Over the course of the past fifty years, countless software and hardware products have been introduced into music classrooms around the world with varying degrees of pedagogical success. The majority of these products were geared toward professional and amateur musicians and composers, only to be introduced to music teachers, either organically (teachers bringing real-world products into their classrooms) or through the efforts of manufacturers to obtain a new revenue stream for their products by selling them to schools. Knowing this, teachers often find it difficult to become aware of, identify, and choose these tools for use in their classroom instruction. The chapter presents key elements in successfully identifying and implementing creative, intuitive, and engaging tools for teaching, learning, and music making in the music classroom, as well as measuring their efficacy. Case studies focusing on the practices of several music educators are presented, including interviews with the software designers to illuminate the process behind innovative design. In addition to these case studies, a discussion of current products and their individual features and design ethos is given, with an emphasis on concepts instead of brands and devices.
