Technology Strategies for Music Education

SECTION 2: AREAS OF COMPETENCY IN MUSIC TECHNOLOGY


The Technology Institute for Music Educators has identified seven areas of music technology that are directly applicable to music instruction in support of the National Standards for Arts Education. This section will present these seven areas of competency and explain the importance of each.

1. Electronic Musical Instruments
Electronic musical instruments may be defined as those that generate sound electronically rather than acoustically. Two examples are synthesizers and digital pianos. These instruments generally have three components: a controller (keyboard, strings, fretboard), modifier capabilities, and a sound generator which may be separate units or self-contained like the digital piano.

With acoustic instruments, the generation of sound is linked to the control of that sound. For example, a piano makes a sound when a key is depressed with force, a violin produces a sound when the bow is drawn across a string. The physical action is directly linked to the sound production. This is not always true with electronic musical instruments. Instrumental controllers, like electronic wind instruments, may make absolutely no sound by themselves. Instead, they produce a control signal which is transmitted to a sound generating device by way of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface, usually referred to as MIDI. MIDI allows the separation of electronic instruments into controller and sound generator. A new world of sound possibilities is available for the performer.

Michael Brecker, one of the great saxophone players of our time, also plays an electronic wind instrument. It allows him to use his playing technique to control sounds other than those available through the saxophone alone. He can play notes over a seven octave range at dynamic levels from pianissimo to fortissimo and with timbres ranging from a violin to a gun shot. In addition to this broad sonic palette, the wind controller stores his performance in a computer's memory. He can then play, edit and print his performance in standard music notation. Other MIDI controllers are available for violin, guitar, and percussion players. MIDI has changed the world of professional music-making. Electronic musical instruments may also be used to support music education as prerecorded MIDI performance, and as an aid in teaching basic arranging techniques and sound design.

Music teachers need to know how MIDI connections are made among instruments, how to use MIDI in the classroom, and how to connect MIDI instruments with computers. They need to understand how to create layered and split keyboard sounds for performances. They also need to be able to choose and edit sounds from stored libraries and create sounds using an electronic instrument.

Students can use electronic instruments as musical crayons creating simple to complex musical pieces while gaining dexterity and technique. They can learn musical processes with electronic keyboards and have fun at the same time. Electronic instruments can also be used in performance to enhance traditional and electronic-acoustic ensembles.

2. MIDI Sequencing

A musical performance consists of a series of sounds played in time with appropriate tempo and dynamic changes. MIDI data, however, consists of a stream of information or note events generated by the electronic controller device (keyboard, guitar, wind, percussion, etc.). As the musician performs, a MIDI sequencer records which notes were played, their dynamic levels, and when the notes were stopped. This information can be stored in the order (sequence) played allowing the MIDI sequenced performance to be played at a later time. A device or computer program which stores and retrieves this information is called a MIDI sequencer. MIDI sequencers come in several forms. A software sequencer is a program that runs on a computer. A hardware sequencer is a device dedicated to MIDI sequencing, and workstations are electronic keyboards that have built-in sequencing capabilities. When the sequencer plays the MIDI data, the sound generator produces the sound as if the musician was again performing the music.

Today, MIDI sequencers are capable of storing large amounts of data. They are designed to emulate a multi-track tape recorder, a familiar metaphor for most musicians. A musician may record different musical parts onto separate tracks of the MIDI sequencer. Each track of the sequence may be assigned a different instrumental timbre, allowing a single musician to create complex performances of complete compositions. Unlike the tape recorder, the MIDI sequencer gives musicians powerful and intuitive editing tools permitting changes and corrections without rerecording. Once stored, the music can be edited in its entirety, by individual tracks, by groups of notes within a track, or by individual notes. Tempo can be changed without altering the pitch. Transposition can be accomplished with a few simple commands. The music can be viewed in standard notation, as a list of events, or in graphic piano roll form. The MIDI sequence can then be stored as a Standard MIDI File (SMF), a file that can be universally read, for transfer to other MIDI programs.

