Ciprian Gabriel Pop

ICT

in Music Teaching Design

referenți: acad. prof. univ. dr. Cornel Țăranu prof. univ. dr. Gabriel Banciu ISBN 978-606-645-068-3

coperta și tehnoredactare: Ciprian Gabriel Pop © Copyright, 2016, Editura MediaMusica Toate drepturile asupra acestei ediţii sunt rezervate. Reproducerea integrală sau parţială pe orice suport, fără acordul scris al editurii, este interzisă.

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Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................... 5

Content Teaching Unit nr. 1 ............................................................... 7

Teaching Unit nr. 1 Objectives ..................................................... 8

1. Development of Information and Communication Technologies in

Music Teaching Process ..................................................................... 9

1.1. Educational Impact Through the “New Technologies – Resources

for Musical Composition” ............................................................. 9

1.2. The study of the users’ needs .............................................. 13

1.3. Generating educational content ........................................... 14

1.4. Quality in the Process of Musical Education Mediated by ICT ... 15

2. Virtualization - a Stimulus of Creativity in the Musical Realm ............ 18

2.1. Electronically Generated Sound ........................................... 19

2.2. Virtual Synthesizer ............................................................. 24

2.3. Samplers .......................................................................... 26

2.4. Virtual Effects .................................................................... 27

2.5. Music Score writing in virtual environment ............................ 29

3. Propellerhead Reason – efficiency and creativity ............................. 31

Introduction ............................................................................ 31

3.1. At First Glance ................................................................... 31

3.2. Sound opulence ................................................................. 33

3.3. Emulation ......................................................................... 35

3.4.. Manipulation .................................................................... 38

3.5. Propellerhead Reason – Work Tool ....................................... 42

Content Teaching Unit nr. 2 ............................................................. 50

4. Multimedia Educational Resources Used in the Music Education

System .......................................................................................... 51

4.1. Multimedia Resources in Music ............................................ 53

4.2 The D.I.M.A. experiment – a multimedia resource for the music

education system ..................................................................... 54

4.3. The advantages of using multimedia educational resources in the

music education system ............................................................ 59

5. Information and Communication Technologies in the Pedagogy of

Musical Instrument ......................................................................... 65

5.1. YouTube – another point of view .......................................... 66

5.2. Establishing the repertoire .................................................. 67

5.3. Comparative Analysis ......................................................... 68

5.4. Sibelius - a Virtual Orchestra ............................................... 69

5.6. Electronic Versions Of The Printed Score ............................... 72

6. Electronic Platforms Used in Distance Education .............................. 80

6.1. Platform Construction ......................................................... 81

6.2. Courses Page ..................................................................... 84

6.3. Guides Page ...................................................................... 87

6.4. Statistics Page ................................................................... 88

6.5. Tests Page ......................................................................... 89

6.6. Papers Page ....................................................................... 91

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................. 99

Introduction

The information and communication technologies (ICT), developing in an

amazing rhythm, serve themselves as a platform for new forms of art, largely

based on the means of mass media (net art, virtual museums, educational

networks, electronic music, and so on).

The introduction of the information and communication technology (ICT) in

music creates an interdisciplinary field placed at the juncture of several

disciplines such as: musicology, acoustics, physics, electronics, informatics,

and social sciences.

Content Teaching Unit nr. 1

Content

1. Development of Information and Communication Technologies in

Music Teaching Process ..................................................................... 9

1.1. Educational Impact Through the “New Technologies – Resources

for Musical Composition” ............................................................. 9

1.2. The study of the users’ needs .............................................. 13

1.3. Generating educational content ........................................... 14

1.4. Quality in the Process of Musical Education Mediated by ICT ... 15

2. Virtualization - a Stimulus of Creativity in the Musical Realm ............ 18

2.1. Electronically Generated Sound ........................................... 19

2.2. Virtual Synthesizer ............................................................. 24

2.3. Samplers .......................................................................... 26

2.4. Virtual Effects .................................................................... 27

2.5. Music Score Writing in virtual environment ........................... 29

3. Propellerhead Reason – efficiency and creativity ............................. 31

3.1. At First Glance ................................................................... 31

3.2. Sound opulence ................................................................. 33

3.3. Emulation ......................................................................... 35

3.4. Manipulation ..................................................................... 38

3.5. Propellerhead Reason – Work Tool ....................................... 42

Teaching Unit nr. 1 Objectives

After studying this thematic the students will be able to:

Improve the quality of musical education.

Develop the using of the electronic means applied to music

Operate the software programs in the musical production used within

the professional electronic music industry

Increase the quality of the procedures placed under the influence of

the IT technologies employed in the musical field

1. Development of Information and

Communication Technologies in Music

Teaching Process

Introduction

For1 the adequate use of the tools specific to ICT one needs to

thoroughly assimilate the way of employing those means, from

the level of elementary grades up to university level, their usage

in education connecting new and efficient tools in the field of

musical composition2.

The New Technologies – Resources for Musical Composition

project is intended to study some software programs for the

musical production, by producing some guides and tutorials,

published online on educational platforms specialized in this type

of education. These guides and tutorials are accessible free of

charge both to the students in the distance learning department

and to any person interested in music produced using electronic

means. The project’s website displays and develops an original

analysis of the electronic music compositions, of the aesthetic,

associative and social premises, embedding them in the

perspective of the development of the quality of the distance

learning educational process in the musical field.

