Thursday, 25 September Friday, 26 September Saturday 27 September

 

Thursday, September 25

Pod-Logic-A Guide to Getting the Most out of your iPod in the Classroom
Kathleen Kerstetter--Florida International University

One of the most influential pieces of hardware developed for the music classroom in the past decade has been the iPod. However, these portable MP3 devices can be used for much more than music playback. Many iPod users are unaware of the potential for the device to aid in music teaching. This demonstration will three areas of concentration: recording, video playback, and creating interactive content to make the iPod an all-in-one portable teaching device.

 

Building Score Reading Skills by Controlling Independent Lines of Music Simultaneously with Sibelius 5 and Adobe Flash CS3
Steven Kreinberg--Temple University

One of the most useful skills for any musician is the ability to follow a score while listening to the music. This presentation will demonstration how to extract each line of music within a score as an individual audio file using Sibelius 5, and then using Adobe Flash CS3, to reassemble the lines to create an interactive score where the individual lines can be played or silenced at will, in any order or in any combination of lines. Moving from simple examples, such as a short four-part chorale by Bach, to more complex examples, the presenter will demonstrate step-by-step how to create these interactive scores. Detailed handouts and screen shots will accompany the demonstration, enabling attendees to observe the process from beginning to end so they can create examples for their own uses.

 

A Framework for Integrating Technology into Instrumental Rehearsals
Jay Dorfman--Boston University

This presentation will explore existing models for designing and planning instrumental ensemble (band and orchestra) rehearsals in the K-12 setting. Included in these models will be principles for planning warm-ups, tuning, introductory exercises and drills, introduction of literature, problem solving, solidifying rehearsal goals, sight-reading, and creative activities based on literature.

 

Music Technology Opportunities for Accommodation and Inclusion of Students with Exceptionalities in the Music Classroom
Fred Kersten--Scotia, New York

This presentation examines opportunities for accommodation and inclusion of?students with exceptionalities in the music classroom through utilization of music technology. Visually Impaired, Physically Handicapped, and Hearing Impaired are areas of exceptionality that will be considered. Software, examples of ongoing research, current projects and various commissions in action will be explored as part of the presentation.

 

Professional Performers’ Use of Music Technology and the Implications for Higher Education
Karen Rege--Delaware County Community College

Based on original data collected from interviews with ten musicians working in the northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, this study examines how professional performers use technology for both performance and other activities which support their musical careers. Discussion of implications for curriculum is presented based on the findings from the data. Recommendations for best practices are made regarding integration of technology skills in the general music curriculum, content for music technology courses, and faculty professional development.

 

Reaching At Risk Students Through Music Tech
Jane Kuehne--Auburn University

This presentation will discuss the process of implementing a music technology program in a rural lower socioeconomic at-risk high school including student reflections and overall outcomes of the project. In the target school all students not in band are required to take music appreciation as the fine arts requirement. In fall 2007, funding was obtained for two complete music technology workstations which were assembled for use at the target school. The teachers for this project were future music teachers who were enrolled in the music education and music technology practicum courses required just prior to internship. The final five Fridays of the semester were dedicated to applying what they have learned about music technology and teaching in the university classroom to the at-risk students at the target high school.

 

Technology on the Turnpike: An Examination of High School Technology-Based Music Classes in New Jersey
Rick Dammers--Rowan University

Technology-based music classes seem to be increasingly common in our high schools but pedagogically similar to traditional music classes, yet data does not exist to confirm or refute this perception. As a first step toward clarifying this picture, the purpose of this study is to examine the frequency and nature of technology-based high school music classes in public high schools in the State of New Jersey. The findings from this survey will be presented followed by a broader discussion of whether these courses represent significant changes in pedagogy from traditional music courses as well as recommendations for further research and our role in supporting the development of technology-based music classes in secondary schools.

 

Appalachian Songs and Singing Games
Susan Mills--Appalachian State University

This session will feature a demonstration of a website created for Music Educators, in which the presenter combined Softchalk’s Lesson Builder software with a digital sound and photo archive called The Digial Library of Appalachia (DLA) to develop units of study in Appalachian traditional music appropriate for elementary and middle school students. Created to help music educators present authentic and accurate Appalachian repertoire and cultural context, the units provide complete resources including stereo quality downloadable audio recordings and photos, in addition to links for further study and examples of Appalachian music and arts. Lesson Builder is compatible with many online course platforms, such as MOODLE, WEB CT, and Blackboard. The online availability makes the resources available to teachers who may not have access to traditional Appalachian music training or performances. This presentation is geared for beginner or novice users, though more tech-savvy participants are quite welcome.