Teachers should be able to enter notes in a MIDI sequence either one at a time (step-time) or by performing (real-time). They should know how to enter musical expressions by changing controller values, such as velocity and portamento, to produce a musical-sounding performance. At more advanced levels, teachers should know how to produce transcriptions in standard music notation, use advanced editing and production techniques, perform complex mixing processes, and integrate digital audio with MIDI data.

MIDI sequencers are not only valuable for music production, they are valuable educational tools. Teachers can generate accompaniments for their choirs, classes, or instrumental groups, either by creating original sequences or by using commercially available Standard MIDI Files. They can demonstrate orchestration and arranging techniques which allow students to immediately hear the example. Tempo change, transposition, timbre, and dynamics also can be easily controlled and changed.

Students can use a MIDI sequencer to apply musical concepts learned in class to prerecorded sequences. They can learn how dynamics, tempo change, orchestration, and transposition produce musical nuance and expression. Students can practice performance on traditional acoustic instruments using the MIDI sequencer as accompaniment to ensure they are playing in time, in tune, and learning the piece in context. The MIDI sequencer can also be used to compose music. Combined with an electronic instrument, the MIDI sequencer can become a musical tool allowing students to gain confidence in expressing themselves through music.

3. Music Notation Software

Music notation software is designed to print scores, extract and transpose individual parts, and generate MIDI performances. Once the notation is entered, compositions can be transposed and parts can be prepared for a variety of instruments. Because the music notation software can also output MIDI data, scores can be played through a MIDI instrument. Changes made to the notation are heard upon playback. By using an ink-jet or laser printer, easy-to-read scores and parts can be printed

Most notation software programs provide basic page layout capabilities, display of lyrics and chord symbols, and various graphic tools for non-standard notation techniques. Some notation programs also permit the data to be viewed and edited as MIDI information, thus providing control over performance expression.

Teachers should be able to enter and layout a complete score, create parts, and integrate notation files into word processing software for text handouts and exams. They should be able to use notation software to demonstrate relationships between symbol and sound, and guide students in the use of this software as a creative tool for composition.

Students can use music notation programs to learn the basics of notation and to hear what they compose. Notes may be entered in a variety of ways including step-entry and real-time performance. Once entered, the notes may be edited, transposed, cut, copied, pasted, and expression markings added.

4. Computer-Assisted Instruction

There are many software applications available to support music education. Those specifically designed to assist instruction are called Computer-Assisted Instructional software, or CAI. Commercially available CAI software programs are designed to help students learn music theory and music history, develop ear-training skills, and drill and test knowledge in a variety of areas.

Teachers should have a broad familiarity with available CAI software. They should understand how to install, use, and integrate these programs into their music curriculum taking full advantage of the record-keeping, evaluation, and instructional support CAI software provides. At the more advanced levels, teachers may also learn to author CAI programs using available tools which require little or no computer programming experience. Creating CAI courseware allows teachers to fully integrate technology into their teaching, reflecting a personal approach to the musical goals set for the students.

CAI can provide students with a patient practice partner allowing self-paced progress through subject matter. Class work and progress can also be recorded using CAI software.

5. Multimedia and Digitized Media

Multimedia is the integration of sound, text, graphics, pictures, and video in a digital format. Just as computers may be used to store and manipulate MIDI performance and music notation, they may also be used to create, manipulate, and combine various media objects such as audio, video, and graphics. This combination of multimedia environments is itself a new art form. Incorporating these media elements into interactive computer environments provides a rich educational resource to support music instruction. For example, the music of Beethoven can be brought to life when the student can see a picture of the composer, read about his life and times, hear his music, and see a video performance.

There are many technical issues in creating and manipulating these media elements. To transfer information from the real world (analog domain) into the computer world (digital domain), information must be captured and digitized. This is usually accomplished through some form of analog to digital conversion technique. Graphics may be digitized using a variety of devices that convert the pictures into a collection of numbers called pixels (picture elements). Each pixel is a a dot on the computer screen and represents one of up to a million possible colors. Each color is identified by its own discreet number. When digitizing video, a complete screen (usually 480 rows of 640 pixels for a total of over 300,000 pixels) must be captured every 1/30th of a second in order to produce the 30 frames per second quality common to analog video. In the digitization process of any media type there are always tradeoffs because image, sound, and motion quality is based on the amount of memory, storage, and processing power of the computer.