1.1. Educational Impact Through the “New

Technologies – Resources for Musical

Composition”

The electronic music presents, as any relatively new domain that

is still not much explored, a multitude of facets and potential

directions. The novelty, the exploration of possibilities, innovation,

1 Parts of this text have been published by the same author in ICT in Musical

Field – issue nr. 2/2012, MediaMusica Publishing House, ISSN 2067-9408,

coauthor prof. PhD. Nelida Nedelcuț 2 Breeze, Nick „Learning design and proscription: how generative activity was

promoted in music composing”, 2009, in: International Journal Of Music

Education, vol. 27, nr. 3, p. 204-219

the apparent exoticism are some of the many points of attraction

which this technology holds not only in itself but also through the

continuous evolution and the permanent discoveries and

inventions. The rapid pace of development and innovation in this

environment sometimes makes the use of the new technologies

more difficult in music than in other fields of art3.

Still, musical composition cannot avoid the possibilities offered by

technology, regardless of its type:

New hardware devices for sound synthesis;

New recording devices;

New devices of sound editing, much more complex and of

high fidelity;

New methods of virtualization exclusively through the

means of the computer;

New methods of creating and editing the sonorous

environment;

New methods of writing music in an electronic score;

Generating new scores with software programs based on

algorithms introduced by the composer, etc.

All these represent a territory into which only very few have

ventured.

By conducting a research in order to reveal the demands of the

composers in the domain of electronic music, procedures are

suggested for the investigation of computer-mediated

mechanisms of artistic expression.

This research contributes to:

Clarifying the main trends and the way in which electronic

music is regarded;

Understanding the stage at which it is perceived;

Delineating the activity field, the instruments specific to

electronic music compositions;

Diminishing the reserve towards the use of specific means

of the electronic music.

At present there is a certain confusion regarding the notion of

electronic composition, generated by the reserve in applying these

technologies in music. Many composers still do not have among

their tools the openness to employ at least one computer program

3 Krueger, Stephanie; Ponella, Philip „DRAM/Variations3: a music resource case

study”, 2008, in Library Hi Tech, vol. 26, nr. 1, p. 68-79

dedicated to electronic music, regardless of its type, which would

enable the significant enrichment of their own expressive sphere.

The reserve in applying these technologies and the indisposition

of the composers in using at least one computer program

dedicated to electronic music may be caused by:

The slow pace in learning how to control the technology;

The use of a difficult, engineering, language, full of technical

terms;

The user’s discouragement due to the lack of intuitive

solutions to simple problems.

The course books of the programs abound in technical descriptions

– hundreds of pages which do not offer practical solutions, but

present the programs in the minuteness of details, failing to

remember the main purpose of making a musical program: the

stimulation of composition in a concise and clear manner.

At the other pole, beside the program course books, there is a

multitude of books written by enthusiasts, who offer practical

explanations of the program, simple examples/workshops,

presented with multiple details, all in an easy language, addressed

even to the ones untrained in musical writing. The musical

education in many European countries is initiated at the level of

the young pupils through these kinds of programs, publicized in

schools and applied by the music teachers, in consonance with the

contemporary public taste, which underwent a mutation towards

the electronic music domain4.

The existence of a tool centralizing the information about the use

of several musical programs, including easily assimilable

guides and tutorials, in which the techniques and information

are systematized in a technically accessible manner, but based on

professional musical data, represent a stringent demand of the

contemporary artistic field. Furthermore, although at the first

glance the music programs seem to be different, there is a

common denominator, a joint system of work, which, once

underlined, may render very flexible the access and use not only

of a single program but even of the newest ones in the domain,

enabling an easy adaptation to any further technological

innovation. There are, though, some tools in the domain of

electronic music which need a purely engineering approach,

4 Nedelcuţ, Nelida; Plaian, Carmen, Educational Platform – Information Means

in the Musical Area, 2010, in Buletinul Univerşităţii Petrol-Gaze din Ploieşti, vol.

62, nr. 1A, p. 218-222

namely the programming media (such as MaxMSP, Reaktor,

AudioMulch) where the user is compelled to assimilate languages

and techniques completely different fromclassicalc musical

composition.

The emergence of a guiding tool, irrespective of its support –

online or paperback, contributes to raising the quality in distance

learning education by conferring a support which achieves the

following:

it draws near the dry area of technology to the artistic

creation;

it intensifies the composers’ appetite for the intensive and

creative use of new tools;

it highlights the versatility of the technologies;

it makes aware of the interdisciplinarity of the electronic

music domain.

The introduction of the information and communication technology

(ICT) in music creates an interdisciplinary field placed at the

juncture of several disciplines such as: musicology, acoustics,

physics, electronics, informatics, and social sciences. This way, the

different perspectives of using the information and communication

technology may serve as a platform for a creative and

collaborative way of education.

Figure 1. ICT interdisciplinarity in music

The problem rests not only in the existence of a relatively large

number of instruments, each with its own specificity, but also in

the fact that they have quick dynamics in evolution, each year

bringing innovations and improvements to the same instrument.

The market is practically invaded by a number of programs which

may be used in musical composition. The number and specificity

of each of them might produce confusions. But, at a closer

analysis, all of these tools possess a series of common elements,

which, once assimilated, may constitute a starting point in

learning and using them with ease. In the electronic music of the

present, given the growing virtualization of the working

environment, the most employed instruments are programs and

program suites which offer means of recording, synthesizing,

editing, and arranging the sonorous material, along hardware

tools which usually equip the studios. One of the most important

advantages in using the virtual environment rests in the fact that,

all in all, it is cheaper and more versatile.

1.2. The study of the users’ needs

A first objective of the New Technologies- Resources for Musical

Composition project was the realization of a study regarding the

needs of the users of electronic music and resources mediated by

ICT. This study revealed the real sphere of interest in using the

computer and implicitly of the new technologies in the process of

composition by achieving a systematization of what exists and

what is most used in the field of electronic music composition (fig.

2).

