Spring 2009 TIMES Newsletter - FROM ti
Transcription
Spring 2009 TIMES Newsletter - FROM ti
In This Issue: Dr. Thomas Rudolph Receives Honorary Award___2 Absolutely Free: Addressing the MENC...________5 Audio Basics: What Makes Microphones Tick_____8 EAMIR: Alternative Instruments...____________ 12 TI:ME National Conference Photos_______________ 17 Inclusion of Music Technology Resources...________ 18 2009 Mike Kovins TI:ME Teacher of the Year Named By Scott Watson At this year’s TI:ME National Conference, held February 11-14, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas in association with the Texas Music Educators Association National Conference, Wayne Splettstoeszer was awarded the 2009 Mike Kovins TI:ME Teacher of the Year award. This award is given each year in recognition of an outstanding music teacher using technology with and for their students. Synthesis Basics By Alfred Johnson In today’s world of new technologies, we are constantly presented with innovative ways of achieving the ultimate sound. From signal path to outboard gear to analog and digital, converters play a role in achieving the end result of the desired sound. The microphone, mixing console and/or the converter (referred to as the front end) is important in capturing the initial sound. If the desired sound is not captured at this point, it becomes more challenging to “fix in the mix.” Next enters the world of signal continued on page 3 Wayne is the Director of Bands and Music Technology at Torrington High School, Torrington, Connecticut where he has developed an award-winning band program during his tenure while building , from the ground up, a nationally recognized Music Technology program. The music technology program at Torrington began with just one class offering in 1996 and now offers two levels of classes delivered in a 20-station music technology lab installed in 2000. Like many music technology offerings, Splettstoeszer’s classes have been attracting students not traditionally found in music classes. One of the hallmarks of Splettstoeszer’s teaching with technology includes his ability to stretch funds using freeware and online resources as well as older software and hardware. He does a lot with what he is given, and he enjoys sharing all he has been doing at workshops and conferences, as well as sessions at several universities. Splettstoeszer is Adjunct Professor of Music Technology at Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut and has been active in TI:ME serving as a member of its Publications Committee. continued on page 4 continued on page 11 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 1 In Appreciation Many Thanks to Rocky Reuter! by Floyd Richmond TI:ME Officers: President: Tom Rudolph [email protected] President-Elect: Amy Burns [email protected] Vice-President: James Frankel [email protected] Treasurer: Marc Jacoby [email protected] Key Contacts: Executive Director: Kay Fitzpatrick, JD, CAE [email protected] Associate Director: Alecia Powell [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Mark Lochstamphor [email protected] TI:ME Contact Information: TI:ME, 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Fax: 734-677-2407 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ti-me.org There is no way we can adequately express our appreciation for your work for TI:ME through the years. From the first conferences where we were bringing our own cables and power supplies to this year’s conference in San Antonio, where everything seemingly fell into place, we have seen a steady stream of successes. From our original negotiations with Texas, Ohio, Florida, and many more, you were the one who made things work. Thank you for all of the assistance with the TI:ME/TMEA collaboration this year. Everything was tremendously successful. We had 25 very well attended music technology sessions during the Wednesday pre-conference. From Thursday to Saturday, we had another 52 sessions (a total of 77). Setup and registration went well. The presenters were exceptional and interacted well with the participants. The quality of the question-and-answer periods after the sessions were outstanding. The TI:ME keynote speaker, Jordan Rudess, gave an excellent performance and presentation. David Sebald’s concert was first rate. The Texas Chapter of TI:ME had a wonderful meeting. The TI:ME reception went well and was appreciated by all. We had one student complete his TI:ME alternative certification and identified several potential new sites for TI:ME courses. The traffic at the TI:ME booth outside the exhibit hall was heavy and resulted in the building of numerous relationships between TMEA and TI:ME members. The work that you have done for this latest, and for all the previous conferences have prepared TI:ME for great conferences to come. Thanks for all your help! You will be missed more than you can imagine. l Dr. Thomas Rudolph Receives PA TI:ME Honorary Award By Michael Fein On March 28th, 2009, the Pennsylvania Chapter of TI:ME held its 2nd annual conference at West Chester University. This year, Beth Sokolowski, the president of the PA TI:ME chapter, along with the PA TI:ME steering committee wanted to honor one of the most important educators in the world of music technology, Dr. Thomas Rudolph, with the PA TI:ME Honorary Award. Most of you reading this newsletter know of Tom from his sessions at conferences, summer technology courses, or one of his many publications. For anyone even slightly interested in music technology, it is tough to miss Tom. Although Tom is an internationally known music and technology educator, continued on page 14 2 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Synthesis Basics - continued from front page processing and D.S.P. (Digital Signal Processing), commonly known as “plug-ins.” These processors range from equalizers, compressors, limiters and reverb devices, all which are used strategically in capturing the “desired sound.” “In today’s world of new technologies, we are constantly presented with innovative ways of achieving the ultimate sound.” Once the sound is captured with the best combination of microphones and microphone placement techniques, we can now look to the “art of mixing.” In mixing, one of the key objectives is to blend and balance the multiple sounds. The role of synthesis is unique in shaping and developing the “desired mix.” The early days of synthesizers in the 1980s, which brought us the classic Yamaha DX7 or the EMU’s Proteus, revolutionized the way music is produced. Synthesizers are devices capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. They incorporate some basic features and parameter controls, and are generally simple to use. These controls and parameters shape and develop the default sounds built in to the synthesis device. A simple piano pitch can be bended or modulated. The same piano note can have a longer or shorter sustain for a specified duration. The resonance of a snare can now be shortened to the sound of a stick. The possibilities are endless. One electronic device may contain 100 different sounds ranging from keyboards to bass, and the sounds can be shaped into thousands of new sounds. The future of music was never the same after the introduction of synthesizers. As technology developed, these devices eventually evolved into more elaborate and intricate controls allowing thousands of sounds to be manipulated from one sound. Today we have the “fat hip-hop” beat sound, the “drum’n’bass” kick sound, the “mellow” jazz drum or kick sound, and many, many more. In the world of Software Synthesis (also known as “Soft-Synths” or “Virtual Instruments”), such as Propellerhead’s Reason, Apple’s Logic