To successfully work with digitized media, teachers must have a working knowledge of how computers process, store, and retrieve data from disk, and of the various file formats in which digital media can be stored. Teachers need to know how to use the various editing tools available for digital media and how to edit and process media file types. They must also learn to use various tools which allow files in one format to be converted to another so that files can be combined into multimedia authoring environments. At the advanced levels, teachers should be able to use authoring tools to integrate digital audio, video, graphics, and text into a single document which can enrich various musical activities.

Advanced students can use multimedia authoring tools to create interactive projects and reports. By mastering these skills teachers can confidently and effectively use the computer to express their ideas and achieve their goals.

6. Internet and Telecommunications

Increasing amounts of valuable information are available in digital format on the international information network known as the Internet. Once connected, it may be used to research information on any topic. There are sites which offer thousands of Standard MIDI Files that may be downloaded at no charge. Digital audio files and QuickTime video files are ubiquitous on the Internet. Unique opportunities exist for students and teachers to share ideas and information.

Teachers need to understand the various protocols used in connecting computers to the Internet, how to share files between computers of varying platforms, and be able to effectively search for and retrieve information. Teachers should encourage students to use the Internet to find answers and to become life-long learners beyond the classroom experience.

Many libraries, both public and private, allow students to search their catalogs online and will give them the references requested. In some instances students can post (upload) their own music files for others to review. Electronic mail messages (email) can be sent and received from anywhere in the world to anyone who has an Internet mail address.

7. Information Processing, Computer Systems, and Lab Management

In addition to the value that technology brings to the learning process it can help teachers manage information in their daily work more effectively. Word processing software allows text-based documents to be entered, edited, formatted, and printed. This is a helpful tool for creating recital programs, handouts, and tests. Database software stores and retrieves records for instrument inventories, class lists, and attendance. Spreadsheet programs assist with the management of data including budget management, book-keeping, and grades. Graphics programs help integrate illustrations into classroom presentations or word processing documents. Presentation software can be used to create overhead transparencies and slides for class lectures, or for presentations made to administrators, funding agencies, and parent groups. Another program allows teachers to print customized calendars for students and parents. Some programs are written for one specific purpose while other programs perform many of the above functions.

Computers systems are complex with many components. Teachers should be aware of the functions of these components to effectively use them in the music curriculum. All computers have a microprocessor which carries out instructions and processes information; temporary memory dedicated to work space called Random Access Memory (RAM); a storage device such as a diskette, hard disk, or removable media (SyQuest cartridges, Jaz or Zip drives, Magneto-Optical disks, etc.); some output devices like a monitor, LCD display, or printer; and a few input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, track ball or track pad, numeric keypad, or joystick used to enter information or select options from a menu. Every computer has an operating system which determines how the computer will function, and what kind of software it can run. Data is stored in files, as determined by the software being used.

Managing a technology facility, be it a single computer and MIDI workstation in a classroom or a full music technology multi-station lab, requires specific administrative and management abilities. Teachers should be able to install and run word processing programs and enter data, format pages, and print out reports. They can use these tools to manage class activities and lab systems. In a shared facility, or in a classroom with a single workstation, it becomes necessary to keep hard drives free of student files and excess software applications, and protect against computer viruses. Teachers need to understand these issues and develop maintenance strategies which ensure effective use of workstations.

At more advanced levels, teachers should be able to specify equipment needs for their classroom or lab facilities. They need to understand the configurations for electronic instruments, computers, MIDI interfaces, sound reinforcement, projection systems, sound and data networking, and how they interact with each other. The more teachers know about these issues the better prepared they will be to effectively integrate and manage music technology installations.

Technology Strategies for Music Education


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