Figure 2. The study of the composers’ needs regarding the

application of new technologies in musical composition

The study sought to identify the software programs with the

highest potential for being used in electronic music composition.

In this respect we used, as tools, online or mail questionnaires,

sent to music universities both here in Romania and abroad,

having as target group both the students and the composition

teachers interested in this type of music. The results were

interpreted and analyzed, offering the real basis for the study to

come. The study was meant to find out the real points of interest

in the domain.

The results of this study form the basis of achieving the main

objective of this project, namely, to produce guides and tutorials

for understanding and mastering the programs that have or may

have the greatest impact in the composition of electronic music.

The study of the tendencies in the music

produced by electronic means

The second goal of the project was the study of the tendencies

(both the main ones and the secondary ones) in the music

produced by electronic means, both in elevated and

commercial music. This study could be realized through the

study of a specific bibliography, and by highlighting some

historical landmarks of the 'commercial' electronic music, and also

by emphasizing some bibliographical resources (both written or

online). This revealed the trend /trends of development of this

relatively new and evolutionary field. We took into consideration

what is nowadays happening in the domain of employing the new

technologies in musical composition regardless of the target

audience, especially from the point of view of the composers and

their needs.

1.3. Generating educational content

The third objective was based on studying, explaining the

functioning and emphasizing the potential in composition

of some representative electronic music programs, whose

frequency of use results from the conclusions of the questionnaires

related to the first objective of the project. This stage, the most

important, was achieved by creating some multimedia materials

which explain in detail the principles of functioning, the

possibilities, and the way of employing each element of the

studied program as well as the program’s capacity to stimulate

creativity through possible communication opportunities with

other similar programs. The result of this stage was a series of

materials rigorously systematized both on printed and online

support.

Figure 2. The functioning of the online platform New Technologies

– Resources for Musical Composition

These guides and tutorials are placed at the service of the users,

in the first place on the internet, online (on the site of the project

–ciprianpop.eu), offering the possibility of personal contribution to

the interested users, a collaboration which can lead to original

solutions. Complementarily, there is also the goal of valorization

of a corpus of audio examples accessible online or on DVD. This is

to contain compositions made by the users, using exclusively the

programs studied in the 3rd stage, the multimedia elements

generated being presented under the form of tutorials, ensuring

the easy assimilation of the notions related to the new

technologies.

1.4. Quality in the Process of Musical

Education Mediated by ICT

The institutions which offer distance learning services conduct

their activity based on a quality management program, with the

purpose of reaching and maintaining the objectives specific to the

study curricula. Through the means of guides for counseling the

students, of orientation in the curricular domain, but also of

structures specialized on ensuring quality (through specific

procedures), the providers of study programs seek to reach levels

of maximum functioning of the educational mechanisms based on:

didactic materials, electronic means, on/off line didactic processes

and so on.

The performance indicators in ensuring quality are not related to

the level of knowledge of the users of the educational tools such

as electronic platforms, so that, in assessing the educational

efficiency through technologies specific to distance learning,

mainly in the musical field, there emerge differences between the

level of training of the students, the requirements of the system

coordinators in using ICT and the level of advertising of the

electronic productions (used either with educational or creative

purpose, or as entertainment).

The relation between the teaching-learning activities in distance

learning allows the inter-connection of extremely varied

resources, comprising numerous virtual spaces. The huge field of

the relations between music and high technology embraces a

sonorous dimension more and more accessed by the public at

large, the market requirements validating professionals in the

domain of electronic composition who work in equipped studios,

musicians created through the means of technology, without a

previous musical education. Transformed into music performers,

they work with sonorous frequencies and, as with the games, the

border line between playfulness and aesthetics remains confuse.

At the opposite pole there lie the classics of the musical domain,

artists and educators that still oppose the electronic navigation in

the world of sounds.

Educating the compatibility of professional musicians with the

techniques specific to electronic music and the virtual media will

represent an obvious way of raising the quality in distance learning

education.

Conclusions

The surveys conducted within the Distance Learning Department

of the Gheorghe Dima Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca revealed a

series of aspects of the students’ needs of access to the study

materials and bibliography in this area.

From the moment the electronic platform of this Department

appeared, as a qualitative standard of distance learning, the

students were offered one of the most complex tools in the musical

field, an online educational resource accompanied by a multimedia

application called D.I.M.A. (Direct Impact Multimedia Application).

This is an online terminological anthology for information and

study, implemented and specially adapted to musical education

(decid.amgd.ro/dima).

Starting from these factors, the New Technologies- Resources for

Musical Composition project, built on the premises of an expertise

in the functionality of a distance learning system in the musical

field, ensures the possibility to improve the knowledge level in the

area of applying the ICT elements within musical composition.

Although the impetus in the development of the new technologies,

especially through the emergence and development, year by year,

of the software programs dedicated to musical production, might

at a certain point give the impression that the projected guides

and tutorials can become obsolete, this is not true, because the

way of stimulating the user (student or not) is a qualitatively

dynamic one, in the sense that all the materials are made on a

heuristic basis, so that the possible new elements that are not

comprised in the guides and tutorials of the project can be

intuitively assimilated.

2. Virtualization - a Stimulus of Creativity

in the Musical Realm

Introduction

We will take a brief glance at the possibilities of application to the

musical realm of virtual tools widely spread in all realms of

activity5. It is deals with the description of the current potential of

these possibilities with the aid of the computer, as well as with

some examples of working tools, real stimulus of music creation.

