Scott D. Stanton, College of Eastern Utah

Music as we know it will never be the same since MIDI technology became available just over ten years ago. Teaching today's music students without this technology is unthinkable, for it has deeply affected every aspect of the music-making process, from academic classes to performance ensembles to composition. In response to this imperative, we must make a significant commitment to this emerging technology in virtually all music applications. Music departments must include multi-station computer/MIDI labs that are available to all students. When we do, the number of students involved in the music program will increase in response to our investment in technology.

I have prepared this discussion in an attempt to open a dialogue that will share information with colleagues and acquaint administrators with some applications that I have found useful in serving the needs of the traditional music student and members of the communities that we serve.

Designing a music curriculum for today's students means using today's technology. Small schools can especially benefit from a program that embraces the current technology available for the classroom and the performing stage. Small schools traditionally have fewer advanced music students, weak instrumentation in concert band and jazz ensembles and probably a non-existent string program. New directions in performance technology would allow all music students to experience a performance of Handel's Messiah or Vivaldi's Gloria with a synthesized string orchestra, a jazz band with a solid bass trombone as a foundation for their sound, or to hear all the parts of a concert band composition as the composer intended ( i.e.; the bassoon, oboe, piccolo, tuba, string bass, French horn colors).

All communities have a wealth of musicians who never get the experience of playing in ensembles, and they are probably some of the best musicians and readers--pianists! Just think of how the players in small school ensembles could improve their understanding of musical style if they heard all the parts of a composition in their correct textures. The obvious solution is to fill the holes in the ensemble with pianists playing synthesizers. The current state-of-the-art allows very realistic sounding "acoustic instrument samples." Of course, they must be played with great sensitivity just like any instrument. Pianists can to taught to play musically! This is a win-win situation. The keyboard players get to experience ensemble playing and a repertoire they would otherwise not encounter, and traditional ensembles would have complete, stylistically correct instrumentation with competent players on all parts.

The logical extension of adding synthesizers to traditional ensembles is to create a synthesizer ensemble. Four synths playing assorted harmony and melody parts (SATB) and a rhythm section (digital piano, bass, guitar, percussion) would allow the flexibility to perform all styles of music from Baroque and Classical to jazz, pop/rock or new age with authentic instrumentation.

In preparing our students for the real world of amateur or professional music-making they must be computer/MIDI literate. All schools should be designing a music curriculum that is computer/MIDI based and available to all students, not just an elite group of music majors or graduate students. Courses in the Fundamentals of Music Technology, Basic Musicianship (Music Theory), Music History and composition are all candidates for being taught in a computer-based curriculum. Our students start with immediate hands-on computer experience the first day of freshman year, starting with an individualized computer-based music theory program. The Fundamentals of Music Technology and Commercial Music Composition classes put more knowledge in the hands of more students at a much earlier date than does the traditional music program. Using our two-year music curriculum as a model on which to build, your courses might look like this:

Start building your lab by begging, borrowing or stealing enough pieces to set up one complete computer station and four synthesizer stations with amplification. We started the first year with my personal computer, keyboards, sound modules and software. The school owned some amplification and we borrowed some. After giving a demonstration to the administration and faculty, funding from "Computers and Technology Course Development" bought four complete student stations, and I kept my personal lab as the teaching station. The next opportunity was a synthesizer ensemble concert and student presentation of composing skills given at a meeting of the State Board of Regents. The administration responded with enthusiasm to our plan to develop a ten station Computer/MIDI lab over a three year period. In our third year, we now have ten student stations, a powerful teaching station with LCD plate and video possibilities, and a very sophisticated station with high-end keyboards, samplers and digital recording available to the students in the Composers Workshop. The Synth Ensemble was the key to building our MIDI Music Lab. Be visible, patient, and expose your synth ensemble at every possible opportunity that involves the administration and the "movers and shakers". Build it a little at a time, but build it and they will come.

Our ten station computer/MIDI Lab is dedicated to the music department and is open all day and in the evenings from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Student tutors and assistants who know all of the programs and have been through the music theory course supervise the lab. This position is paid for through the government sponsored work-study program. The department pays 25% of the wages and the program pays 75%. The lab is also the center for group keyboard instruction for both Beginning Group Piano and Keyboard Proficiency Classes. The lab is integrated into the ensemble rehearsal room. All ensembles use the synthesizers and digital pianos to varying degrees. The following diagram shows the set-up of the room so that it can be used by all ensembles. The equipment remains setup and ready to use for every ensemble.

The overwhelming three reasons to choose each item in your station are (a) Ease of use, (b) Ease of use, (c) Ease of use! Remember, in the course of one year maybe one hundred or more new students will be using the equipment. Using the MIDI station must be intuitive unless you want to spend all of your time teaching the software instead of music. I'll offer brand names that have worked very well in our situation.

Each station should include:

1 Computer (MAC/IBM) $1000

1 MIDI Interface (Opcode 1 in/3 out) 50

1 Multi-Timbral synthesizer (Roland JV-35) 1000

2 MIDI cables 15

1 Audio cable 10

1 Keyboard Amplifier (Peavey KB 100) 300

1 Keyboard stand 50

1 Computer desk 50

Total Cost $2475

1 printer can be networked for all stations $600

You will want to start with the following software programs:

Software costs will depend on what you use and what arrangements are made with the companies for site license use. Many other options are available. Read Keyboard Magazine's Music Software Buyer's Guide, December 1994 before purchasing any software.