Use of Software in Music Technology

In 2006 John Crowe co-ordinated the evaluation of a number of software programs used in the teaching and learning of Music Technology in the primary and post primary curriculum. John Crowe is a music teacher from Co. Longford, though he has spent most of his teaching career in Co. Leitrim where he was the music teacher in Carrigallen and Mohill Vocational schools for over fourteen years. He gives in-service courses in Music Technology for Leaving Cert music in Education Centres around the country and has given talks at the CESI and Post Primary Music Teachers Association (PPMTA) national conferences. He is also on the 'ICT and The Arts' design team with the INTO and has designed and tutored courses for teachers involving the use of ICT in music education at primary level.
 He is also involved in providing ICT solutions in education, music therapy research, software design and coordinating partnership projects with Yamaha, Compaq and Creative Labs. He holds a masters degree in music technology from Dundalk Institute of Technology 

John Crowe

The Use of Software in Music Technology in Junior and Senior Cycle

The use of software music packages at post-primary level has been greatly welcomed by both music teachers and students alike as it has greatly facilitated the teaching of rudiments of music, the development of musical concepts and the provision of music technology as an option at Leaving Cert. Judging by the feedback from teachers at the PPMTA  conferences and Education Centres the use of software has introduced a new and engaging medium of teaching music in the classroom with increased numbers of students taking the music technology option at Leaving Cert.

There are many benefits in using software in the teaching of music in the classroom especially when addressing the three main activities of Performing, Composing and Listening and the developing of musical concepts. Some of the software plays backing tracks for students to perform to; others provide a virtual stave where notes can be inputted as standard musical notation for composing purposes, while most add a graphical dimension which helps in explaining musical concepts such as pitch, dynamics and structure. Together with a data projector, music software can be a very effective medium in the teaching of music, as information can be displayed to the class in a two dimensional way (sight and sound) which helps provide clarity in a lesson. More

The Use of Software in Music Technology in Primary School

There are many software music packages available to schools at the moment and this article outlines some of the more popular ones currently in use in Irish schools where teachers are actively involved in their use in helping to deliver core areas of the new primary music curriculum. Judging from the feedback from teachers in Education Centres and summer schools, the use of software has introduced a new and engaging medium of teaching music in the classroom and has greatly facilitated teachers in the delivery of the three strands of the new curriculum. More

The evaluation of the software featured in this report was carried out by Irish Music teachers implementing the Music Technology section of the Junior Cert and Leaving Cert course.

Teachers and Schools that participated in this evaluation.


Miriam Mc Donnell, St. Attracta's Community School, Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo.
Siobhan Hall, Mercy College, Chapel Hill, Sligo.
Anne Maxwell, Carrick-on-Shannon Community School, Carrick-on-Shannon,Co.Leitrim
Fiona Watts, Jesus and Mary Secondary School, Gortnor Abbey, Crossmolina, Co. Mayo.
Teresa Costello, Scoil Muire and Padraig Secondary School, Swinford, Co. Mayo.

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