 

Understanding Music: An Online, Interactive World Music Curriculum
Jonathan Kramer--North Carolina State University
Alison Arnold--North Carolina State University

Our paper describes an online course for undergraduate general students developed for distance education in World Music. On the course website, all weekly lessons integrate written text with audio and video examples, accessed by the distance education student through hyperlinks to streaming media. The paper elaborates on the challenges of creating a curriculum for World Music that is entirely web-based. These challenges include content production, compatibility issues with Blackboard/Vista educational software, webpage design, student-student and student-instructor interactions, assignment submission, assessment, and copyright. The course was prepared for and is now offered at a large state university with an historical emphasis in technology, engineering, and hard science. At this institution, online distance education is not merely a novel initiative but a necessity. In this presentation, we will demonstrate the technical capabilities and interactive dynamics of the website.

 

Chopin’s Apartment: A Collaborative Student Music History Project in Second Life
Anna Dundas--Palm Beach Atlantic University
Greg Karabensh--Palm Beach Atlantic University

This project is part of a research study at Palm Beach Atlantic University involving collaborative student projects in virtual worlds for music history learning. The idea is that creating a "scene" that represent a time and place in terms of history and culture will facilitate a more immersive learning experience than a typical research project. The four students in the group decided to focus on Chopin’s apartment as described by Liszt in his biography of Chopin. Liszt describes finding other members of the Parisian intellectual and artistic establishment there listening to Chopin play. Our research focused on the role of Chopin and his friends in the artistic life of Paris, and on the phenomenon of salon concerts during this time period. After building and furnishing the scene, we added interactive information from our research, and gave a virtual public performance recreating the event described by Liszt.

 

Getting at the Feasibility and the Efficacy of MUVE-based Music History Research Projects
Timothy Thompson--Palm Beach Atlantic University

The purpose of the study is to examine the possibility of MUVE-based group projects. Students built a 3D interactive re-creation of a venue and reënacted a performance using the SecondLife platform. The student group decided the topic, researched it, built the space and the avatars, placed notes from their research within the scene for visitors, and organized and put on the performance. Students in a music appreciation course attended the virtual concert. The study uses surveys and interviews to determine the efficacy of the project on the learning of the building group, and of visiting the build on the learning of the music appreciation group against a control group assigned to read a paper on the same topic. The study analyzes the time and other resources necessary for the project and technological hurdles that the student group had to overcome, and makes recommendations for the future of such projects.

 

Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Connecting Computer Science and Music Students to the Benefit of Both
Gena Greher--University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Jesse Heines--University of Massachusetts, Lowell

We present a hands-on, interdisciplinary project designed to help music education students think about how novices learn new symbol systems. The students design a musical instrument from a typical household object and create a musical composition for it. They then devise a notation system that others can understand well enough to perform their composition with little to no verbal or written direction. Given this notation system, computer science students create programs that implement it. The two groups of students interact during the "hand off" and when music students "try out" the programs developed by the computer science students. Both groups of students benefit from learning to communicate with others whose backgrounds differ significantly from their own and from understanding what it really takes to create a notation system and a computer program that can be used by people who don't share their perspective.

 

Combining Online and Oncampus Student Populations using Live Videostreaming in an Undergraduate Film Music Course
Fred Rees--Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis

This paper describes the administration of a synchronously delivered undergraduate course on film music for non-music majors. Its notable attributes are the combination of teaching oncampus and online students simultaneously using a live videostream, presentation software with online as well as oncampus student presentations, film and film music excerpts, and a chatroom that links oncampus and online students with the instructor during class proceedings. This initiative is a preliminary study in gathering information on the effectiveness of this mode of delivery for online/oncampus learning.