ES1 and ES2 (which are integrated into the sequencing software), Spectrasonics or Arturia’s ARP-2600. The basic elements of these sounds are achieved through the manipulation of syntheses and the envelopes of the sounds. Synthesis and Envelopes All synthesizers, both hardware and software, are based on certain principles. These principles are discussed below. These principles include: synthesis basics, the envelope of the synthesis, and synthesizers. The ability to control the parameters of the sounds may vary from hardware device or soft-synth, however the key elements remain. Synthesis Basics: Sine Waves: These are known for their hollow, pure sound. Triangle Waves: These waveforms rise linearly and fall linearly at the same rate. Triangle waves are brighter sounding than sine waves because of the increased number of overtones. Saw Tooth Wave: These have a linear rise followed by a rapid drop off. They generally are very sharp sounding. Pulse or Rectangle Wave: These have a generally sharp rise, horizontal peak area, and a sharp dropoff. These are frequently sharp sounding and known for creating a variety of tone colors. When the distance between the rise and fall equals the length of the peak, a square shape occurs. This “square wave” sounds rather warm and open, similar to a clarinet. Envelope (loudness contour): The envelope is the dynamic change of a sound over a period of time, usually contained within one second. This can refer to the envelope of the loudness contour (volume) or of the synthesis filters (timbre). My discussion will focus on envelope parameters as they relate to loudness. Whereas the selection of the synthesis or waveform affects the sound or tonal color, the envelope is used to adjust the body and depth of the sound. There are four stages of an envelope: Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release (A.D.S.R.) ATTACK: Attack represents the time the sound takes to rise from an initial value of zero to its maximum level. continued on page 4 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 3 Synthesis Basics - continued from page 3 Adjusting this will affect how the initial striking will sound. DECAY: Decay is the time for the initial falling off to the sustain level. This works best in combination with the attack to achieve the presence of the initial sound. A lowered attack and decay can result in a softer or thinner sound, while a increased attack and decay can result in a fuller sound. SUSTAIN: Sustain is the time during which it remains at this level. Programming the sustain will affect the resonance of the note. RELEASE: Release is the time it takes to move from the sustain to its final level. Release typically begins when a note is let up. Controlling the release will determine how long before the sound diminishes. 4 Certain soft-synths or virtual instruments may allow programming of amplitude, modulation or filtering envelopes. However, the functions are similar. Now, with your understanding of synthesis basics, you can work to achieve your desired sound using any type of synthesizer or virtual instrument. Every twist of a knob or slight change in slider movement has an impact on producing that hip-hop gritty sound or creating a simple synth patch. l Professor Alfred Johnson is an instructor at Medgar Evers College of C.U.N.Y. where he teaches Software Sound Design and Music Technology, and serves as coordinator of Music Technology and iTunes U. Contact Professor Johnson at 718-270-5172 or via e-mail at [email protected]. The TI:MES • Spring 2009 2009 Mike Kovins... continued from front page He also knows from experience that all music educators can learn to use and benefit from technology. “Being named the TI:ME Teacher of the Year has been a tremendous honor,” shares Splettstoeszer. “To be recognized on a national level is something I never expected. When I first started at Torrington High School in 1996 I knew nothing about music technology. Anyone, teacher and/or student can have success with music technology.” This is by no means the first time Wayne has been honored for doing what he does so well. Wayne was the Torrington Public Schools 2003-04 Teacher of the Year and has been recognized by Roland Corporation, School Band and Orchestra Magazine, and Phi Beta Mu International Band master’s fraternity among others. TI:ME is very proud to name Wayne Splettstoeszer as the 2009 Mike Kovins TI:ME Teacher of the Year. l Absolutely Free: Addressing the MENC National Standards using Freeware, Open Source and Shareware Software By Jay Dorfman and Marc Jacoby You’ve budgeted for computers, keyboards and other MIDI devices, sound systems, etc., etc. But what about buying software? Buying commercial, shrink-wrapped software will bust your budget. That’s where Open Source, Freeware, or Shareware might help you provide solutions for integrating technology into your program without breaking the bank. In Part I of this three-part series, we distinguished between Open Source, Freeware, and Shareware software, and we addressed software that could be matched to the first two National Standards. In this, Part II, we look at three more standards: improvisation, composing, and reading and notating music. Standard III - Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. Jazz may come to mind first when addressing the improvisation standard, especially in school band programs. But whether it’s for jazz, rock/pop, mariachi, or any other genre, transcribing your favorite player’s licks is a great way to learn style and improve your ears at the same time. Being able to slow the playback tempo down makes it easier to learn those fast or complicated runs. Some may remember using a record player or tape deck’s speed control and the frustrating change in pitch that resulted from it (especially when transcribing Gerry Mulligan bari sax solos). You could use Audacity’s Effects (see Part I) to do this although it will require rendering time, is “destructive” editing and therefore changes the file permanently, and the resulting fidelity is not very good. Woodshedding is a colloquial term jazz musicians use for the act of practicing. It alludes to the image of the jazzer (Sonny Rollins being one of the more famous) working in solitude on scales, arpeggios, and patterns they’ll use in their improvisations. Inspired by the book, Patterns for Jazz by Jerry Coker, iShed is a freeware application that provides tools for practicing these elements in various jazz styles. Users can transpose scales, arpeggios, or patterns into all twelve keys by one of eight different methods. Teachers and students can also create their own patterns for practicing and sharing with others. Standard IV - Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines Using technology to teach composition and arranging can come in many forms. Most popular and common are theory programs that present instruction and skill development on continued on page 6 Instead, there are software apps specifically geared to accomplish this task. The Amazing Slow Downer falls under the category of shareware since the free download is a “limited” feature version. With this version, you can only play the first two tracks of a CD and only the first quarter (up to 3 minutes) of any audio file. With Amazing Slow Downer, you can control playback, equalization, and loop points of any sound file. This is “non-destructive” editing and enables the user to change pitch and tempo independently. One particularly useful feature of the Amazing Slow Downer is its ability to handle DRM (digital rights management) encoded files such as those you would buy through the iTunes Store. As the screen capture shows, you can assign control