COMPUTER MUSIC

The M-125 Music Lab is used primarily for the instrumental music students at Horace Mann Middle School. The room is acoustically isolated and conforms to modern ergonomic design. M-125 can accommodate a maximum capacity of up to fifty music students per class session. This particular Computer Music classroom is comprised of 30 computers (17 Macs/13 PCs), 27 synthesizers, and 1 acoustic piano. The lab utilizes Casio, Kawai, and Yamaha Synthesizers exclusively.

Music notation and theory support can be achieved by accessing one of the five selected educational software programs installed on the computers (Alfred’s Practical Theory, Clef Notes, Elements of Music, MiBac Music Lessons and Musicus). Each program focuses on a specific aspect of music development. Research papers and biographies on composers, musicians, instruments, styles, periods or genres of Music are accomplished in Microsoft Works, Word, or PowerPoint (soon to be also installed on the computers).

Students write and compose music both traditionally and on the computers by using one of the 4 music notation programs available in our Computer Music lab (Finale, Music Time, Music Write, or Nightingale). More advanced musical and compositional applications requiring MIDI sequencing, editing, sampling and recording is achieved by utilizing one of the 3 MIDI lab stations available. Each MIDI lab station features one of three different programs (Master Trax Pro, Cake Walk, or Studio Vision Pro) to acclimate the students to the various types of advanced music software applications and how to employ them affectively in their own original compositions.

All classroom recording is done digitally and features 5 GM Synthesizers with on board sequencers; 2 GM synthesizers with digital samplers, a drum machine, an electric guitar, amplifier, 8-channel mixing board, monitors, sound system, as well as a Digital/Analog CD recorder.

Ear training and Multimedia is next.