 

Using Rapidweaver to Build a Beautiful Website in Minutes
Charles Laux--The Ohio State University and Valencia Community College

Come see how to use Rapidweaver, a next-generation web design application, to build and publish a beautiful and functional website quickly and easily. Rapidweaver runs on Mac OS X, doesn’t require any knowledge of complex code, and offers exciting features such as blogging and podcasting.

 

The Ultimate Sound Palette - Combining Acoustic Instruments and Electronics in Live Performance and Recordings
Richard Sussman--Manhattan School of Music

The ultimate sound palette for contemporary live performance and recordings consists of the integration of virtual, electronic sounds with processed or unprocessed acoustic sounds, and features the laptop computer as a member of the instrumental ensemble. Student projects will be used to demonstrate techniques for utilizing "user friendly" applications such as Digital Performer, Logic, and Ableton Live, in conjunction with various Virtual Instruments and DSP plug-ins to achieve these results.

Multimedia in Concert Performance: Artistic and Practical Ways for You and Your Students to Engage Audiences Fully and Build a Popular Following
George F. Litterst--TimeWarp Technologies
Shana Kirk--TimeWarp Technologies

A successful performance of art music typically requires both a skilled performer and an educated listener. Artistic and musically coordinated use of multimedia provides performers with an effective way to reach out to and engage audiences. As pioneers in the area of multimedia classical performance, the presenters provide a number of inspiring examples of multimedia that coordinate with music of diverse style periods. The presentation also provides practical advice for effectively presenting multimedia on stage, demonstrates musician-accessible tools for creating musically appropriate, visual elements, and provides several technical solutions for coordinating changing visual displays with a musical performance in real time

 

Electro meets Acoustic: Improvisations for Violin and MIDI equipped Electronic Guitar with Laptop Electronics
Mike Nord--Willamette University
Richard Carr--Poughkeepsie City School District

Nord and Carr perform original improvised works for violin and MIDI equipped electric guitar with laptop electronics. They have collaborated as performers and teachers for 15 years and have toured in the US, Japan, Mexico, and Europe. Nord and Carr record for Leo Records. Nord and Carr will share a unique approach to integrating acoustic violin and electric/electronic guitar. Beyond the hope that it is simply a musical delight, the performers intend that the performance provide a sense of the possibilities, as well as real world model for how artists and teachers might navigate the complexities of ensemble playing that combines electronic and acoustic instruments.

 

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Friday, September 26

Producing Music for Video Games: The New Interactive Frontier
Mark Spraggins--California Lutheran University

This presentation provides an overview of the process for composing, producing, and implementing music and sound for video games. Part I explores specific compositional techniques that are favorable for the development of interactive game scores. Additionally, there will be a demonstration of software tools (middleware) used to assemble interactive scores. Part II will look at examples of how music and sound are integrated into recent game titles.

 

Seeking a Sound Design: Using Film Sound to Teach Sound Composition Techniques
Dan Hosken--California State University, Northridge

When teaching sound composition (a.k.a., electro-acoustic composition) to today’s college students, an instructor must take into account the both the students’ past musical experiences and their past technological experiences. In my own teaching, I’ve found, unsurprisingly, that most students’ past musical experiences are dominated by groove-based popular music, which does not seem to relate immediately to abstract electro-acoustic compositions. One solution that I have found successful is to use film sound, rather than music, as a bridge between students’ aural experiences and the complex world of electro-acoustic music. While students’ musical experiences have been dominated by the repetitive beat, their aural experiences in films have been shaped by the sophisticated sound designs found in modern horror and fantasy films.

 

MainStage On Stage: An Electronic Performer’s POV
Mike Nord--Willamette University

Apple’s MainStage software was released in 2007 with a view towards making many of the resources and capabilities of Logic 8 available to live performers in the form of a practical, user friendly, and programmable interface designed for stage use with MIDI controllers and/or analog audio sources. Using an electric guitar equipped with a MIDI pickup system, this presentation will demonstrate some of MainStage’s capabilities and programming processes, share some ideas and performance materials, and offer some practical ways to take advantage of this all-purpose sound generating and processing application in live performance situations.

