Grade 11 - Applications of Technology

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

use available technologies to create, reproduce, and manipulate music
demonstrate an awareness of advanced technologies available for music composition
explain how technology has changed the compositional process
demonstrate an understanding of the physics and physical properties of sound and sound synthesis
use, care for, and maintain electronic tools, equipment, materials, and work space in a safe and environmentally sensitive fashion
evaluate the cost and suitable applications of currently available music technology
use appropriate technical terminology to describe the composition process

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SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Invite a physics teacher to demonstrate wave activity in various forms (e.g., wave tank, vibrating bodies, skipping rope). Have students create instruments that demonstrate the properties discussed.
Ask each student to create a short composition, starting with a sequencer program. Have students then export their projects to standard MIDI files and import them into notation programs. Have students do final editing for page layout and part extraction.
Suggest that students keep journals of MIDI specifications and terminology, including records of care and maintenance of equipment and possible variations in electronic-device connections.
Have students collect articles about technology and composition from industry magazines and keep journals recording their responses to them. Have them present their findings to the class and discuss how the technology they wrote about could be applied to the kinds of work done in this class.
Arrange a class visit to a recording studio, a software company, or a college music computer lab. Have students compare workplace and classroom practices.
Create specific hardware and software workstations (which could be as simple as audio mixing and recording set-ups). Invite students to answer a series of equipment-related questions at each station.
Give students the parts from a small combo arrangement. Ask them to use notation software to create full scores.
Have students use sequencing software to create compositions for their portfolios. Each product should be stored as electronic files in various formats and as an audio recording.
Ask each student to save an accompaniment style created by auto-accompaniment software as a MIDI file import. Have students import these into notation programs. Then have each student add a solo part, either using notation software or improvising on an instrument in a manner appropriate to the style.
Have students research the cost of setting up a home workstation and present written proposals.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Invite each student to prepare a demonstration of the use of a chosen music technology for a small group of peers. (Several demonstrations can be scheduled at the same time.) Discuss criteria for peer feedback and assessment in advance. For example, note whether the demonstration:
- is clear and easy to follow
- is detailed and accurate
- includes appropriate opportunity for practice to ensure that peers can use the technology to create and manipulate sound
- accurately describes proper maintenance and care
- includes information about the cost of purchase and maintenance
To assess studentsź understanding of the physical properties of sound, have them try to electronically create particular sounds and record their progress in journals. The journals should include:
- opening statements that explain studentsź goals for the project, including the types of sound they hope to create
- regular entries that record and analyse successes, challenges, and failures at various stages
- concluding statements assessing how effectively they realized their goals
Establish criteria for transcription of a score from parts of a small combo arrangement. Ask students to pair up and evaluate one anotherźs work. Criteria might include:
- accuracy
- readability
- alignment of beats in the various parts
- awareness of various features of the particular software used
When students complete auto-accompaniment software exercises, provide student response sheets focussed on specific skills such as:
- sense of style
- recognition of key, scale, harmony, and related patterns
- facility with software
- ability to analyse and critique own work (e.g., Does the piece sound complete? Why or why not?)