Bauer (2014) indicated that studying music composition provides many benefits for music students, including growth through "artistic and meaningful engagement with sounds" (p. 59). He provided several guidelines for implementing composition instruction. Students need more structured lessons early in the composition process; getting more freedom as they move through the process. The goes on to state that teachers should provide support and guidance as is appropriate for the students' level musical development. Bauer also comments that critique and revision are an integral part of the creative process. Feedback is valuable in all learning, and students should be active participants in the critique-revision process (Bauer, 2014). Teachers should provide feedback frequently and in small doses as students progress from the formative to the expert stage of learning independence.
Technology can be a valuable tool for teaching composition. Bauer (2014) classified composition software into notation based and non-notation based software. One advantage of using technology for music composition is that students get instant feedback, and students can listen to their composition as they are creating it (Bauer, 2014) Notation based software offers many learning opportunities, but music can also be composed using graphically oriented software with digital audio workstations (DAW's). In addition, technology offers more opportunities for performance and collaboration. Digital music files can be shared in online communities using internet sharing forums. Students can also engage in creating arrangements, remixes, and mashups as a way to get involved in the creative process (Bauer, 2014).
Bazan (n.d.) referred to DAW's as an engineers solution to recording music, because of their efficiency compared with analog methods of recording. Using graphically oriented software like Garageband or Soundation allows students to "think in sound" (Bauer, 2014, p. 63). Some might question the validity and artistic merit of compositions created in this manner. However, I feel the way the tool is used is what is important in this regard. Care must be taken so that the technology does not dictate the creative process.
One drawback of notation software indicated by Bauer (2014) was that it did not encourage sketching of musical ideas. I found that DAW's work well in this capacity. A composer can use loops and prerecorded samples to "sketch" ideas of formal structure, timbre, and texture before moving to notation software to create the actual composition. For example, when working on our marching band half-time show, we sometimes sketch out ideas on Garageband. Loops make excellent placeholders until we decide on the actual music for the show. I can see how software like Soundation can be used to engage students in the composition process even if what they produce may not be of artistic merit. In my own training, my first solo and ensemble festival performance may not have been worthy of Carnegie Hall, but the experience started me on my musical journey.
Digital Audio
Digital audio captures the frequency and amplitude of sound in the form of binary data. This data is measured in terms of sample rate and bit rate. Sample rate refers to the number of time data is sampled per second, while bit rate is the amount of bits or data points per second. An advantage of digital recordings over analog recordings is that digital recordings do not degrade over time.
Audio files are stored in formats called codecs. Codecs that contain all of the data from the original recording are called lossless. WAV files are the most popular types of lossless audio files (Bazan, n.d.). There are other lossless codecs that are gaining popularity. Two additional lossless codecs that I am familiar with are Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) and Apple Lossless. FLAC music files are popular among audiophiles who want to enjoy uncompressed audio in their high-end systems. Apple Lossless is a proprietary lossless format and is the only lossless format that works on iPhones and iPads. You can learn about these codecs at the following sites:
https://xiph.org/flac/
http://alac.macosforge.org
Codecs that compress data eliminate elements of the recording outside of the normal listening spectrum to reduce the size of the file. While this is convenient for sending files over the internet and saving hard drive space, some people claim that there is a noticeable difference in sound quality. Faster internet speeds and larger hard drives may reduce the need for compressed audio codecs. These codecs are often referred to as lossy and include MP3, AAC (Apple), and WMA (Windows). Ogg Vorbis and Opus are open source alternative lossy codecs but the proprietary codecs are currently the more popular options.
References
Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Bazan, D. (n.d.) Technology assisted music teaching & professional development [Powerpoint slides] Retrieved from https://learn.kent.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5641931-dt-content-rid-52156352_1/courses/14924.201660/Week%201/Lecture/index.html
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