For the last five years I have been asked to do music technology residencies for fourth and fifth graders, for in-service workshops and for high school orchestra summer camps. I have discovered that schools have very limited funding for any kind of music technology beyond a keyboard or two. Music teachers, especially older ones, are ill-equipped to handle the intricacies of computers, MIDI and sequencing. All of these, as we know, can be of great value in teaching music in the classroom.
    I am a composer by training and therefore am able to approach students from a creative perspective, although anyone can and should use as creative an approach as possible in introducing technology. Any hands-on experience students can get is valuable. We must be aware that most students are computer literate and some have even accumulated keyboard, sound card, or MIDI knowledge, sometimes surpassing the music teacher's knowledge.
    My main goal is to show how music technology helps me as a composer as well as a performer. I run the gamut from art music to commercial music throwing in some rap and country along the way. Through my demonstrations the students learn about today's music technology, and how and why it is needed and used.
    I come to the classroom with a Mac computer set-up with sequencing and notational software. I bring a keyboard that has an internal sequencer and sampler. I also bring a signal processor, a microphone and cable, and some sound producing equipment.
    With a fourth- or fifth-grade class, I have the teachers bring out rhythm sticks. If there is a string program at the school, I have children bring stringed instruments. I can always find children who can play piano.
    The objective for a session like this is to create a soundscape with ostinato patterns of rhythm and bass underlying an improvised melody. The students create the sounds, they create the patterns and then perform the piece.
|    A one hour session starts out with an introduction to the world of composing. We talk about creating sounds and about layering sounds into melody, harmony, bass, and rhythm and how these sounds interact with each other. We create sounds using the sampler and then change these sounds using simple editing tricks and the signal processor. Then we create a simple ostinato pattern with our sound or sounds using the sequencer either on the computer or on the keyboard. Once this is complete, I assign various rhythmic parts to my rhythm sticks, usually beating on various beats. I assign improvised tone clusters to my pianists, sometimes using the inside of the piano for effects. Then I assign sustained tones to my stringed instruments. The group then rehearses a number of times with the computer sequence as the main driver, then we have a performance. I can also digitally record this performance through my computer software and hardware and print out a note transcription of the piece for the kids to see the actual music. If I bring along a CD recorder we can actually create a CD of the performance.
    In summary, through the use of technology I have explored the chain of events triggered by the creative process, using technology to help compose, perform, record, notate, and finally create a CD. Through this demonstration I am also reinforcing how technology can help one learn notes, learn rhythm, eartrain, and improvise, which is especially applicable to K-12 environments.
    Other residency ideas incorporating music technology can include long term projects involving multimedia (visual arts, poetry, and dance). Another idea is for children to create a children's opera using technology and all the different multimedia aspects of that technology. The bottom line again is that technology is used to teach children about all aspects of music as well as giving them hands-on experience with what's new today in music technology.
    In this paper I have included three outlines of various residencies that I have presented in the past.

1. Introduce composing tools of this century
        A. Computers
                1. Computer plays a short piece (Piano)
                        a. Computer composing vs. Composer composing
        B. Synthesizer- EPS
                1. Plays a short piece (Commercial)
                2. Plays an electronic piece (Sampled sounds)
                        a. talk about how synthesizer and computers have changed the way we approach specific types of music.

2. Introduce composing techniques of this century (This section more for High School kids except commercial music)
        A. Avante Garde techniques - Eliott Carter
                1. How was piece put together
                2. How does one listen to this music
        B. Highly Chromatic techniques -Martino
                1. How was piece put together
                2. How does one listen to this kind of music
        C. Mixed Chromatic/tonal techniques -"Windless Summer"
                1. How was piece conceived
                2. How does one listen to this music
        D. Commercial Music-Music beds
                1. How are works created in studios using computers, keyboards, via Internet.

3. The Creative Process
        A. Melody vs. no Melody
        B. Metered rhythm vs. non-metered rhythm
        C. Pictures and Sounds
        D. Class creation using computer and EPS as rhythmic foundation then use other instruments that are available in music class room; rhythm sticks, piano, personal instruments, etc.
        E. This process can also include creative movement by students who are taking dance, etc. (multimedia experience, created by students)

Welcome to this year's creative environment. This is about using your imagination and having fun doing so. In the course of five days, you will learn about various aspects of music technology and then you will apply this technology in composing a creative piece of music called a soundscape.

