Laying the Foundation for Augmented Reality in Music Education

Since the beginning of humankind, the use and development of technologies have played an essential role in enhancing human abilities and creating new possibilities for action and expression. As such, new technologies have captured the imaginations of educational scholars and practitioners. One of the latest developments in the evolution of digital technologies is the ability to enrich or “augment” reality with digital content, thereby establishing an “augmented reality” (AR). This perspective article aims to promote and support advancements in the domain of music educational AR by proposing an interdisciplinary knowledge base and its concrete translation into design ideas for further developments in this emerging domain. We explore the integration of Augmented Reality (AR) into Music Education (MusEdAR), highlighting its nascent state and potential for innovation. First, we provide an overview of the current state-of-the-art, focusing on what types of AR are used, what visual content is digitally added to the learning experience, and how movement is integrated. Next, we discuss how to expand the MusEdAR domain. We argue for a solid interdisciplinary knowledge base to advance the design and use of MusEdAR applications and present themes such as embodied learning or developing creativity and associated theories. Based on these theories, we presented practical design ideas.