 

Workshop: QuickTime Reconsidered: Confronting Myths and Realities
Raymond Riley--Alma College

QuickTime has been around for some time now and has a deep rich history. First introduced in May 1991 and originally available for System 6.07 and System 7, it was designed as a comprehensive media architecture and offers a full range of services some of which include: media authoring, editing, capture of video and audio from external devices, delivery via the web, RTSP streaming, and of course playback. This presentation and workshop will explore QuickTime for multimedia development with an eye to how QuickTime has changed for both the good and the bad. As competing formats and new developments in the media industry arise, the question to address is whether QuickTime is really the best tool for a given project and why.

 

Understanding the Styles of Jazz Masters through Digital Audio Recording Technology
Richard Schmunk--University of Southern California

Digital recording technology provides a myriad of practical applications in music, many of which are currently being discovered. Beyond capturing audio performance, these technologies can provide the user detailed data for deeper musical analysis than has previously been possible. By importing audio files from a jazz master such as Miles Davis, for example, utilities within the software can be used to tempo map the music and reveal information about the soloist’s rhythmic performance and interpretation. The purpose of this project was to compare and contrast the stylistic interpretation of several iconic jazz musicians, creating a knowledge base to better understand the specific details of style, groove and interpretation of our jazz legends. This presentation will demonstrate the methodology used, the results of the analysis and practical applications in teaching and learning jazz performance.

 

From Bytes to Beats: Popular Music Pedagogy
Evan Tobias--Arizona State University

This paper focuses on ways in which technology can be used in shifting pedagogical approaches towards the study of popular music appropriate within the paradigm of popular culture. Music educators struggling with how to approach popular music in the classroom might begin using technology aligned with ways that students actually engage in popular music outside of school. Through the use of web-based technologies students can listen to, analyze, critique, and engage with popular music in ways that might increase their musical understanding. This paper will also assist music educators in developing appropriate pedagogical approaches towards using these particular web-based technologies that go beyond their intended use. Through using these technological resources as part of a popular music pedagogy students and teachers may begin to think about popular music in new ways.

 

Flash vs. Director: Can't We All Just Get Along?
Marc Max Jacoby--West Chester University

This presentation will attempt to highlight both the positive and negative aspects of two popular multimedia development platforms, Director and Flash (ironically both are published by the same company, Adobe), with an eye towards using both within a project. With the music educator/developer in mind, audio/MIDI handling capabilities of each will be the primary focus of this session and, to aid the developer in integrating both into their toolkit, coding examples will be presented to demonstrate the passing of variables between them.

 

Pedagogical Applications of Web-Based Generative Music Systems: A Comparison of Envl.net and Related Tools
Christopher Ariza (Towson University)

Software systems for computer-aided algorithmic composition (CAAC) have been developed for over fifty years. The pedagogical utility of such systems has been frequently suggested. In recent years new systems have provided approaches to generating music from within a web browser. The envl.net system, introduced here, provides a free and cross-platform example. After proposing criteria for comparing ease of use and creative compositional flexibility, a survey of a selection of web-based tools for CAAC is presented. This paper then describes the envl.net system interface and implementation, including server-side use of Python and athenaCL, and compares the envl.net system to related systems. Envl.net is shown to provide powerful, creative tools, offering ease of use with substantial creative compositional flexibility. This paper will conclude with practical examples of using envl.net for University courses in music technology and music composition.

 

(post-)it
Alan Lechusza--University of California, San Diego

(post)-it is an ongoing live electronic work which straddles the point of limitation and exaggeration in contemporary post-modern life.

 

Beyond The Boneyard: Creating Music Using Technology...and an Electric Trombone!
Darren Kramer--DKO, The Darren Kramer Organization

This presentation combines a live concert, music technology clinic, songwriting seminar and a classroom discussion. An innovative “one man band” will perform using an electric trombone and computer loops. This "acid jazz electronica" is presented not by a DJ, but a trombonist! Performing, recording and composing is accomplished using Ableton Live, Propellerhead's , and Apple's Garageband, all current trends influencing many aspects of the music business. This presentation demonstrates how to spontaneously develop a mix of jazz and beats into well-crafted compositions and the audience will hear how the presenter creates his music. The software will be displayed as informative slides and “behind the scenes” visual access of the performances of each song.

