Chris Russel wrote some reflections on blogging for 20 years about music, education, and technology.

This part caught my attention…

Twenty Years on this Journey – Technology in Music Education:

What has also surprised me is how technology in our field, music education, has been in a holding pattern, even before COVID. The deep dive into the use of devices during COVID has resulted in a push against the use of technology by parents and teachers alike, but the technological slowdown started before that.
Keep reading here…

My gut reaction to reading this was to remember my own excitement for tech in 2005. So much hardware and software was on the verge of a breakthrough in democratizing the creative process–making things that used to be expensive, difficult, and professional more affordable, consumer-friendly, and personal. I was primarily excited by how easily I could make and share music.

When I think about what we’re being told are the breakthroughs of 2025, it’s all AI. The positioning of AI as some sort of “next big thing” still feels like an answer in search of a question. AI, and the developments of the early 2000’s, can both make things easier, but so much of what’s emerging today feels pro-capital and anti-curious.

Definitely follow Chris Russel’s awesome work. He has helped me level up my ukulele teaching chops in recent years, and this conversation might be a good starting point for some of that if you are interested.