Terms that will help you as we go:
Mixing board: Various sounds coming from keyboards and other sources will be mixed together and balanced Eke a good pizza using this board.
4-track tape deck: A multitrack tape deck that enables you to record four different sources at once or one at a time. These decks also come in 8, 16, 32 tracks and more. How do you like your macaroni, with or without cheese?
Amplifier: A box that is used to drive the speakers of a sound system. 45 mph is usually a safe speed.
Speakers: We all have them
Computer: Duh!
Sequencer: Comes in two varieties. One disguised as a piano keyboard and the other disguised as a computer. A sequencer is like a multitrack tape deck where you can record many parts at once or one at a time.
Sampler: A keyboard that can record any sound you want including your toilet flushing or your cat begging for mercy. 'Men you can play it back or play it "backward" at any pitch or speed you want. Fun, huh?!
MIDI: This is how we are able to have our computer communicate with our keyboards and other sound sources. This enables us to use all kinds of music software and hardware for many different purposes.
Internet: There are many sound sources on the Internet, wave files and MIDI files, that we can download to our computers for the purpose of listening, studying or editing. Beware of copyright infringements. 
Composing: The act of creating music, using sounds in some organized fashion.

METHODS OF COMPOSING

1.             a. Visualize a poem or a short story or an event.
                b. Create or record sounds that can relate.
                c. Build your piece with a beginning, middle and an ending.
                d. Usually the middle will be climactic.
                e. Don't use too many sounds. Your music will be too complicated for people to understand.
2.             a. Collect a group of sounds that you might want to use.
                b. Through experimentation, figure out what sounds will go together, where they might fit into
                    your composition, etc.
                c. Remember you must have a beginning, a middle and an ending.
3.             a. Imagine yourself as a painter, your collection of sounds are the colors you will be using. 
                   Your subject can be anything you want.
                b. Paint a picture of sound.
4.             a. Try to imitate something you have heard before on the radio, from your own CD collection, or from a film track.
                b. Throughout history composers have learned their craft by imitation.
5.             a. A piece of music generally has three levels or layers:
                    top melodic ideas or distinguishing types of sound.
                     middle harmony or filler.
                     bottom rhythmic pulses or low bass type sounds.

SCHEDULE
Monday        a. Orientation on lab equipment.
                      b. Homework: begin recording and collecting sounds you might want to use to create your
                          piece.
Tuesday        a. Orientation on lab equipment.
                      b. Homework: Create your soundscape on paper.
Wednesday   a. Recording drills using analog and digital recorders
                       b. Final draft on paper and begin constructing works
Thursday       a. Construction and recording of works
Friday            a. Finishing touches and concert of works

I.  Uses for music technology in elementary school settings:

rhythm skills
eartraining
singing
creating
improvisation
historical
note and chord recognition
accompanying

II. What are your own personal goals in the classroom and can computers help you achieve
these goals?

III. For most classroom uses, the following equipment is minimal.
        Computer:    PC or MAC
        Software:     Chosen for your needs
        Keyboard    MIDI-compatible with internal speakers or you can connect to class stereo system 

IV. Skills necessary Computer:
        Basic knowledge of operating in windows or Mac environment. 
        Basic knowledge of how to work with CAI software, sequencing software and notational software.

V. Software sampler

    1. Beginning Music Experience
    "Early Music Skills"- Provides experience with note movement and identification of lines and spaces.
    "MusicAce"- Works with note reading, scale structures. Games included, MIDI supported
     "Adventures in Musicland"- Set of 4 games, options for modification, good graphics.
    "Toney Music Games"- Children set difficulty levels, teacher can create own music patterns. 
         Develops music memory and tonal perception.

    2. Aural Skills/Music Theory
    "MacGamut"- Comprehensive and provides error feedback
    "Practica Musica"- very flexible, comprehensive approach to aural skills, melodic dictation and 
           music theory. Can create customized melodies.

3. History
    "Pianist"- over 200 piano solos, biographies, etc.

4.Composition/Improvisation
    "Band in a Box"- Turns computer into an ensemble, plays all styles of music. Student can improvise 
          a solo over accompaniments.

5. Sequencing Programs - Can be used for creating classroom accompaniments.
    "Musicshop"- Opcode
    "Trax"- Passport Design
    "Performer"- Mark of The Unicorn
6. Notational Software- Can also be used in creating accompaniments.
    "Encore"-Passport Design
    "Finale"-Mac or "Personal Composer"- PC- Coda Music Tech-most flexible and highest standards 
          in the industry.
    "Composer"- Mark of the Unicorn
    "Nightingale"- Musicware
7. Multimedia
    Newest area in computer teaching using HTML and Web browsers to combine graphics, sound, 
          video, for colorful presentations of concepts, lessons, lectures, and workbook