Music Software 101 Basics. Working with Young Students and Music Technology

In aligning technology choices to teaching objectives, it is important to understand all the capabilities and limitations of hardware and software choices. In many instances, the hardware may be predetermined by the school district, in terms of using traditional PC’s or Mac OS computers, Chromebooks, or mobile devices. Each type of hardware will often dictate the software options that are available to use. There are software platforms that are web-based, inexpensive, or free, and not platform-specific.

These web-based platforms have the advantage of allowing students to work from anywhere at any time, not just in the school’s computer lab. For instance, though my college students have access to an up-to-date computer lab equipped with a variety of music software options, I have gravitated over the years to using software that is more web-based. The software programs in our lab, which are often costly, have computer-specific site licenses. Web-based software in general is licensed to each student as a registered user, allowing students access to the software, wherever and whenever they want.

This option generally has a lower cost-per-student price point and also doesn’t involve a great deal of maintenance or upgrades. The major negative is when there’s an internet failure or a power outage, which means unless there’s the ability to save a project to a desktop rather than the cloud, students would be unable to work on their project until their internet service is up and running. Many schools have also adopted Chromebooks as their device of choice, which means that web-based products would be the best option. Many of the web-based programs will function on a mobile device, plus there are many mobile apps for music-making that are available for both iOS and Android devices. Some of them are operating-system-specific, yet there are generally similar functioning apps that can be found.

In thinking about the types of software that would typically be used for music composition, at the top of the list would be a good all-purpose digital audio workstation (DAW), which can facilitate composing, recording, editing, arranging, and mixing music. DAWs will often but not always include looping software and music sequencers. The sequencer can provide a visual representation of a composition, generally in the form of a piano roll as shown in Figure 14.2. Most DAWs have the capability of working with MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) files or audio files such as .mp3, .wav, or .aiff. MIDI is how various keyboard controllers, electronic instruments, and computers communicate with each other.

Figure 14.2. Piano roll view in Soundtrap

There are numerous options, from introductory prosumer versions that are free, such as Apple GarageBand, which comes with Mac OS, to web-based licensed subscription versions such as Soundtrap. More advanced options, which can be purchased outright or with a monthly subscription, are Ableton Live, Apple Logic Pro, Avid Pro Tools, Steinberg Cubase, Image-Line FL Studio, and Reason Many of these DAWs even have mobile apps.

Working with Young Students and Music Technology. Starting with the youngest sound explorers, there are a number of graphically oriented software apps. Google Chrome Music Lab (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com) has several visually oriented apps to allow students to explore melody and song creation. Both Song Maker (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/) and Melody Maker (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Melody-Maker/) use an interface that is similar to graph paper so that when each graph square is clicked, a note will play with a specific color associated with that note. The pitch colors are aligned with the colors of Boomwhackers⁶ that many music teachers use in the early grades. The pitch changes move along a vertical axis while the rhythmic duration is on a horizontal axis. Morton Subotnick’s Pitch Painter app for iOS devices is a finger-painting app that allows young children to literally draw and explore sounds in much the same way along a vertical and horizontal axis. This Pitch Painter app also introduces young children to several different scale tunings from different world regions.

Looping Basics. Looping software is another user-friendly way for students to enter into music creation that builds on their musical intuitions and preferences. Loops are short, pre-recorded phrases that allow for endless repetition. Loop libraries contain extensive assortments of sounds that can consist of multiple musical genres and eras, acoustic and electronic instruments, and a variety of moods and atmospheres. There are loops that are melodic, rhythmic, or simple sound effects. These loops can be put together in an infinite range of patterns and can be edited and layered into a variety of original compositions. DAWs such as GarageBand, which is MacOS and iOS based, generally come bundled with Apple products. However, there are several web-based inexpensive or freeware DAWs geared for educational purposes, such as Soundtrap (https://www.soundtrap.com ) and BandLab (https://www.bandl ab.com). In addition to providing loop libraries, these programs are great all-purpose DAWs for sequencing, recording, editing, and mixing music. Students can input their own vocals and MIDI instruments, and upload external audio tracks and MIDI files, as well as manipulate the audio parameters of each track through an assortment of effects processors, allowing for a great deal of creative input from the user. One of the features in Soundtrap that is particularly suited for participatory music-making is the collaboration feature, which makes it possible for multiple users to simultaneously enter the same Soundtrap studio to record, edit, and mix. For teachers using a learning management system or Google Classroom, both Soundtrap and BandLab have the capability of being integrated into them for ease of distributing and assessing assignments.

Notation Basics. Once students are at the point of working with traditional music notation, a notation software program will allow students to turn their musical ideas into printable transcriptions for any number of instruments, with the added benefit of letting students hear what their composition sounds like, with any combination of acoustic and electronic instruments. While using a stand-alone notation program will require familiarity with traditional music notation, some sequencers have the ability to print out a score in either traditional notation or in piano roll format. There are any number of excellent software platforms to choose from that are available for computers and mobile devices, ranging from entry-level to professional quality use, with a range of price points. For educational purposes, Noteflight is low-cost, web-based, and cross-platform, with the ability for students to work alone or collaboratively with their peers and share their work.