functions to MIDI messages. That way you can work at your MIDI keyboard, controlling ASD without ever having to use your mouse or QWERTY keyboard. The TI:MES • Spring 2009 5 Absolutely Free... - continued from page 5 elemental components. Some are very broad in scope while others focus on more specific topics such as counterpoint or overviews of instrument performance techniques. These niche CAI applications can cost over one hundred dollars or more. Production values are generally good with these shrinkwrapped products and may include built-in student/class management tools or integration with notation programs. Produced by Garritan Interactive and hosted by NorthernSounds.com (http://www.northernsounds.com/ forum), Rimsky-Korsakov’s Principles of Orchestration and Chuck Israel’s Exploring Jazz Arranging are free, interactive versions of traditional textbooks, complete with audio files, animated score examples, and live video demonstrations. Both are web-based applications and require an active internet connection. An interesting feature with the Principles of Orchestration is the addition of margin notes that address contemporary issues not found in the original text and additional score and audio examples. One especially exciting feature of both sites is the possibilities that a “forum” setting can offer. By allowing users to post comments and create threads of interest, the sites become on-line communities in which both students and teachers can participate. Standard V - Reading and notating music Though some recent interpretations of the National Standards say that reading and notating music is actually embedded into many of the other standards, for the purposes of this article, we will treat reading and notation music as skills separate from those assumed in the other standards. We have identified two types of software that are most applicable to teaching students to read and notate music: notation software, and music theory training software. There are several popular notation applications on the market that are incredibly powerful. They produce stunning, professional quality scores, and many can now perform tasks such as creating high-quality audio recordings from scores, complex part creation, and even producing versions of scores ready for posting to the web. These packages can be costly, and 6 rightfully so because they are very sophisticated. For those interested in using notation software without a financial investment, there is Finale Notepad. This free version of the popular Finale software from MakeMusic is available for cross-platform, unlimited installation. Its notation tools are substantially limited in comparison to the commercial version of the program. Limitations on free notation software often include a reduced number of available staves or pages, a smaller set of score markings, and fewer formats that can be imported into or exported from the program. Despite these limitations, Finale Notepad is an excellent choice for introducing students (or yourself) to notation software. Limited versions of competitor software, such as Sibelius and Notion are also available, but Notepad is the only fully functioning product we have located. Music theory training software is the type of software that most people associate with the term “CAI,” or computerassisted instruction. Among the most popular titles in this category are Musition, Music Ace, and Alfred’s Music Theory. Similar to our discussion of software that relates to Standard 2, software in this category can have excellent production value, can provide good student feedback, and can allow teachers to track student progress. A free option in this category is a program found at www.musictheory.net. This web-based application offers several excellent tutorials for learning to read and notate music. A fairly regular obstacle that music teachers encounter is that school-based Internet security prohibits students from accessing certain websites. While we strongly advocate for online security and appropriate uses of web resources, we realize these types of obstacles can be frustrating. Musictheory.net offers a “work-around” for this security continued on page 16 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Chapters News New York Chapter By sponsoring and running many of the educational, social, and promotional activities for which TI:ME is known, TI:ME chapters have quickly become an important part of our organization. As a TI:ME member, you are automatically a member of a chapter if one has been started in your state. Within the last several months, new chapters have been started in Alabama, Kansas and New York, while existing chapters continue to run exciting technology opportunities. Ohio Chapter By Jay Dorfman, Chapter Committee Chair Here are some of the activities chapters have been involved in recently, as well as plans for some upcoming activities: New Jersey Chapter The New Jersey chapter sponsored sessions at the first NJMEA summer in-service in August. The chapter hosted the 3rd Annual NJ TI:ME state in-service at Rowan University in October, and sponsored sessions as well as a technology sandbox at the NJMEA convention in February. The New Jersey chapter will again sponsor sessions at the summer in-service (August 3rd in Red Bank, NJ), and host a state music technology in-service (October 12 at East Brunswick High School). With the TI:ME National Conference coming to New Jersey in 2010, the chapter is looking forward to welcoming fellow ‘techies’ from around the country! The New York chapter, while still in the formative stages, is planning to be present in some form at the NYSSMA conference in Rochester next Thanksgiving. The chapter is also planning a spring tech expo, most likely at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, Long Island. On Saturday, March 21, the Ohio chapter hosted a daylong workshop at Capital University in Columbus. With 8 new music teachers, 5 board members, plus Capital faculty member Mark Lochstampfor in attendance the day was action-packed with things to discover, discuss, and deliver to the new learners and the veteran learners, too. The topic for the day was “Working with Media for Your Classroom: Free Applications and Materials from the Internet” with the digital audio application Audacity being continued on page 16 Pennsylvania Chapter The Pennsylvania chapter held its 2nd Annual Conference on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at West Chester University. About 30 teachers and administrators from Pennsylvania and New Jersey gathered for a day of diverse presentations on Web 2.0 tools, digital history projects, Garage Band ‘09, podcasting, and many other topics. Our keynote presenter, Dr. Scott Watson, shared his message on unlocking creativity through technology. The event culminated with a performance by guest artist and EVI player John Swana in a session where he, Dr. Marc Jacoby and Dr. Van Stifel presented a session on alternative MIDI Controllers. PA TI:ME was once again be involved in co-sponsoring the Electric Playground with SoundTree on Friday, April 24 at the PAMEA Conference. Teachers had the opportunity to network and share ideas in collaboration with PA TI:ME members, and SoundTree had its mobile lab available for further inquiry and exploration of varied software programs. Our PA TI:ME General Assembly meeting occured on Friday, April 24 at the PMEA Conference. All Music Educators from PA were invited to attend the 11:00 am meeting to join in discussing how we can support the efforts of bringing technology into our music classrooms. The TI:MES • Spring 2009 7 Audio Basics: What Makes Microphones Tick... Credits: Edited from