Since the introduction of the first information technologies

composers tried to take advantage of new possibilities offered by

this new development. The rapid development and innovation

make sometimes difficult to use this technologies in music6. Like

in other artistic areas, there was a certain reticence but there was

also enthusiasm. The new trends offered by discoveries and

inventions with potential in music art have encouraged original

music creations. Of course, the authors of those creations had a

real talent in all that technology means. Apart from music

education they had a solid training in other domains like

mathematics, physics, or architecture. An eloquent case in this

matter has been Xenakis. The relation of technology with music

belongs to the past. Every technological age has been reflected

immediately on creation and on performing music through more

various and sophisticated outfit, elaborated due to the discoveries

in the technical domain, and to innovations. Today we assist to a

mutation of all vectors to an intangible but rich in possibilities

climate – the virtual environment. It is naturally for these vectors

to exert influence on music creation. From the moment of the

computer evolvement, as a main tool in many areas, there was a

need for software application development to simulate the

behavior of some feasible systems.

5 Parts of this text have been published by the same author in ICT in Musical

Field – issue nr. 1/2010 MediaMusica Publishing House, ISSN 2067-9408. 6 Breeze, Nick, Learning design and proscription: how generative activity was

promoted in music composing, 2009, in: International Journal Of Music

Education, vol. 27, nr. 3, p. 204-219

Thus, everything has become more flexible. There has been the

possibility of experimentation of new situation and systems that

could have been more expensive on every aspect in case they

differed from construction viewpoint.

We will try now to take a quick glance at the way computer is

involved, and at how its virtualization influences in a positive way

the music domain.

2.1. Electronically Generated Sound

The mechanical wave has correspondence in electronic oscillators

found in electronic systems. These are making the electric

currents to oscillate with less or more complexity. These oscillators

are amplified and transformed in sound waves with amplifiers and

speakers.

Figure 1. The transformation of electricity in sound waves

The advantage of using electricity as main source for sound

building lies in the fact that it can be obtained a sound purity never

reached before. Anyway, none of the acoustic instruments can

emit or get close to a sound composed from sinusoidal or square

waves almost perfect. On the other hand, the production of

electronically generated sounds can be a real logistic challenge.

There is a need of an electric current source (battery or electric

network), an electronic device for generating the electronic

oscillations, an amplifying system, one or more speakers and a lot

of cables (often irreplaceable). Connecting all together requires

strong attention; one fault connection may generate disastrous

consequences.

Often, the outfit of electronic music concert can exceed tens of

kilograms.

The first true electronic musical instruments (used or copied as

operating principles even today) has a very clear pattern by which

sound can be synthesized:

one or more oscillator - that generate independent

oscillations with various waveforms on specific frequencies

chosen by the user (by choosing frequencies we understand

even the simple using of a MIDI keyboard type piano)

a mix of oscillators system - through which the user choose

the input of the signal the oscillator plays;

filter - the user decides which frequency components of the

signal will be heard and in what quantity;

low frequency oscillator – applied by the user to periodically

modulate the signal with a frequency (20 Hz below), with a

certain amount and form;

envelope generators applied to sources (oscillators, filters

and modulators) - by which the user can influence how the

attack, decay, sustain and release affect the quality of the

played.sound.

Figure 2. Synthesizer operation principle.

With the emergence of the possibility of storing digital information,

(initially containing the text, then images and sounds), there are

more and more possibilities offered by computer in artistic

creation. Since then, the content of the art, "immortalized" in a

digital format can be manipulated in specific ways. Benefits began

to make more attractive the interference of arid area of technology

with art. For example, in architecture, the simulation geometry,

plans, computer-aided design (Computer Aided Design - CAD)

replace the board and the slide rule, providing unexpected

opportunities, and help in the implementation of any project of

any scale. Everything can be controlled now by the lowest details,

and all errors can be now recovered faster and with significantly

reduced energy loss.

In music, the transition to new technology is manifested in at least

two parallel plans. The first concerns the system of sound

recording (still analog - on magnetic tapes), which opens new

doors for the creation, and the second refers to the only use of

electronic sound generation. When the digitization of content

becomes available, the two plans merge, creating virtual

instruments, which today serves the electronic communicable

sound world (from the sound recordings of a concert by TV

commercials).

The sound recording system was a boom in the music industry

when the tape recorder appears. On this device sounds are stored

as changes in the magnetic variations strip of the active substance

(chromium dioxide or iron oxide). What does the music have in

common with magnetic recording? An element of play and

innovation: the tape can be cut, joined with other segments of the

tape, read the tape in both directions and at different speeds. All

these elements can be recorded on another tape, which in turn

can be manipulated in the same way, while mixing with other

bands. In this way, it could be created an unprecedented sounds

full soundtrack the acoustic instruments should have never done .

In this context, between 1958-1995, there was on BBC Network,

a whole department (BBC Radiophonic Workshop) which used the

tape manipulation served as a main tool in soundtrack

generation7.

In parallel, there was a development of the analog sound. The first

music analog synthesizers have been built as pilot projects in

higher education institutions: RCA Mark 2 - the first programmable

synthesizer at Columbia University. It also contained a sequencer

- the main attraction for composers who wanted a very high

accuracy in the interpretation of very difficult music they wrote for

7 BBC Four, The Alchemists of Sound, 2003

this synthesizer. Later, more accessible synthesizers were

invented and perfected. A living legend in this series is Moog

synthesizer model, a very versatile instrument, with a reasonable

price for most musicians interested in electronic music creation.

Sound Virtualisation

Electronics “invades” all kind of musical production8 Digitization

of sound represents the next level of electronic music creation.

Instead of tapes, where the sound signal is present as permanent

magnetic oscillations read by playback head of tape machine there

are digital media devices, where sound signal is converted into

character strings (1 and 0). This transformation is done by

computer or by specialized devices (DAT - Digital Audio Tape, MD

- MiniDisk etc.).