 

Workshop: Designing Music Technology Modules as a Supplement to Traditional Music Classes
Peter Webster--Northwestern University
David B. Williams--Illinois State University, Emeritus

Part I will report the results of a national survey of music programs in all sections of the country to determine what is currently being done to embed music technology instruction into regularly scheduled courses and provide a summary of models compiled from the data. Using Part I as a base, Part II will offer suggestions for such modules by providing objectives, activities, support materials, and software that might be used in different settings. We will share the results of our work in collecting a listing of the many tutorial resources available on the Internet that can be used to support such integration, for music, multimedia, and web applications, and suggest approaches that might be used that have not been widely considered.

 

Recording your Ensemble: Stereo Microphone Techniques
David Mendez--Shure Incorporated

Whether you’re looking to record your ensemble or capture the natural sound of a live performance, you’ll want to understand the basics of stereo miking. Stereo recordings can provide a picture of the recording space’s acoustics and capture sound source characteristics without the tonal imbalances that close miking can sometimes produce. In this session, we’ll explore four of the most popular stereo miking techniques, illustrate a majority of them with images of mic set-ups and provide audio clips that should illustrate the critical listening differences.

Composition Technology for Music Educators
Ronald A. Hemmel--Westminster Choir College of Rider University

“Composition Technology for Music Educators” is a course designed to satisfy a theory requirement in the university’s four-summer MME program. Participants experienced four kinds of programs where composition and technology intersect (loop-based, sequencing, digital audio and notation). Works were composed using each technique, and classroom activities and/or lesson plans were created by the participants designed for the grade level(s) they teach. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines is one of the National Standards for Music Education. This became the central idea which connected music technology in the classroom with theory-worthy credit. Also, teachers who did not have a composition background were given a venue in which to improve their skills and learn ways to help their students satisfy the Standards goal. “Composition Technology for Music Educators” was first offered in the summer of 2007. This presentation will describe the course in detail, and provide suggestions for faculty contemplating such an offering at their colleges.

 

Podcasting in Music Education: The Affordability, Flexibility, and Portability of This Simple Technology, and Easy Steps Towards Publishing Your Own Episodes
Brendan P. McConville--University of Tennessee, Knoxville

“Podcasting” has revolutionized the way we share electronic files in cyberspace, and the benefits of this technology will no doubt influence the future of general pedagogical practices. More specifically, music pedagogues will discover that podcasting’s formats lend themselves perfectly to improving musical cognition, analytical skills and performance. In this presentation, we will examine the benefits of podcasting and how they may enliven music instruction. We will also consider methods for implementing the technology into lesson plans. Then, we will delineate easy steps towards writing and publishing your own podcasts. Ultimately, the goals of this presentation are to raise awareness of the technology in connection with music education, outline its aurally and visually communicative attributes, and provoke creative thought so that educators may author and apply podcasts to their own classrooms.

 

A Massively Multi-Player Piano
Jay Alan Jackson--Rochester Institute of Technology

This presentation will demonstrate an interactive multimedia application, dubbed the "Massively Multi-Player Piano" (MMPP), that is being developed to explore alternatives to the "guitar hero" series of music video games that use real musical instruments and involve musical styles beyond rock/pop. The application allows from one to many people of various skill levels to play (or play along with) jazz and classical compositions on an actual piano keyboard.

 

Taking Error Detection to the Course Management System
Julie Evans--Western Michigan University
Kenneth Smith--Western Michigan University

Error detection is a fundamental skill developed in undergraduate ear training courses. Practicing error detection requires the use of both visual and audio components, which suggest the use of computer-based multimedia. Both visual graphics and audio files are ideally suited for web-based distribution. Course management systems such as WebCT Vista provide tools to create quizzes and record grades. This presentation will demonstrate how to create online error detection quizzes in WebCT Vista for use by students both inside and outside of the classroom. We will also present data demonstrating the reliability of such online assessment when compared to similar classroom activities.

 

Classical Music Video Projects Created by Non-Music Majors
Douglas Huff--Western Illinois University

My proposed electronic poster presentation includes a continuously-running loop of eight classical music video projects created by students in my music appreciation class for non-music majors from the past 10 years. A handout describes: 1) the guidelines and recommendations for creating the projects; 2) the nature and intent of each project; and 3) the technology used in the creation of the projects. Although projects have been created with a variety of different technology, all the projects will be formatted into a single DVD on eight different tracks, so that any project can be immediately accessed by request. By actually working with a piece of classical music, students apply a higher level of thinking by synthesizing what they have learned about the music with other ideas of interest to them.