the Shure Educational Publication, “Microphone Techniques: Live Sound Reinforcement” by Dave Mendez, Shure Inc. The selection and placement of microphones have a major influence on the audio quality of a sound reinforcement system or recording. There are several main objectives of microphone techniques ranging from maximizing pick-up of suitable sound from the desired instrument, to minimizing pick-up of undesired sound from instruments or other sound sources, to providing sufficient gainbefore-feedback in a live situation. “Suitable” sound from the desired instrument may mean either the natural sound of the instrument or some particular sound quality which best fits the application. “Undesired” sound may mean the direct or ambient sound from other nearby instruments or just background noise. “Sufficient” gain-before-feedback means that the desired instrument is reinforced at the required level without feedback in the sound system. In order to achieve the desired result with your sound, it is useful to understand some important characteristics of microphones. Therefore, we will explore three of the most important characteristics of microphones which are their operating principle, frequency response, and directionality and what affect these elements have on your live or recorded sound. Microphone Characteristics The most important characteristics of microphones for live sound applications are their operating principle, frequency response and directionality. Operating Principle This refers to how the microphone picks up sound and converts it into an electrical signal. The operating principle determines some of the basic capabilities of the microphone. The two 8 most common types are Dynamic and Condenser. Dynamic microphones employ a diaphragm/ voice coil/magnet assembly which forms a miniature sound-driven electrical generator. Sound waves strike a thin plastic membrane (diaphragm) which vibrates in response. A small coil of wire (voice coil) is attached to the rear of the diaphragm and vibrates with it in a magnetic field created by a small permanent magnet. It is the motion of the voice coil in this magnetic field the sound picked up by a dynamic microphone into an electrical signal. Dynamic microphones have relatively simple construction and are therefore economical and rugged. They can provide excellent sound quality and, in particular, they can handle extremely high sound levels: it is almost impossible to overload a dynamic microphone. In addition, dynamic microphones are relatively unaffected by extremes of temperature or humidity. Dynamics are the type most widely used in general sound reinforcement. Condenser microphones are based on an electrically-charged diaphragm/ back-plate assembly which forms a sound-sensitive capacitor. Here, sound waves vibrate a very thin metal or metal-coated-plastic diaphragm that is electrically charged that is just in front of a rigid metal or metalcoated-ceramic back-plate that is also electrically charged. It is the variation of this spacing, due to the motion of the diaphragm relative to the back-plate, that changes the sound picked up by a condenser microphone into an electrical signal. All condensers microphones are required to be powered to operate due to internal circuitry. That power can come from batteries or from phantom power (a method of supplying power to The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Dynamic Microphone Cross-section Condenser Microphone Cross-section a microphone through the microphone cable itself). There are two potential limitations of condenser microphones due to the additional circuitry: first, the electronics produce a small amount of noise; second, there is a limit to the maximum signal level that the electronics can handle. For this reason, condenser microphone specifications always include a self-noise figure and a maximum sound pressure level (Max SPL). Good designs, however, have very low noise levels and are also capable of handling very loud sounds. Condenser microphones are more complex than dynamics and tend to be somewhat more costly. Also, condensers may be adversely affected by extremes of temperature and humidity which can cause them to become noisy or fail temporarily. However, condensers can readily be made with higher sensitivity and can provide a smoother, more continued on page 10 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 9 Audio Basics... - continued from page 8 natural sound, particularly at high frequencies making them a better choice for miking instruments o people from a distance. Frequency Response The frequency response of a microphone refers to the output level or sensitivity of the microphone over its operating range from lowest to highest frequency. Virtually all microphone manufacturers list the frequency response of their microphones over a range, for example 50 - 15,000 Hz. This usually corresponds with a graph that indicates output level relative to frequency. The graph has frequency in Hertz (Hz) on the x-axis and relative response in decibels (dB) on the y-axis. Flat Frequency Response A microphone whose output is equal at all frequencies has a flat frequency response. Flat response microphones typically have an extended frequency range. They reproduce a variety of sound sources without changing or coloring the original sound. In contrast to a flat response, a shaped response is usually designed to enhance a sound source in a particular application. For instance, a microphone may have a peak in the 2 – 8 kHz range to increase intelligibility for live vocals. This shape is called a presence peak or rise. A microphone may also be designed to be less sensitive to certain other frequencies. One example is reduced low frequency response (low end roll-off) to minimize unwanted “boominess” or stage rumble. The choice of flat or shaped response microphones again depends on the sound source, the sound system and the environment. Flat response microphones are usually desirable to reproduce instruments such as acoustic guitars or pianos. They are also common in stereo miking and distant pickup applications where the microphone is more than a few feet from the sound source largely because the absence of response peaks minimizes feedback and contributes to a more natural sound. On the other 10 Shaped Frequency Response hand, shaped response microphones are preferred for close-up vocal use and for certain instruments such as drums and guitar amplifiers. They are also useful for reducing pickup of unwanted sound and noise outside the frequency range of an instrument. Directionality The directionality of a microphone is its sensitivity to sound relative to the direction or angle from which the sound arrives. There are a number of different directional patterns found in microphone design. These are typically plotted in a polar pattern to graphically display the directionality of the microphone. The polar pattern shows the variation in sensitivity 360 degrees around the microphone, assuming that the microphone is in the The TI:MES • Spring 2009 center and that 0 degrees represents the front of the microphone. The three basic directional types of microphones are omnidirectional, unidirectional, and bidirectional. The omnidirectional microphone has equal output or sensitivity at all angles. Its coverage angle is a full 360 degrees. An omnidirectional microphone will pick up the maximum amount of ambient sound. In live sound situations, an omni should be placed very close to the sound source to pick up a useable balance between direct sound and ambient sound. In addition, an omni cannot be aimed away from undesired sources such as PA speakers which may cause feedback. The