The Impact of Technology on Music Education and Performance Practices at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka

Abstract

Digital technologies are reshaping pedagogy, performance, and creative practice in higher music education. This study investigates how digital audio workstations, notation software, online learning platforms, and studio technologies are transforming teaching and professional training at the Department of Music, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka. Using a mixed-methods case study, data were gathered through questionnaires, interviews, and performance observations involving students, lecturers, and technical staff during the 2025/2026 academic session. Findings show that while technology expands access to music production and enhances creative possibilities, it also generates tensions between traditional musicianship and industry-oriented digital skills. Curriculum analysis of courses such as MUS 880 (Studies in Music Production and Management) and MUS 882 (Musical Acoustics), alongside relevant literature, highlights key challenges at UNIZIK, including inadequate infrastructure, unstable power supply, and uneven digital literacy. The study concludes that technology acts as a creative catalyst, fostering a hybrid “digital artistry” that merges conventional musical values with technological fluency. It recommends targeted staff training, functional digital laboratories, industry collaboration, sustainable power investment, and curriculum reforms that embed technology while preserving the cultural and aesthetic foundations of music education.