 

Music Composition in the Digital Age (The Role of Music Software and Technology in Music Composition)
Richard Sussman--Manhattan School of Music

An overview of how Music Notation, Sequencing, and Digital Audio Recording software has revolutionized and enhanced the process of music composition in the 21st Century. Specific examples of these techniques will be demonstrated in various software platforms, with emphasis placed on examples of student projects.

 

Learning and Teaching Music Composition: One Project Creates Professional Development Programs
Sandi MacLeod--University of Vermont and Vermont MIDI Project

This session will look at one specific project and the multi-level professional development it offers in music composition. Technology--hardware and software-- and online communication tools are integral to the effort. The multiple strategies employed include: varying delivery models including workshops and courses; instructional expertise from different perspectives including professional composers, university faculty, and practicing teachers; and continuing opportunities. The guiding principle of this project is that teachers who are intending to teach composition should compose themselves. Additionally, teachers engage in a reflective process that includes giving feedback to others about compositions and receiving feedback from others with attention to revision. This presentation will share various models developed for success with teachers with little previous experience in composing or teaching composition.

 

New Trends in Music Technology
James Frankel--SoundTree

Join an interactive discussion covering the latest in music technology equipment designed to make teaching in the classroom more effective and fun! Topics covered include Music Technology Lab equipment, guitar labs, portable recording equipment, synthesizers, and sound systems. Products will be demonstrated during the presentation and Q&A will be a large portion of the session.

 

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Saturday, September 27

Workshop: Post Production Audio: Synchronizing Music, Dialog and Sound Effects using Digidesign's Pro Tools Software
Bruce H. Frazier--Western Carolina University

A hands-on tutorial using Digidesign's Pro Tools audio production software to synchronize audio with video as a part of the post-production workflow. Topics in this session include importing video and audio, basic audio editing techniques, adding audio transitions, applying plug ins, mixing and balancing multiple tracks of audio, synchronizing audio with video, and exporting the completed dubbed movie. Sound elements include music, dialog, sound effects and Foley

 

But, What About the Sound? Optimizing Audio for the Musical Videoconference
Brian K. Shepard--University of Southern California

Great strides continue to be made in the video stream quality of the high-bandwidth videoconference. For musicians though, it is the quality of the audio stream that is, arguably, of greater importance. Unfortunately, in most current videoconference systems, the quality of the audio lags far behind that of the video. Musical videoconference audio-quality problems generally fall into three areas that often work at odds with each other: codec audio sampling quality, audio component quality, and echo control. This presentation/demonstration will feature a number of strategies for improving and optimizing the audio quality in the musical videoconference. Topics will include codec types and their audio sampling qualities, microphone and loudspeaker selection and placement, physical echo rejection techniques, the use of off-the-shelf electronic devices and common recording studio techniques to control echo, as well as the newest generation of echo-cancellation modules being developed for the full-frequency audio spectrum.

 

Beyond Normalization: Recording Basics
Daniel Gonko--Western Carolina University
Laurel Fisher--Western Carolina University

It is becoming increasingly popular for music teachers to record lessons, rehearsals, and performances for us as teaching tools.  In this hands-on demonstration, Digidesign's Pro Tools LE will be used in conjunction with "freeware" such as Audacity to demonstrate basic and practical recording and mixing techniques.  We will look at microphone placement, equalizers, compression, and other simple techniques that can increase the quality of such recordings in order to increase their usability and re-usability as teaching tools.

 

Finale Composing and Arranging Tips and Tricks
Thomas Rudolph--University of the Arts

This hands-on session will give the participants an in-depth look at some of the advanced features of Finale. The session is designed for those new to Finale and users who want to improve their skills and pick up a few tips and tricks along the way. Participants will take home a tips and tricks handout and free demo of Finale.

 

Workshop:Creating Pedagogical Applications in Max/MSP
Dan Hosken--California State University, Northridge

This workshop will introduce the basic features of the Max/MSP programming environment and some strategies for creating pedagogical applications with it. Max/MSP is a graphical programming language that allows non-programmers to create complex MIDI, audio, and signal processing applications and couple them to common interface objects such as sliders, knobs, and number boxes, and some not-so-common interface objects such as a graphical filter control, an oscilloscope, and a spectrogram.

