Music isn't only keeping a beat, teaching kids to sing, and letting them play recorder. Music is creativity. What better way to turn the music lover and non-music lover alike than by letting them create? And, what a super tool computer technology is. It's using a device that students are already familiar with and enjoy and turning it into a combination recording studio/composition desk/theory tutor/and sometimes art palette!

If you don't already have the always wonderful Music Ace program for your students, why not? The lessons are thorough, the games are fun, and there's a neat feature called "Doodle Pad" that allows students not only to create music, but cool artwork too! The Doodle Pad is a click and drag device where students click on note heads for whole note through eighth note, then drag them over to the staff where they want them. Selecting different tone colors not only provide different instrument sounds, but also color of another kind:visual color! I have students who get a kick out of making patterns out of the note heads, then playing them back to see what they sound like. There's also a JukeBox with pre-recorded tunes that the students can alter. Warn them, though, about saving the file to a different name. You don't want to wipe out the original!

For composition, I use MusicTime Deluxe, a fairly easy program in which the students can write one melody tunes up to songs with melody and piano accompaniment. This is a program in which the students can play a MIDI-keyboard, and have what they play register right in, as close to the tempo and rhythm settings as possible. It's not precise (this is where those gifted students can really experiment), but it's a good start. The tempo and time signature can be changed, text and lyrics can be added, as well as ornaments and dynamics. The color of the manuscript can even be changed, and the file can be copied into a midi file if desired. The configurations can be set so the playback can either come through your speakers or through the MIDI.

I also use Freestyle, and use it for orchestration. It interfaces with my MIDI and enables the students to take existing MIDI files and change the voicings. You have never heard the theme from "Star Wars" done in so many styles!

An absolutely wonderfully fun project I need with sixth graders last year: divide the class into groups and have them take simple tape recorders and record environmental sounds. (Please set your limit as to what is acceptable to avoid bathroom humor!) Once the group is through, have them record the sounds into the computer as a .wav file and run them through Cool Edit. It manipulates the sound waves into a variety of different ways. They can cut, paste, stretch, distort....you have never heard door slam sounds come out so different! Samples of my student's work will be posted to this website soon at the classroom page. See what a difference a basketball makes when run the a drainpipe filter.

There are some places on the Internet that will allow you to get in touch with other music educators and exchange student Midi-files, including The MICNet Project and Composers-In-Electronic-Residence.

Janice Glore Noblitt has had fourth and fifth graders write midi compositions to create an original opera in four musical moments. She uses Encore and MasterTracs Pro.

Hope this can get you started in your venture into music of the 21st century!