Students can input any number of instruments, as well as print out individual parts and scores. As with BandLab and Soundtrap described above, Noteflight can be integrated into a learning management system where music teachers can upload scores to share with students and provide feedback. Noteflight will even allow users to export their scores into Soundtrap. If budget allows, it may also make sense to invest in MIDI keyboard controllers, though all of the software will work from a computer keyboard, or in the case of a mobile device, the normal touch interface. Becoming familiar with audio platforms that allow students to upload and share their creations, such as SoundCloud and YouTube, and understanding the issues of copyrighted material as well as privacy concerns regarding making files public, should also be investigated and discussed with students.

Makey Makey Basics. In addition to the programs mentioned above, there are a number of hardware and software platforms and apps that allow for users to explore different sounds and different ways of putting music together that are more visually oriented. One such device is the Makey Makey Invention Kit, created by Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum while they were students at MIT’s Media Lab (https://makeymakey.com). It was created to allow students to tinker and explore the possibilities of electrical conductivity and circuitry, yet when connected to MIDI-based software, there are endless musical possibilities as well. It is a small, relatively inexpensive microcontroller that mimics the functions of a game controller. With no additional software, the Makey Makey can be connected to a computer through a USB cable and the device will function like a keyboard controller. It is literally a plug-and-play device.

Using the included alligator clips, along with any kind of material you can find that conducts electricity, students can complete an electrical circuit, to create anything they can imagine. With the students’ interests in mind, this device will provide opportunities to explore the materials and plan and conceptualize the types of instruments they would like to create, as well as explore both MIDI-based sounds and their own sonic creations for an interactive improvisatory composition. The Makey Makey device supports an almost constant state of discovery and exploration, while in reality students will be learning how to work as teams, discover new uses of the technology at hand, and use basic electronic circuitry to make music.

Yes, Anyone Can Teach with Technology: Here’s How to Do It!

How might these tools be used to encourage students to play with and manipulate sound while also teaching musical concepts? In this section, activities will range from using the Google Chrome Music Lab’s Song Maker app to teach about musical patterns and form, to using DAWs to create hip-hop tracks. In many cases these activities will also have interdisciplinary connections into literacy development, math, and science. What follows is a variety of lesson activities and software types to help get started with some simple entry points. These activities can be employed as is, or adapted and expanded upon to suit teaching goals, students’ interests, and curricular requirements.

Basic Form with Song Maker. When a group of pre-service music education students were working with a middle school music class to teach form, they developed a very extensive set of activities to teach these students using Song Maker (https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/

Song-Maker/). What they discovered after the first day was that the students were using the software to write messages to each other or write out their names to see what they sounded like. Building on what the students were doing, the next lesson involved having each student write their first name in the software to see what it sounded like as their A section. Given the nature of what this would involve, the texture could be quite dense. The new goal was to ask them to create a B section that had a different texture that was less dense.

Song Maker has the ability to let students choose the note to start on, choose whether it is a major, minor, or pentatonic scale; along with choosing the number of bars, beats per measure, and how to split the beat, users can also determine the number of octaves that are desired for this composition. There is a “save” button that creates a URL for students’ work. The program is designed to allow users to download the file as a MIDI or .wav file and can also provide and embed code. It’s always a good idea to have the students email teachers that link. This is a link for my version of the A section in the above activity: https://musiclab.chromeexperiments.com/Song-Maker/song/61366 04328984576. Of course, it can be a great ear training tool when students are provided with some simple tunes to see if they can then input the melody into Song Maker by ear.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, by John Scieszka. Using music technology, specifically with a looping software program such as those previously mentioned, students can create soundtracks/soundscapes for children’s stories. It is a great way to engage upper elementary students in musical and creative thinking. John Sciescka’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs⁷ is a satirical twist on the classic story that many children know. This version is told from the Wolf’s perspective. A teacher can either create a read-aloud version of the book, or use the YouTube version from YouTube Kids, where the author is reading the story with the book’s visuals, but without any music or sound effects. The object here is to have a discussion with students about what the mood is for specific parts of the story and what action could be supported by music and/or effects. This is also a great opportunity to discuss how this story differs from the original version they are familiar with. It would be beneficial to create a list of the various scenes, noting what is happening, what the mood or atmosphere might be, and what words or phrases could be emphasized with music. Then ask students, either individually or in pairs, to explore the software for a variety of loops they think match the moods and actions from the list.

In addition to creating moods and supporting actions, this activity would be perfect for a unit on musical motifs by asking students to create some character attributes for each of the pigs, as well as the wolf. They can then explore short motifs for each of the characters based on the attributes they came up with. Once they have gathered all the loops they think are appropriate, ask them to create a soundscape that tells the story through words, music, and sound effects. An example of a track layout is shown in Figure 14.3.

Figure 14.3. Example of a Soundtrap track layout

A DAW such as GarageBand or Soundtrap will allow them to have a multitrack recording in order to keep narration, music loops, and sound effect loops as separate tracks for ease of layering and mixing sounds. They can then record their own narration or use either the teacher-created one or the one from the YouTube version. It should be noted that while this story is fun to explore, the activity of creating a soundtrack to a story can work with any story where it would be conducive to adding mood music, sound effects, and musical motifs for specific characters.