Effective Use of Technology in the Music Curriculum
July 5-8, 2000

Presenters:

Patricia Gray Rhodes College gray@rhodes.edu (901) 843-3785

James Cook Birmingham-Southern College jcook@bsc.edu (205) 226-4968

Ruth Ann McClain Rhodes College mcclain@rhodes.edu (901) 843-3775

Robert Patterson Univ. of Penn., Ph.D. in music composition; Finale software specialist robert@robertgpatterson.com (901) 278-2699

Abstract:
This workshop is designed to aid music faculty in effectively incorporating technology in the teaching of music theory, music history, and music performance. The emphasis is in the areas of music notation, online testing, web design for classes, animation construction, and SmartMusic accompaniment programs. Software demonstrations will be followed by lab time in which participants can build independent projects. Group discussions will address the most common problems faced by faculty adapting these new practices. The goal will be on building an archive of Web-based materials that can be used by all ACS music departments.

Rationale:
Music courses are particularly fertile areas for the introduction of computer technology because sound, sight, and movement are all central to the subject matter. Students come into these classes from an environment filled with the Internet, MTV, computer games, and computer kiosks of all varieties. Music classes confined to lectures, listening to CDs, and writing on the blackboard will probably seem dated to them. Many music classes can be enriched and expanded. New techniques added to the traditional format can help students understand the material in more depth than ever before. The challenge is to combine the old and the new in a way that encourages students to learn and retain more. The danger for both faculty and students is becoming so fascinated with the shallow, glitzy elements of new technology that they never benefit from its real capability. This workshop will demonstrate techniques that have been tested and refined and that have be proven to legitimately enhance teaching.

New uses of technology in music teaching touch on another critical concern for music departments and that is the future employment possibilities of their students. It has always been very difficult to making a living in the fine arts. Almost all musicians piece together incomes by combining a number of jobs. The prospects of having a financially secure future in the area of performing, or even in teaching, are uncertain. Students who have gained experience in sophisticated music notation programs and in educational web site design or in CD production have skills that make them much more marketable than those who have no experience in these areas. If professors encourage students to major in mucic they should feel real responsibility for these students' futures. Teaching technology skills in the context of traditional academic work can be of great value to undergraduates.

For these reasons it is important that music faculty take an agressive approach to using all the new capabilities that are now available. It is important for faculty to see what has worked in other classrooms and to receive very concrete instruction on how to implement it in their own environment.

Description:
A three-day workshop focusing on the following areas:

• web design for class websites and student projects
• music notation
• animation construction
• computer generated accompaniment programs for student instrumental and vocal practice
• online test construction

The workshop will include demonstrations of software, lab time for the creation of individual projects, and breakout sessions for the discussion of implementation problems. It will be held in late July, 2000. Participants will arrive Wednesday afternoon and depart Sunday morning. Participants will be recruited by individual contacts made to music faculty in member institutions. The target audience is primarily music faculty but could also include IT support staff from member institutions.

Agenda:

Wednesday, July 5, 2000:
Arrival, check-in, dinner
Opening round table led by Dr. James Cook

Thursday morning, July 6, 2000:
9:00 Use of class website for music history courses; demonstration of Adobe GoLive as web editing program
(Patricia Gray)
11:00 Lab time for GoLive tutorial

Thursday afternoon:
1:00 Animation construction demonstration and lab (James Cook)

3:00 SmartMusic computer accompaniment program demonstration followed by lab time (Ruth Ann McClain)

4:00 Breakout session to allow for participant experimentation with SmartMusic

Friday morning, July 7, 2000:
9:00 Demonstration of entry level music notation programs (Ruth Ann McClain)

10:00 Demonstration of Finale notation program (Robert Patterson)

Friday afternoon:
1:00 Lab time for Finale
4:00 Breakout session (led by James Cook and Patricia Gray)

Saturday morning, July 8, 2000:
9:00 Building animations for music history classes with Flash 4.0 (Patricia Gray)

1:00 Programming On-line Test Responses (James Cook)