unidirectional microphone is most sensitive to sound arriving from one particular direction and is less sensitive at other directions. The most common type is a cardioid (heartshaped) response. This has the most sensitivity at 0 degrees (on-axis) and is least sensitive at 180 degrees (off-axis). The effective coverage or pickup angle of a cardioid is about 130 degrees, which is up to about 65 degrees off axis at the front of the microphone. In addition, the cardioid mic picks up only about one-third as much ambient sound as an omni. Unidirectional microphones isolate the desired on-axis sound from both unwanted off-axis sound and from ambient noise. For example, the use of a cardioid microphone for a guitar amplifier which is near the drum set is one way to reduce bleed-through of drums into the reinforced guitar sound. Unidirectional microphones have several variations on the cardioid pattern. The most prevalent is the super-cardioid pattern shown below. This pattern offers a narrower front pickup angle than the cardioid (115 degrees for the Supercardioid) and also greater rejection of ambient sound. While the cardioid is least sensitive at the rear (180 degrees off-axis) the least sensitive direction is at 126 degrees off-axis for the Supercardioid. When placed properly they can provide more focused pickup and less ambient noise than the cardioid pattern, but they have some pickup directly at the rear, called a rear lobe. The rejection at the rear is -12 dB for the Supercardioid as opposed to as much as 15-20 dB of rear rejection for a cardioid pattern. See the chart pictured below for a side-to-side comparison of the different polar patterns. omnidirectional types they pick up less overall ambient or stage sound. Unidirectional mics should be used to control ambient noise pickup to get a cleaner mix. Distance factor - Because directional microphones pick up less ambient sound than omnidirectional types they may be used at somewhat greater distances from a sound source and still achieve the same balance between the direct sound and background or ambient sound. An omni should be placed closer to the sound source than a unidirectional (about half the distance) to pick up the same balance between direct sound and ambient sound. Off-axis coloration - Change in a microphone’s frequency response that usually gets progressively more noticeable as the arrival angle of sound increases. High frequencies tend to be lost first, often resulting in “muddy” off-axis sound. Proximity effect - The bass response increases as all uni-directional mics are moved closer, i.e. within 2 feet, to the sound source. With closeup unidirectional microphones (less continued on page 19 Omni-directional Pickup Pattern Cardioid Pickup Pattern Super-Cardioid Pickup Pattern In order to fully appreciate and understand the differences between polar patterns of microphones, we also need to look at some features that are consequences of these different polar patterns, such as ambient sound rejection, distance factor, off-axis coloration, and proximity effect. Ambient sound rejection - Since unidirectional microphones are less sensitive to off-axis sound than Side-by-side Polar Pattern Comparison The TI:MES • Spring 2009 11 EAMIR: Alternative Instruments for Music Education By Professor V. J. Manzo Go to the TI:ME website to view related video examples indicated with in this article. All EAMIR programs have the option to record a performance as a MIDI or audio file. MIDI files can then be brought into any program that works with MIDI such as Pro Tools, Logic, and Garage Band, as well as notation programs like Finale and Sibelius. Audio files can be edited in similar programs that deal with audio. Lazy Guy http://www.eamir.org/laser.htm Introduction Imagine a room where music is produced by touching the wall or the floor; where physical gestures are mapped to notes and harmony; with new musical instruments designed to let individuals without any formal music training create and perform meaningful music. EAMIR (Electro-Acoustic Musically Interactive Room) is an interactive music system that allows individuals and those with disabilities to create a unique, tonal musical expression without the physical and technical limitations found in traditional instruments. Alternate controllers and sensors connect with software to allow users to create music through accessible physical gestures. These gestures are mapped to diatonic musical events and notes/chords in novel ways. Teachers specify the tonic and mode for the instrument enabling them to perform with individuals who would otherwise have great difficulty performing/composing. All of the controllers/interfaces are unmodified, making EAMIR primarily a software project. This allows the end-user to obtain any controller/interface associated with EAMIR software and “plug-and-play” to begin making music on any Windows or Macintosh computer. This free software is available from http:// www.eamir.org, which provides information regarding setup, installation, and use. EAMIR is also open-source allowing users to adapt the software to fit their personal needs. EAMIR was created by V.J. Manzo in 2007. Lazy Guy is an interactive music system for composition/ performance. Using a webcam, Lazy Guy tracks a color a user selects by mouse-clicking on the screen. The orientation of the tracked color will determine the pitch and velocity of the synthesis much like a Theremin. Lazy Guy differs from a Theremin in that the user may filter their playback to allow only diatonic notes to be played. Monochrome http://www.eamir.org/wacom.htm EAMIR Software EAMIR’s software is written primarily in Max/MSP/Jitter, and LISP. Data is received from each controller/sensor connected to a computer. By default, all EAMIR programs are in the key of C Major, but contain drop-down menus for selecting a new tonic and mode. The data from the controller is mapped differently in each program, but primarily allow the controller to play notes and/or chords from the selected diatonic mode. Most EAMIR programs output standard MIDI messages and use the computer’s internal MIDI core to synthesize notes. This allows the user to change MIDI parameters such as timbre. The MIDI output can also be routed to any software/hardware synthesizer allowing for unlimited timbres to be used. 12 Monochrome is an interactive music system for composition and performance. Monochrome takes user input from a graphics tablet and generates a piece in reaction to the artists gestures on the tablet. The software calculates user input such as pen orientation and pressure to control pitch and velocity. As the artists begins to fill the canvas, changes in modality and timbre can be triggered to occur in response to the amount of shading that has occurred in a given section of the canvas. The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Guitar EAMIR-o http://www.eamir.org/guitar_hero.htm Using the controller of the popular game Guitar Hero, I began writing a program that would allow the buttons of this controller to play the notes of any diatonic scale. Since, nearly all of my K-12 students play this game regularly and I saw the practicality of using this controller, which they all seem to know, as an interface for making tonal music. between two modes of operation: Absolute Mode and Relative Mode. Both modes utilize the padKontrol’s 16 touch-sensitive pads to create chords in various performance manners. P5 Glove http://www.eamir.org/p5glove.htm The first 4 buttons are mapped to the 8 notes of any diatonic scale with respect to any tonic. The fifth button enables chord mode which enables each note to act as the root for the typical bar chord voicing