustainable digital didactics in the performing arts.