Figure 3. Sound digitization

Computer using specialized software usually performs

manipulating the digitized sound material. What advantages

brings this way of work? Firstly, you can an endless number of

8 Holmes, Thom, Electronic and experimental music. Pioneers in Technology

and Composition, second edition, Routledge, New York and London, 2002, p.

13

copies of the same material without affecting the quality of the

original one. This way, the musical work can be edited in its minute

details, the user may apply on it ambient, temporal or distortion

sound effects in a very fast and versatile way. User can combine

multiple instances of the recording of the same work to achieve

the best possible version of the musical creation. There can be

stacked and handled several instances of a record in a much

simpler way, the workflow being significantly improved. At this

moment users start to feel that the boundaries that had greatly

restrict or at least slowed down the process of music creation and

production are being overcome. More specialized and upgraded

software evolved each year on the market, targeted mainly on the

creative musician, have contributed substantially to the user’s

proficiency. Accordingly, the need for the knowledge of technical

concepts related exclusively to computer interaction decreased

significantly. The graphical user’s interface programs begin to

resemble more and more to what in reality does exist: the design

of virtual modules that control the sound parameters is a copy of

reality. There are even virtual functional cables, which, like in a

real studio, can be moved, connected or disconnected, everything

related to animation that increases the immersion in the virtual

machine space. The reality is moving towards the computer

processors, reflecting the idea that wherever there is a computer,

there may be a music studio. Moreover, the virtual environment

creates new patterns of thought "visual" interface by the

appearance notion of "sequencer" type, which revolutionizes the

concept of sound creation manipulation.

Figure 4. Sequencer (Propellerhead Reason5).

With minimal training, often autonomous, a contemporary

composer can use the computer's virtual space and access sources

of enormous creative potential.

2.2. Virtual Synthesizer

The concept of digital synthesis occurs when questions result from

the reverse of the process of digital recording, where the

mechanical waves are converted into electrical oscillations, then

digitized into binary codes. The solution consisted in how the

sound became digitized material. Thus, each second of sound is

divided into a number of samples (slices) - audio frames- that

contains information describing that sound at a given time.

Like in the film technique, where in a second are played between

23 and 30 frames per second, in the playback process by sound

digitization are played thousands of samples (frames-slices) per

second (a very common standard is 44,000 Hz); they are

converted into an electric signal, amplified and transmitted to

speakers (speakers) to be perceived.

Logically, the computer can create new binary codes with

implemented algorithms in specialized programs that are

converted into electrical oscillations, amplified and played back on

speakers in the form of mechanical oscillations of the audible

sound spectrum.

In this way, the concept of digital sound synthesis has been born.

By the use of programming it was possible to emulate all modules

contained by an analog synthesizer provided with many

advantages of which we list a few:

oscillators’ sound wave patterns are perfect thanks to the

programming;

diverse produced types of tones can be stored anytime on

any digital device, by

As a result of this approach, new sounds are created bringing

innovation and originality in the context of the sonority "crisis". Of

course, there were already electronic sounds produced by

analogue synthesizers, but they had one major drawback that will

be explained below. The front panel of an analog synthesizer

contains linear and circular potentiometers that control oscillators,

filters, lowfrequency oscillators and envelope modulators. To

obtain a single electronic patch (a timbre), it takes time to adjust

each component to this assembly of electronic modules. To

generate a new patch all the work has to be started over. The

flexibility of moving from one patch to another is extremely low.

In addition, the user's hand cannot adjust two times the

potentiometer’s precision. Moving a button with one part of an

inch above or below, operation with a high degree of probability

in the conditions of a concert, can lose the finesse and subtleties

of a sound once obtained. The invention of virtual synthesizers

concept (and, in general, the virtual machine), solves these

problems by storing patches in the format of digital files containing

all the parameters of a patch or set of patches (the so-called

"presets" - applicable to any virtual machine). With a single click

or press of a button on the controller, once designed, the sonority

is achieved instantly, the shifting to another being accomplished

rapidly. Thus, the work invested to generate a patch will be never

lost. The patches may be stored on any digital storage medium:

computer hard disk, USB flash, optical disk of any kind, online

storage, etc. This might also provide enhanced user’s interactivity.

Virtual synthesizer operation is identical to that of an analogue

synthesizer. All analog synthesizer modules are virtualized, often

the appearance being copied for a greater visual impact. However,

there are invented modules that will be never implemented on a

hardware synthesizer. Virtualization does not stop only on copying

the real synthesizers. There are models of virtual synthesizers

which have no correspondent in reality, using types and manifold

combinations of types of synthesis wave. A famous site in the

world of virtualized electronic music is kvraudio.com which lists

thousands of models of virtual synthesizers with their brief

descriptions.

Not only analogue synthesizers have been emulated by computer

but also the different room effects (reverberation, speaker

emulation), temporal effects (echo, chorus, flanger) and distortion

effects that can be applied to sound material, digital synthesized

or digital recorded. Reviewing, we have digital sound recording

systems, digital sound synthesis systems (virtual synthesizers),

and digital sound effects for manipulating a system containing a

score for the control of the entire ensemble - software sequencer.

All these together constitute what we call a virtual audio studio.

Figure 5. Virtual Studio (Propellerhead Record).

2.3. Samplers

The samplers are tools that store and play recorded sounds from

real sound environment, more or less edited. For example, a

unique Stradivarius violin can be replicated using samplers. They

allow the recording of the techniques of attack, of different

intensities, heights, everything that can be imagined on a real

instrument; subsequently, by programming, this technique makes

possible the interpretation of any music score with all prerecorded

sounds. In the case of virtualization, there is the possibility of

using the tool named sampler player. It has huge libraries of

sounds, and can be emulated by a single instrument to full

orchestra. The film industry is fully benefiting from this facility.