found in guitar literature. The back button on the controller allows them to switch the octave designation. DDR EAMIR http://www.eamir.org/ddr.htm The P5 glove controller sends 5 streams of continuous data for each of the five fingers on the glove. Data is also sent with respect to the glove’s X Y and Z orientation. In this example, the EAMIR software translates the finger bend data to chords from the C Major scale. Buttons on the glove can be programmed to trigger modulation (common-tone, chromatic mediant, etc.). X, Y, and Z data can be programmed to control dynamics, arpeggiation tempo, and other aspects of the performance. Using the controller of the popular game Dance Dance Revolution, I began writing a program that would allow the buttons of this controller to play back loops of audio. Simply load up the audio files (or use the default loops) and step on each pad to begin playback of each file. Start and stop loops on the fly, bring them all in or out, change the EQ and volume--anything you want. EAMIR padKontrol http://www.eamir.org/padKontrol.htm The EAMIR padKontrol system uses the Korg padKontrol USB MIDI controller and PC or Mac compatible software to compose music. When the software is launched, the user can select Slider http://www.eamir.org/touchscreen.htm Slider is a touchscreen musical interface that converts graphical table data into a linear array of musical notes. The slider software is run on a touchscreen computer which allows the table data to be entered by physically touching the graphical interface. Each point in the table is analyzed serially and yields a note. The notes are played back at user variable rhythm which can be changed by touching a rhythmic value icon at the left. The tempo can be changed as well. When a user touches the screen, the points are read and produce notes. The higher the line appears when it is read, continued on page 14 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 13 EAMIR... - continued from page 13 the higher the note will sound. A keyboard appears beneath the table to reflect the pitch of the point currently being analyzed. By default, notes are read “up and down” that is, from left to right to left. This option can be changed to have notes read up (from left to right only) and down (from right to left only). Tiles http://www.eamir.org/tiles.htm The EAMIR tiles take the amount force exerted into them and convert that energy it into music. Embedded in each floor tile, beneath the colored rectangle, is a sensor that measures force. The amount of force is translated differently depending on which tile program is being run. This simple program outputs the notes of the C Major scale from low to high depending on the amount of force exerted. Other programs allow the tiles to be used for pitch matching games and activities for memory reinforcement as well as extended options for musical performance. The tiles are moveable and may also be mounted vertically (attached to the walls) if desired. l Resources: EAMIR – www.eamir.org The Modal Object Library – a collection of algorithms to control/ define modality http://www.vincemanzo.com/modal_change Professor Manzo is the Director of Music Technology at Montclair State University (2007) and Kean University (2007) where he teaches courses in traditional & electronic music and composition. e-mail: [email protected]. websites: www. vincemanzo.com, www.eamir.org 14 Dr. Thomas Rudolph Receives PA TI:ME Honorary Award - continued from page 2 writer, and presenter, I know Dr. Rudolph as my middle school band director. As a Haverford School District student in Havertown, PA, Dr. Rudolph’s enthusiasm and exceptional teaching practices inspired me in middle school concert band and jazz ensemble. I recall early morning jazz ensemble rehearsals learning standard jazz repertoire such as Jumpin’ at the Woodside and Harlem Nocturne and developing improvisational skills over Bb Blues and other entry-level chord progressions. Thanks to Dr. Rudolph, I became a music teacher and now a colleague of his at Haverford. As music department head at Haverford, Tom knew the importance of music technology electives in addition to a vibrant music performance program. He understood that music technology electives could pull students from the entire school population into music and attract all of the students who didn’t fit into the typical band/ orchestra/chorus model. Today, the music lab at Haverford High School has doubled the size of high school music program serving 384 students per year. Thanks to Tom’s consistent support over many years for music technology in the district, the high school now has a full-time music technology teaching position with a 24 student-seat lab along with a keyboard lab at the middle school. In November, Tom had surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his colon that was discovered during a routine colonoscopy. Fortunately, the cancer was removed at the early stages and Tom is now cancer free. He is receiving chemotherapy as a preventative measure and his energy level is diminished; consequently, Tom was unable to attend the PA TI:ME Conference and receive the award in person. Instead, I presented the award to Tom at Haverford’s 30th Annual Evening of Jazz. Started by Tom 30 years ago, Haverford’s Annual Evening of Jazz features Haverford students from the middle school and high school jazz groups along with a special guest artist. In recent years Haverford has hosted outstanding jazz soloists such as Jon Faddis, Wycliff Gordon, and Randy Brecker. To commemorate the 30th Annual Evening of Jazz, Tom assembled a jazz combo of some of the top Haverford graduates from his tenure ranging from the class of ’77 to the class of ’06. Tom received recognition for his years of outstanding service in music technology in front of a packed house of students, parents, and alumni from the past 32 years. This was the first time Tom was honored for his contributions to music education and technology. Obviously, this award was long overdue. Tom has had a tremendous impact on my life and the lives of the students and staff in Haverford School District. He is an inspirational teacher, role model, mentor, and friend and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the PA TI:ME Honorary Award. l The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Research Corner: Recent Research on Looping and DJ Software in the Music Classroom Kimberly C. Walls Today there are vast possibilities for creating music through technology and most commercial music is produced with software. Our music students have greater options for composing and arranging music than most of us experienced while growing up. Our lack of early experiences may make it difficult to know the best ways to incorporate creative technologies into our classrooms. Research can help remedy the situation by informing us how student learn with music software and by suggesting best practices for using software to teach music creativity. Looping or DJ software is popular for creating pop music. Many music teachers have used looping software in their classes to encourage music creativity. Looping software contains audio samples that can be repeated (or vamped) without a break for a specified number of measures in a multitrack mix. The audio samples are categorized by style, instrument, and mood and can be played back in the tempo and key of the mix. The looping or DJ category includes software titles such as Acid, GarageBand, Super Duper MusicLooper, Live, FL Studio (previously Fruityloops), and eJay (soon to become eQuality) as well as various web sites that support looping compositions Most of the titles also support live recording