 

Sibelius Composing and Arranging Tips and Tricks
Thomas Rudolph--University of the Arts

This hands-on session will give the participants an in-depth look at some of the advanced features of Sibelius. The session is designed for those new to Sibelius and users who want to improve their skills and pick up a few tips and tricks along the way. Participants will take home a tips and tricks handout and free demo of Sibelius 5.

 

WIMBA and Other Cool Blackboard Tools
Sara Hagen--Valley City State University

WIMBA tools and other not-so-well-known Blackboard tools will be demonstrated during this session. WIMBA is an additional piece of software or ASP service that can be inserted into most course management systems seamlessly. The tools are meant to “humanize” the online environment, providing expanded capabilities for more personalized teaching and learning. These tools include Live Classroom, Voice Recorder, Voice Board, Voice Presentation, Voice Email, Voice Direct, and Podcaster. Blackboard also offers a variety of ways to customize learning environments without these “extras,” which will also be explored.

 

Assessment of Music Technology Applications, Expectations and Curricula (A Case Study)
Richard Schmunk and Brian Shepard--University of Southern California

What should music graduates from our institutions of higher education know and be able to do within music technology? The 2007-08 handbook of the National Association of Schools of Music, our music school accrediting body, states that undergraduate music students “must acquire the ability to use technologies current to their area of specialization” (Item VIII.B.5.). In a music industry that changes every minute with technological innovation, what are the technologies current in the various areas of specialization and how are students’ needs being assessed? The purpose of this research was to identify the music technology skills that music graduates should have according to triangulated responses from a variety of constituents in the music industry: established and emerging artists, music industry professionals, recent alumni, employers/self-employers and students attending a school of music at a major research university. This presentation includes analysis, results and implications from the study.

 

Depicting the Harmony of Modern Jazz in Two- and Three-Dimensional Pitch Spaces
J. Kent Williams--University of North Carolina, Greensboro

In a recent paper, music theorist Keith Waters has shown how chords used in modern jazz can be derived from combinations of the familiar diatonic collection with the less familiar acoustic, octatonic, and hexatonic collections. Waters utilizes various diagrams to illustrate the cyclic properties of these collections. To demonstrate their explanatory power, he shows how the opening chord succession of Wayne Shorter’s “Vonetta” can be plotted upon and traced through these networks. I will demonstrate and discuss my interactive realizations of Waters’ diagrams, their potential for enhancing understanding of this rather complex topic, and techniques of Flash ActionScript programming that I used to create them.

 

“Ear Process” Dictation Mapping Tool-Discovering What’s Behind a Students’ Final Answer
Susan Piagentini--Northwestern University
Jonathan Smith--Northwestern University

Dictation practice software has greatly improved in the last decade. An increasing number of textbooks have CD-ROMs and MacGamut now includes remarkably intuitive student feedback. While these are worthwhile tools for our students, the assessment is of that final version, and what they got "wrong." This presentation demonstrates the "Ear Process" application and accompanying database. It stores student notation after each hearing and provides the instructor a view of the steps that lead to the final answer. When the instructor opens an assignment file, it is just like grading homework, but they see each exercise layer. The software keeps track of the instructor's feedback comments on each layer, with categories of comments including rhythm, meter, pitch, contour, intervals and strategy types. Records of the comment categories are saved in a separate database file for each student. Viewing a student file highlights patterns of change in skill development.

 

THoTH, Chord-scales and Improv
Steve Carter--Berklee College of Music

This demonstration will feature a computer-assisted approach to using chord-scales in teaching improvisation. Demonstration involves THoTH software, which performs chord-scale analysis on MusicXML exported from programs such as Sibelius and Finale displaying the analysis and storing the results in a database. The output of the analysis shows the correct mode for each chord, and information about how it relates to a major or minor scale. The THoTH database also includes many notated and audio examples demonstrating the musical application of these modes. The session will include a brief introduction to chord-scale theory, and a demonstration of using THoTH in teaching and learning.