For using the sample player the score is programmed in a

sequencer, which controls every track sound (instrument),

resulting in the interpretation of a score with varying composition

(solo, chamber and orchestral complex).

Figure 6. Player-Sampler virtual – Halion Steinberg Orchestra

2.4. Virtual Effects

Virtual effects are very popular among users due to their flexibility

and ease of use. In a studio or a live recording requiring hardware

audio effects, users are obliged to handle sensitive equipment,

most often heavy and difficult to install, with sensitive

connections. There are situations in which an imperfect contact of

the cable may compromise the complex ensemble of hardware

equipment. Therefore, stages of the preparation work

environment when using hardware instruments are made with the

utmost care for avoiding damages that may be irreparable.

Figure 5. Hardware equipment, live situations.

When using virtual instruments, software effects, respectively this

does not happen; the only machine that can fail is a simple

calculator that can be replaced relatively quickly with minimal

costs. The range of virtual effects occupies the entire domain of

needs. There are effects created for all the imaginable and

unimaginable situations, and software hosts that manage these

effects allow connections whose diversity is limited only by user’s

imagination.

An example of using virtual effects refers to an electric guitar

interpreter who must record a tune using different guitar tones.

With that end in view, he can use a computer in which the electric

guitar signal is processed by virtual effects. For example, the

Amplitube3 may be the perfect tool among Guitar Rig 4, or

Revalver. In this virtual environment, the guitarist has at hand a

multitude of effects, models of amplifiers, loudspeakers

emulations and some tool for recording musical material.

Flexibility in this case is very high. Not only the computer can be

used as a platform for the environmental effects, but also the

newly emerging market of iPads and iPhones

Figure 6. Virtual Effects - Amplitube (left –PC platform, right –

iPhone platform)

2.5. Music Score writing in virtual environment

The process of writing a paper sheet music was initially difficult,

the working methods being different from the traditional printing.

One of the most popular methods used a thin metal plates

engraved with special chisel staves, notes and all the necessary

signs. In case of an error occurrence, the whole process had to be

resumed.

Nowadays, the music score releasing is performed in virtual

environments by developing programs such as Sibelius and Finale,

the composer having versatile writing instruments easily

manipulated. The work to achieve good scores is significantly

easier. Because of the possibility of transposition, copying and

modification of musical text in a various ways the creative process

goes in the foreground, and the score writing falls in background.

Traditionally, the composer using the pencil and paper writes a

score with (for example) 32 instruments whose rhythms are very

difficult to coordinate in terms of graphics. In this sense, in the

virtual score writing environment there is an obvious advantage:

automatic score layout, readability being another very important

factor in the act of creation.

Figure 7. Sibelius – score writing virtual environment

3. Propellerhead Reason – efficiency and

creativity

Propellerhead Reason software may constitute one of the most

efficient way of making and learning music stimulating the

creativity, opening the appetite for a relatively new world of

sounds – electronic music. This is a virtual studio in which modules

can be used both individual and combined, the virtualization

offering in such of case a very efficient support for exploring new

way of producing sound and musical creation.

Introduction

In the context of using virtual workspace and the stimulation of

music creation – the use of computer and music software is more

and more important in education.

One of software instruments which can be used successfully on

any skill level is Propellerhead Reason.

3.1. At First Glance

What is Propellerhead Reason? A complete virtual studio except

for the audio recording, including virtual synthesizers, samplers

and effects. This virtual studio can be installed on the average

level computer, which can be linked one or more MIDI controllers

(keyboard, knobs and faders or MIDI pads).

What does Propellerhead Reason? It facilitate music production

creation in a rapid and intuitive way.

Who can use it? Both advanced and beginners in musical field. It

allows music production achieving in any style except for sound

recording.

Why is Propellerhead Reason so special? Because of the new

concept all in one offering stability and simplicity.

Propellerhead Reason is a software which emulates different

devices used in music production, organized in a real and flexible

way. One of the virtualization advantage is using in any number

of this devices, limited only by the power of host computer. For

example we can use 19 instances of Subtractor virtual synthesizer,

every of it with another score, another soundpatch and another

effect, with no problem at all. In the real studio, it should be made

19 recordings of the same hardware synthesizer, every time with

another soundpatch. If there were changes in the score, the

recording process must be updated. This is taking time and the

creation workflow is more difficult. Using Propellerhead Reason the

creation workflow is continuous in the way that every device is

near at hand of author.

The virtual instruments (devices) are:

14 stereo channels audio mixer;

6 stereo channels audio mixer;

Drum computer – Redrum;

Analog-type polyphonic synthesizer based on subtractive

synthesis – Subtractor;

Analog-type modular polyphonic synthesizer – Thor based

on complex sound synthesis;

Polyphonic synthesizer – Malmström based on Graintable

sound synthesis;

Sampler player – NN-19;

Multi-Sampler player – NN-XT;

Loop player – Dr. Rex,;

Matrix Pattern Sequencer – pattern based device;

Arpegiator RPG-8 – generate rhythmic note patterns

(arpeggios) from notes or chords;

Vocoder BV512 – an advanced vocoder device with a

variable number of filter bands;

Mastering effects – MClass Equaliser, MClass Stereo Imager,

MClass Compressor, MClass Maximizer;

Distortion effects– Scream 4 Sound Destruction şi D11-

Foldback Distortion;

Reverberation effects – RV-7 Digital Reverb şi RV-7000

Advanced Reverb;

Time manipulation of sound effects - DDL-1 Digital Delay

Line, CF-101 Chorus/Flanger;

Miscellaneous sound manipulation effects – PH-

90 Phaser, UN-19 Unison, COMP-01 Auto

Make-up Gain Compressor, PEQ-2 Two Band

Parametric Equalizer;

Beside this virtual devices, Propellerhead Reason is offering a very

powerful arranging environment the sequencer which records,

plays and modify any events from notes, device parameters to

metric or tempo. On every device it can be assign on or more

tracks for recording or manipulating every modifiable parameters.