of speech, vocal, and instrumental tracks. Previous research supports the idea that students are motivated by the authenticity of the musical styles and the professionalsounding arrangements. eJay (www.ejay.com) has been widely used in English schools to promote arranging and composition. Eight 13-14 year old boys and girls of various levels of music experience who attended a low-socioeconomic school in England were the participants in Mellior’s (2008) study: “Creativity, Originality, Identity: Investigating Computer-Based Composition in the Secondary School.” Each individual student used eJay for 15 minutes to “to compose a piece that sounds good to you.” The computer composition activity was similar taking a music class to the school computer lab or rotating a number of individual students through a music room computer station. Liz Mellior wanted to learn about the strategies students used in composing with eJay and the impact of previous musical experiences on musical choices and compositional processes. Each individual student had a short software orientation session in which they used the mouse to find and preview loops and clicked play, rewind and stop. Mellior took care not to reinforce any of the actual arranging done in the orientations and gave each student a handout with screen prints of the various tools. The researcher left the room and each student spent 15 minutes to complete the open-ended composition task. Mouse actions on the screen were recorded through a video scan converter and the compositions were recorded on mini-disc. Following the composition period, student were asked to fast-forward and stop the video at what they continued on page 16 The TI:MES • Spring 2009 15 Research Corner - continued from page 15 Absolutely Free... - continued from page 6 thought were important points in the compositional process and describe the significance of each episode. Students also answered a number of scripted open-ended questions in which they named their favorite loops, described the best section of their mix, told what they enjoyed, what they learned, what was original, and what was creative. The verbal responses and the video screen were taped for analysis. Each student was interviewed; after telling about their memorable musical experiences they described the feelings and meanings of each incident. The interviews were recorded on mini-disc Mellior coded the screen actions, analyzed the verbal reflections and answers for emergent themes, and charted the interviews for critical incidents. Although participants were not instructed to compose a piece with sections, the process all students used was vertical in which each section of a composition was completed before beginning work on a new section. All the students felt they were creative and all of them used divergent thinking when previewing loops and used convergent thinking when editing their mixes. Formal music training seemed to influence how students used musical terminology as well as their musical preferences and compositional processes. The student with more formal music training used less experimentation, felt that his creation was not original, and doubted that computer composition in the dance genre could ever be creative. Participants differed in what they thought they had learned, varying from musical choices and concepts to ease of composing with technology. This was especially important to some girls who had never used technology for composing and a low school achiever who felt he had a credible accomplishment. Composing with eJay also affected participants’ thoughts of personal identity; as they recognized and valued their creative decisions, some began to think of themselves as being musicians. Implications for music teachers are that eJay (and similar software titles) can provide efficient means for students to create music by helping to generate and refine ideas that can result in musical choices. In as short an exposure as 15 minutes, arranging and composition standards can be approached. Looping software provides motivation for learners because the style of music is more relevant to student’s world outside of school and using the software is authentic to the tasks practiced by commercial musicians. Cultural relevance and ease of use are especially important to children who may have had no formal music training or little school success. l Mellior, L. (2008). Creativity, originality, identity: Investigating computer-based composition in the secondary school. Music Education Research, 10(4), 451-472. Retrieved April 2, 2009 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14613800802547680 Kimberly C. Walls is Professor and Coordinator of Music Education at Auburn University. She serves on the TI-ME Research Committee and is Vice-President of Association for Technology in Music Instruction. Contact Kim at kim.walls@ auburn.edu 16 debacle—the entire contents of the site can be downloaded and installed on as many local machines as you like, free of charge. So far we have described software that can help music teachers and students reach the goals implied by the first five National Standards. The last four standards present some very interesting possibilities for the use of software technologies. We will tackle those in the third and final instalment of this article series. Stay tuned! l Chapter News - continued from page 7 the main vehicle for moving and manipulating everything. Every effort was made to make the day as non-platform specific as possible. The basics of how to use Audacity were followed by a quick look at a lesson on doing digital musique concrete, collaborative composing with looping, simple song forms at online sites, and more. Although the learning was comprehensive, it was very intentional that the presentation style needed to be very casual with plenty of individual time for exploration. The lunch break conversation continued to stay pretty much on topic: teachers talking about teaching, and successful approaches to utilizing technology in the classroom. Future plans for the Ohio group include a gathering for a day in the fall at Lebanon High School and once again hosting the Central Regional TI:ME Conference in January 2010. The call for proposals will be going out soon! l TI:ME chapters are also active in California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and Singapore. If you are interested in getting involved in your state’s existing chapter, visit www.ti-me.org/chapters to contact the chapter leadership. If you would like to know more about starting a chapter, or have questions about chapters, please contact me at [email protected]. The TI:MES • Spring 2009 Photos courtesy of Karen Garrett The TI:MES • Spring 2009 17 Inclusion of Music Technology Resources in Early Childhood Music Education By Fred Kersten Technology has found its way into virtually every aspect of the home and classroom. Currently it is highly available to the young child (early childhood age 4–8) through resources on the Internet, toys, games, and technology-teaching genre. A visitor to a local toy store will find an increasing number of games, musical instruments, and controllers that are focused on the musical aspects of education. Software that provides opportunities for composition, improvisation, and discovering musical elements is becoming plentiful and is of high quality. Increasingly available to the home situation, the Internet can make available real-time musical activities thus providing an opportunity for child musical concept interaction with and without the support of a care provider. The objective of interaction with Internet music technology is to develop an overt, physical, psychomotor