 

Trading Fours: a Wiki-provisation for Music Education
Jessica Ann Slotwinski--Columbia University Teachers College

Trading Fours: a Wiki-provisation for music education at tradingfours.org is a newly-launched website and collection of Wikis designed for student teachers in the fieldof music education. In applying theories of cooperative learning and technology, this site and group and Wikis was designed to serve as a source of information for student teachers in music as well as a virtual community for discussion. The links on the homepage are to wikis dedicated to different areas of music education (general music, band and orchestra, chorus, and employment and certification.) They are places to talk, share ideas and ask questions about any and all aspects of music education including posting lesson plans and collectively brainstorming about ideas and concerns. The links page contains information about employment opportunities, certification information, professional music organizations, and other valuable sites related to music education and technology!

 

Recording Digital Audio: What Can It Do for You?
David A. Williams--University of South Florida

During this hands-on session attendees will be led through the basics of recording and editing digital audio and converting analog sound to digital. They will also explore a variety of educational uses of recorded sound and review necessary and optional hardware/software for audio recording and editing. Attendees will get to work hands-on with software including GarageBand, QuickTime Pro and Audacity.

 

Creating a Music Video: A Beginner's Tutorial Using Apple's Final Cut Pro
Bruce H. Frazier--Western Carolina University

Creating a Music Video: A Beginner's Tutorial Using Apple's Final Cut Pro. In this hands-on session the participants will import a prerecorded audio track and using basic video editing techniques, synchronize video with the audio track and export the completed movie. A sample project will be used to illustrate the process. Techniques include capturing, importing, trimming, editing, and combining digital movies and still images in synch with music using Apple's Final Cut Pro digital video production software.

 

The Soundscape Revisited: New Technologies Make It Affordable, Possible, and Practical
Charles Menoche--Central Connecticut State University

With the recent development and mass production of small, affordable, and portable recording devices, the creation of high-quality soundscapes for composition, research, and teaching are more readably available than ever in the past. The presentation will begin with a brief overview of the historical development of this fairly new genre. This will be followed by an exploration and discussion of the merits and affordability of representative hardware and software tools essential for the creation of soundscapes (microphones, portable digital recorders, audio editing software, etc.). Drawing upon the presenter’s experience in creating and teaching soundscape, three levels of “soundscape toolboxes” will be suggested for those interested in beginning to explore soundscapes as compositions and/or assignments within music technology and electronic music courses. Representative “classic” works as well as source materials and excerpts from works recorded and created by the presenter and his/her students will be included.

 

Enhancing Undergraduate Music Theory Courses for Experienced Teachers who are Inexperienced with Multimedia
Shane Anderson--Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi

For the experienced music theory professor who is new to technology, incorporating multimedia may seem like an overwhelming and time-consuming task. By providing an online repository of brief lectures on a variety of skills, our students can access these at any time of day outside of class. This presentation will demonstrate how to efficiently create an online tutorial via Windows Movie Maker and Audacity, then how to easily store these tutorials online for students to access outside of class. The presentation is designed for the experienced music theory teacher who is not experienced with multimedia presentation.

 

Global Awareness Program (GAP)
Daniel Long--Twin Valley School District, Pennsylvania

The Global Awareness Project combines music and technology to help teachers make connections with students, and to help students make global connections. Participants will learn one way to use technology to teach students about music, culture and tolerance for other cultures. Examples of completed projects, student handbooks, a list of web resources and suggestions for modifying the project will all be provided during the presentation. This project is suitable for both Junior High and Senior High students.

 

Plug-ins and Virtual Instruments
Richard Repp--Full Sail University

This presentation will include an in-depth exploration of the use of audio plug-ins and virtual instruments to enhance music production. Emphasis is on the understanding of DSP effects, software synthesizers and samplers, and how plug-ins function. The presentation is designed for students with a basic knowledge of a DAW such as Pro Tools, including recording and MIDI sequencing.

 

The Composer as Podcaster: Artistic, Pedagogical, and Practical Considerations
Jay C. Batzner--University of Central Florida

This demonstration shows some of the “extra-pedagogical” uses for podcasting I have encountered and how these “extra-pedagogical” concerns result in real-life lessons for students (as well as myself). I will also share many practical issues that I have valiantly learned “the hard way.” Podcasting is an excellent vehicle for moving instruction out of the classroom and into a larger world. Composers and performers alike would gain great insights to their musical natures by experiencing this technology.