In Propellerhead Reason the devices can be connected in any

logical order with multiple interaction ways.

Every device can be manipulated like in the reality, the interface

being very real: a 180 degrees twistable studio rack where devices

can be mounted, with the access to backside for cable connections

that can be variously changed.

Figure 1. Propellerhead Reason front and rear

3.2. Sound opulence

Propellerhead Reason is offering a rich palette of sounds within

the three virtual synthesizers.

The first synthesizer, Subtractor, is using subtracting sound

synthesis. It is a polyphonic synthesizer, providing two oscillators

with 32 waveforms.

Figure 2. Subtractor synthesizer

There are two multimode linkable filters. The generated

waveforms can be manipulated by frequency modulation, phase

modulation and two low frequency oscillators assignable to many

parameters. There is the possibility of controlling more

parameters with the MIDI velocity value.

The second synthesizer, Thor, is a hybrid device, highly complex,

which use combinations up to three five types’ oscillators: analog,

wavetable, phase modulation, frequency modulation and noise

oscillator.

Figure 3. Thor synthesizer

This can be mixed, influencing each other in different ways. There

are three four type filters: ladder low pass filter, state variable

filter, comb filter and format filter. The wave signal can be

modeled by a wave shaper which can alter the original sound by

controlled distortion. The sound cam be modified by two low

frequency oscillators, envelopes and two effects, delay and chorus.

Every parameters can be controlled by Modulation bus. There is

one analog type step sequencer that can be used for programming

arpeggios or short melody sequences. Alternatively, it can be used

purely as a modulation source.

The last virtual synthesizer in Propellerhead Reason is Malmström.

Figure 4. Malström synthesizer

It is based on graintable synthesis. The sound is generated by a

number of short, contiguous segments (grains) of sound, each

typically between 5 to 100 milliseconds long. The sound is varied

by changing the properties of each grain and/or the order in which

they are spliced together. There are two oscillators form where

the sound is shaped in two modulators and two multimode filters.

The sound complexity can be achieved by the routing flexibility of

these modules.

3.3. Emulation

Propellerhead Reason can emulate any acoustic sound that has

been previously digitally recorded by the two samplers, one loop-

player and the drum computer.

The first virtual sample player is NN-19 where the user can load

several samples, in .wav, .aif, .sf2 format on any sample rate and

any bit depth.

Figure 5. NN-19 sample player

These can be distributed on key zone on a MIDI keyboard. Not

only it plays the samples but it can be altered by a multimode filter

with envelope generator, an amplitude envelope and an low

frequency oscillator assignable on multiple parameters.

Another virtual, more complex sample player is NN-XT, which has

the same functions like NN-19 but it is a multisample device,

offering possibility to work with layered samples.

Figure 6. NN-XT sample player

The alteration of original sound can be made with multimode

filters, low frequency oscillators and many possibilities of

connection with other devices.

Propellerhead Reason has a loop player -Dr. Rex Loop Player which

can play musical or rhythmical phrases.

Figure 7. Dr. Rex Loop-player

This device works only with files created especially for it in another

Propellerhead software product – ReCycle. These files (loops)

contains rhythms, musical phrases by a reasonable length. Dr. Rex

is capable to playback and edit these loops with changes of tempo

without affecting the pitch, edit every beat of the loop and

changind the order of beats. For example, a loop containing a

drum set rhythm can be played faster or slower than the original

recording. Not only the loop playing from beginning to end may

be realized with this device but the alteration of order of the beats

of the original drum set rhythm. In other words the user can use

the drum set sounds like he is in front of it. How it’s possible this

thing? By using markers which slices the original recording

embedded in the loop file. Every slice is a different event which is

treated like a separated sample that Dr. Rex interprets like MIDI

events, and this gives the possibility of altering the tempo or order

of them. Like the sample players described above, this device has

a module for synthetic alteration of loops, which contains a

multimode filter, two envelope generators and a low frequency

oscillator.

Propellerhead Reason is offering the own rhythms creation

possibility, using the drum computer Redrum.

Figure 8. Drum computer Redrum

It has 10 channels which can be loaded with samples containg not

only percussions but any sound user want to rhythmically

organize. These can be organized in rhythms with a pattern

sequencer up to 64 steps, with three dynamics levels, assignable

to fixed rhythmical durations. So, for every 10 samples channels

user can set a very clear rhythm sequence, and the resulting

combination constitute polyinstrumental sequence - the pattern.

The patterns can be stored in a 32 memory bank. This allow the

possibility of creating a whole rhythm production based on using

and combining the patterns stored here. Also, there is the

possibility of altering different parameters of the samples:

panning, reverberation, pitch, level and velocity.

3.4.. Manipulation

Propellerhead Reason is offering powerful manipulations tools not

only for sound but for all elements involved in music production.

The sound level and panning, applied effects to every device, the

song arrangement, sequencing, everything can be controlled very

precisely. Below there are the main tools used.

In the first place is the 14 stereo channels mixer with 4 auxiliary

effect channels. There is a less complex mixer with only 6 channels

and one auxiliary channel.

Figure 9. 14 stereo channels mixer

The 14 stereo channels mixer allows the adjusting of the level of

each channel, panning, treble and bass equalizer, and the four

auxiliary send level. There is the possibility of attaching four

auxiliary effects which can be routed before or after the level

control of each channel.