involvement music activity rather than a sedentary, inactive, observation of audio/visual output. Simply stated, active physical musical participation is the primary goal including playing, singing, movement, creating, and listening to music. Through technology resources the following standards are supported for musical interaction: • Identifying and experiencing musical instrument characteristics and timbres and constructing simple instruments • Singing and playing to musical backgrounds • Experiencing creative processes with realistic aural sounds involving composition, change of tempo, timbre, and form while obtaining immediate musical feedback. • Listening to music. • Engaging in movement activities- rocking patterns, moving to beat. • Identifying feelings and ideas that music communicates and focusing on them. • Exposing children to diverse types and styles of music. • • • Listening • • The following links provide resources for implementing the above-mentioned opportunities for musical interaction. • Symphony Orchestra sites such as New York Philharmonic Kids Zone (www.nyphilkids.org/games/ main.phtml). This site includes Orchestration Station, which provides an opportunity to orchestrate a short composition with authentic instrument timbres, and 18 Classics for Kids (www.classicsforkids.com/index. asp) provides listening resources including podcasts & classical archives. Music Creativity Online Web Resources for Musical Interaction Instrument timbre awareness Percussion Showdown that offers musical memory exercises. As you view the San Francisco Symphony site enjoy The Speed of Music-CHECK OUT TEMPO (www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1). The Dallas Symphony site for kids, parents, and teachers provides information on making instruments, and instrument sound identification (www.dsokids. com/2001/rooms/DSO_Intro.html). Backstage, produced by the American Symphony Orchestra, is a site that portrays various instruments of the orchestra (www.playmusic.org/stage.html). Included are short movie examples of older students playing instruments as well as sound excerpts. The Percussion site features a tonal memory game with an opportunity for performance evaluations (www.playmusic.org/ percussion/index.html). This game provides interactive levels of achievement difficulty in addition to sound examples of percussion instruments. A Woodwinds site (www.playmusic.org/woodwinds/index.html) details this family. Science of Sound and Hearing - from the bbc.co.uk - age 5–6 science pages. Timbres; illustrated musical vibration examples; loud/soft discrimination; sound production; are interactively examined (www.bbc.co.uk/ schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/sound_hearing.shtml). • • The TI:MES • Spring 2009 creatingmusic.com developed by Morton Subotnick, is an online creative music environment for children of all ages. It is a place to compose music and interact with musical performance, games, and puzzles. This site provides music interaction opportunities for early childhood. Pages include: • Musical Sketch Pad ( creatingmusic.com/new/ sketch/index.html) • Rhythm Band (www.creatingmusic.com/mmm/ mmmrb.html) • Games and Puzzles (www.creatingmusic.com/ puzzles/index.html) • Cartoon Conductor ( www.creatingmusic.com/ cartoons/index.html) • Playing with Music (www.creatingmusic.com/ playing/index.html) • Same or Different (creatingmusic.com/ ComparingGame/index.html) • Melodic Contour (www.creatingmusic.com/ contours/index.html) The Playing with Music site emphasizes musical concepts, permitting children to experiment with slow/ fast and forward/backward (www.creatingmusic.com/ playing/play1.html). Playing with scales allows performance using various timbres in major or minor featuring clarinet, oboe, or • • xylophone. Young children, with parent supervision, can do the clicking. (www.creatingmusic.com/ playing/play3.html). PBS Kids (pbskids.org/) provides opportunities for games, stories, music, and coloring. Check out Global Groovin’ to see and hear multicultural instruments, then click on Go mix music and compose with these and other sounds (pbskids.org/ mayaandmiguel/english/games/globalgroovin/ game.html). The PBS music site allows listening to, and singing of, songs including lyrics that parents and teachers can print out. Other sites such as Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood are available with songs, stories, and make believe (pbskids.org/rogers/ songlist/). Cbeebies (BBC) provides an interesting music site where very authentic timbres may be heard and associated with instrument pictures (www. bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tweenies/songtime/games/ makemusic/). Additional pages for singing songs (karaoke) are available (www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/ tweenies/songtime/). Audio Basics... - continued from page 11 than 1 foot), be aware of proximity effect and roll off the bass until you obtain a more natural sound. You can (1) roll off low frequencies on the mixer, or (2) use a microphone designed to minimize proximity effect, or (3) use a microphone with a bass roll-off switch, or (4) use an omnidirectional microphone (which does not exhibit proximity effect). Conclusion A person’s choice of microphone can often be a matter of personal taste. There really is no one ideal microphone or way of placing that microphone to get the sound you are looking for. We recommend experimenting with all sorts of microphones and positions until you get the sound that works for that particular moment. However, the desired sound can often be achieved more quickly through a solid understanding of the microphone characteristics outlined above as well as a good knowledge of how sound radiates from different instruments and also how the room affects that sound. Just remember, whatever method sounds right for the particular situation, is right. l Early Childhood Music Software • • • • Making Music, Making More Music, Hearing Music, and Playing Music from Morton Subotnick parallel items found on his creatingmusic.com site. Several titles indicate “age 8-up;” however, each title has aspects that are easily utilized with early childhood music education (www.emediamusic.com/ academic/index.html). Pianomouse goes to Preschool includes instrument identification, basic music rudiments, and composer backgrounds (www.pianomouse.com/ products.htm). ECS Music Education Software (Kids Stuff section) provides a wide-ranging source of music software for early childhood (www.ecsmedia.com/ products/prodmusic.shtml#kids). Sibelius Software--Groovy Music, Groovy Shapes (5–7), Groovy Jungle (7–9), Groovy City (9–11), allows composition and music experience, and is very comprehensive. A feature to look for in early childhood software is user-friendly supportive narration, which is well illustrated within these titles (www.sibelius.com/products/ groovy/index.html). Further Resources to Explore For more specifics regarding this topic and additional resources, access: (http://fredkersten.com/TIME/ TIMEEarly.htm). l Dr. Fred Kersten has extensive experience with music technology and has presented for ATMI, TI:ME, and MENC in addition to providing articles for MENC journals. He is currently developing research on technology aspects of early childhood music education. Visit him at: (http://fredkersten.com). The TI:MES • Spring 2009 19 TI:ME 3300 Washtenaw Avenue, Suite 220 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-4294 SAVE THE DATE! TI:ME National Conference 2010 February 18-20, 2010 East Brunswick Hilton & Towers Hosted by New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) 20 The TI:MES • Spring 2009