Telematic Musicking

Click here for a trailer of the first North American New Horizons Telematic Wind Band Program.

Telematic music making refers to the technology used to send music information over long distances using computers and the internet. Because we use the internet as a means of connecting the computers and their musician users together on a network, the term networked music is also used.

One of the pioneers of Telematic Music was Pauline Oliveros who in 2009 wrote “Telematic music is defined as music performed live and simultaneously across geographic location via the internet” (from Telematic Music: Six Perspectives).

Musicking is a term coined in 1998 by musician, educator, and author Christopher Small shifting the perspective on making music from the music being an object to something relating to more of a social experience. 

Telematic Musicking then is a process of how we connect people together making music over the internet using a network to create a telematic experience. Telematic music is the correct overarching term, but networked music is more specific in that we must create a network, or a network of musicians to have a telematic music experience.

Telematic Musicking is not meant to act in place of in-person musical activities. It is a different experience and needs to be approached as such; however, there are many similarities in the pedagogy and potential outcomes of in-person versus telematic music programs.

For information on current Telematic Musicking programs visit telematicmusicking.com.