Music Expressions™ Music Technology/MIDI Keyboard Curriculum

(Alfred Publishing Co.)

by Don Muro

Read the review from the School Music News here

The Music Expressions MIDI/Keyboards module is designed to teach musicianship through the development of thinking, listening, and performance skills. Students in an electronic keyboard lab have the opportunity to listen to, arrange, create, and perform music in unprecedented ways. The electronic keyboard lab offers students the following learning opportunities:

to play in tune a variety of sounds representing all families of instruments
to play music with full accompaniments in several musical styles
to play an individual musical part in an ensemble performance
to change song tempos without changing song keys
to develop critical listening skills by listening to individual parts in a recording
to use computer software to help the eye train the ear
to gain insight into contemporary music production techniques by editing, arranging and mixing songs
to create recordings without advanced performance skills

The MIDI/Keyboards module consists of nine lessons. Each lesson covers an element of music, a performance skill, a rhythm/notation skill, and, with the exception of Lesson 1, a sequencing skill. Notes, rhythms, and notational symbols are introduced in the context of new performance pieces. The goal is to get the students making music together as soon as possible and as often as possible. The module begins with the on/off switch and culminates with students creating a five-part sequence with percussion and melodic improvisations.

The lessons contain an abundance of material. Extensions include optional enrichment activities including Internet accessibility. Special attention is given to the lab with two students at a keyboard. Musical exercises and pieces have been arranged with this scenario in mind. All music has directions for doubling parts in the correct octave for proper musical balance. In addition, optional parts have been added for students with advanced keyboard skills.

Minimal skills are needed to teach the module. The instructor needs only to know how to perform the following functions on any MIDI sequencer:

open/close/re-name song files
operate transport controls (Play, Stop, Rewind, Go to, Pause, Record)
record basic melodies and chords in real time
create parts using step entry
edit pitches by using either a graphic display (piano roll view) or a notation display
edit dynamics by changing note velocities
edit rhythms by moving notes in a graphic display or by using quantization

The lessons are correlated to the MENC National Standards, the National Education Technology Standards (NETS) developed by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME) Technology Strategies for Music Education.

Listed below are the equipment requirements for this module.

(Note: these requirements are based on the requirements listed in the Opportunity-to-Learn Standards for Music Technology.)

Minimal:

Teacher:

A multimedia-ready computer that includes: audio in/out capability, GM (General MIDI) sound generation; a CD- or DVD-ROM player with CD-R capability; a MIDI keyboard connected to the computer; a printer.
MIDI sequencing software for recording, arranging, and composing music.
A keyboard lab controller for student monitoring and small group interaction/performance.
A large-screen video display for class presentation.
A stereo sound system.

Students:

One workstation for every two students. Each workstation includes:
An electronic keyboard with standard size velocity sensitive keys, a key span of at least four octaves, and GM (General MIDI) sound generation; two sets of stereo headphones.
A computer.
Sequencing software for recording, arranging, and composing music.
Notation software for notating, editing and printing music.

Desirable:

A powered speaker at each student workstation.
A computer video projector to enhance class presentations in large classrooms.
One workstation for each student.
Internet software for supervised access to Web resources at teacher and student workstations.
CD-R capability at each student workstation.

Even though a powered speaker for each keyboard is listed as an option, it is an important consideration for successful classroom performance. Students using headphones can’t hear themselves when the class performs together. Powered speakers give students the opportunity to hear themselves and to hear everyone else in the class in a more natural listening environment. Students can turn off the powered speakers at any time and use headphones to work alone or in small groups.

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