Use of Music Technology Software in Primary Curriculum

Audacity is another free to download piece of software that functions as a stand alone recorder and wave editor. It is a very useful tool to record pupil’s compositions and can present the recordings as a waveform – the default means of visualizing audio. The waveform can then be edited in a number of ways such as deleting unwanted mistakes and silences, transposing the pitch up or down, change the tempo and adding effects such as echo and reverse. There are quite a few musical concepts that can be addressed with this software for example pupils who hear their recorded voices transposed in to chipmunk or monster territory gain an understanding of pitch by actively participating in the process themselves. Compositions can be saved in popular music file formats such as wave and mp3 files and can then be burned to CD or imported in to other programs. It is PC and Mac compatible.
   
There are some very simple free music programs available to download from the internet such as Keyboard Note Finder and Basic Piano Chords that have greatly helped teachers describe the stave and explain major and minor chords. Keyboard Note Finder provides a virtual keyboard on the screen that can be played by simply clicking on the keys. The notes in turn appear on the stave and a circular window displays the name of the note played. Basic Piano Chords will play any major or minor chord (plus a wide selection of other chords) on a virtual on-screen piano. Pupils can hear and see the notes being played and quickly get to understand what a chord/arpeggio is. 
   
Cakewalk music software has proved popular with teachers especially those with a music notation background. Programs such as Cakewalk Express and Music Creator allow teachers to write music on a virtual stave, play it back, and change the pitch, tempo, and instrument. Pupils can connect a midi keyboard to the computer and record their performances, download midi backing tracks from the internet and permanently delete the lead instrument line so that they are left with a backing track ready for a school concert etc…These backing tracks have become a valuable resource for schools as they can be accessed and edited quickly while also contributing to a more enjoyable environment when singing popular songs in the classroom or school concert. The Cakewalk software also makes provisions for pupils to connect a microphone and record vocals and external instruments to the program where the recordings can be saved to the usual popular music file formats. Prices range from around ¤80 to ¤150 for the entry level versions.
 
Garageband that comes pre-installed as part of the iLife suite of applications bundled with every new Mac. Pupils can start making music straight away by using the supplied Apple Loops and simply dragging and dropping them on to the timeline. They can also record their voices and other external sounds; add effects, save their compositions as mp3 files or burn to CD. Standard music notation is also provided while students who wish to get involved in podcasts can now publish their recorded podcasts on the web with just a couple of clicks. Garageband is currently at version three and has become one of the most popular pieces of music software available.
   
In conclusion, it would be true to say that teachers have welcomed the use of computer software in the classroom as it facilitates the delivery of the music curriculum in a manner that is both engaging and fun for teacher and pupil, which can only serve to have a positive outcome for all.

Read Teachers' Evaluations of software mentioned in this article.

Evaluation Audacity Keyboard Note Finder BasicPiano Chords Cakewalk Garageband 
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