The Sequencer is one of the powerful tool for arranging the whole

score for each device. Every device has its own track containing

notes, durations and parameters. Every parameter from every

device can be recorded in the Sequencer, including tempo or

metric changes, on any level. For a better organization of the

music production, this sequencer is offering the possibility of

grouping the recorded elements in so called clips, which can be

lately duplicated, altered, rearranged, transferred to another

devices, transposed etc., making the musical creation workflow

more fluid and natural.

Figure 10. The Sequencer

Another way of sound manipulation offered by Propellerhead

Reason is the presence of many effect processors.

There are mastering effects which can change the whole

soundscape of a music production:

MClass Equaliser – effect containing two independent, fully

parametric bands;

MClass Stereo Imager – effect for controlling the disposal in

space of high and low frequency;

MClass Compressor – single-band compressor that allows

compression form subtle to aggressive pumping effects;

MClass Maximizer – effect that can significantly raise the

perceived loudness of a mix without risk of hard clipping

distortion.

Figure 11. MClass effects suite

Another effects presented here are the controlled sound distortion

type effects:

Scream 4 Sound Destruction – distortion effect with three

sections of sound processing: 10 distortion types (Damage),

three bands equalizer (Cut) and a sound space where the

distortion is placed (Body).

D11-Foldback Distortion – simple distortion effect with two

adjustable parameters (Amount and Foldback).

Figure 12. Distorsion effects Scream 4 Sound Destruction and

D11-Foldback Distortion

The placing of sound in different spaces is realized by two

reverberation effects:

RV-7 Digital Reverb – reverberation effect processor with 10

algorithms for reverb generation, simple and efficient with

adjustable parameters.

RV-7000 Advanced Reverb – complex reverberation effect

processor with 9 algorithms for reverb generation (with the

possibility of adjusting many parameters), an equalizer and

a gate module

Figure 13. Reverberation effect RV-7 and RV-7000

Time manipulation effect processors in Propellerhead Reason are:

DDL-1 Digital Delay Line – mono delay effect which allows

up to 16 steps with panning and tempo synchronization.

CF-101 Chorus/Flanger – classic effect processor which

generates a coy of the initial sound signal, combined with

the original after a short period of time (20-30ms for chorus

and 1-20 ms for flanger), adjustable with 6 parameters.

Figure 14. Delay DDL-1 and Chorus-flanger CF-101 The last

effects processors in Propellerhead Reason are:

PH-90 Phaser – phase manipulation effect processor with 6

adjustable parameters;

UN-19 Unison – simulates the sound of several detuned

voices playing the same notes simultaneously.

COMP-01 Auto Make-up Gain Compressor – classical audio

compressor, with 4 adjustable parameters

PEQ-2 Two Band Parametric Equalizer – a simple two-band

shelving equalizer.

Figure 15. PH-90 Phaser, UN-19 Unison, COMP-01 Auto Make-up

Gain Compressor and PEQ-2 Two Band Parametric Equalizer

effects processors.

3.5. Propellerhead Reason – Work Tool

Electronic music is a very vast area, with just a little explored

ways. Because of the rapid and constant technological advance

there are, year after year, new possibilities of realization of music

production in a virtual space.

Still in this rapid context of tools changes, there is a constant thing

represented by the sound synthesis primary modes, effects

processors classes, sound sampling and the mode of song

arranging - the sequencer. Every one of it can be found, explored

and exploited with this tool -Propellerhead Reason. It is just a

reasonably level of music and computer skills needed. By this

mean using this software is not requiring knowing programming

languages more or less complicated. From the moment of

installation on a host computer and adjusting a very few and

simple work parameters, everything is ready for beginning of

music production. With a very friendly graphical user interface, so

close to the reality, the software is offering an environment

suitable both for learning/exploring and professional music

production, because it’s using the higher standards in sound

processing. Propellerhead Reason has a large area of music

production applicability: ambient music, divertissement music

(with all sub domains), theater music, symphonic music,

electronic music etc.

At last, one of the most important things not to forget is that

Propellerhead Reason is Not a software for composing music using

algorithms or other calculation assisted composition. Instead,

Propellerhead Reason is offering a very powerful suite of virtual

electronic instruments to the composer which eventually is the one

who dictates the succession of the music events.

Self Assesment Tests

Test no. 1

Answer the questions:

1. What is creating the introduction of the information and

communication technology in music?

2. What is the most important advantage in using the virtual

environment?

3. What are the most employed instruments in the electronic

music?

Test no. 2

Answer the questions:

1. What was the first analog synthesizer?

2. What are samplers?

3. What is BBC Radiophonic Workshop ?

Test no. 3

1. What is Propellerhead Reason?

2. What are the tools used by Propellerhead Reason for emulating

acoustic sound?

3. What are the mastering effects offered by Propellerhead

Reason?

Content Teaching Unit 1– Abstract

New technologies have invaded almost all areas. They are

invaluable aid in all points of view. The flexibility gained by using

virtual tools is a major criterion in favoring music creation. The

composer has no hindrance to build sound textures, ensembles of

instruments, sheet music and in the end, the whole music

production. It only takes a relatively minimal investment to

purchase a mid-range performance computer, an adequate sound

module, a suitable controller and a required software suite. The

investment is minimal as compared to what needs to be spent

when using tools and hardware equipment, interpreters, studio

recordings, etc., in terms of time and money spending. An

additional advantage is a highly reduced transportation, handling

and maintenance costs.

In case of virtualization the composer only have to devote the

necessary time to familiarize with the desired software.

It is worth mentioning that many programs, in addition to the

intuitive interface, have similar functionalities and approaches,

making easy the switching from one program to another

Responses and comments of self assessment tests

Test 1

1. What is creating the introduction of the information and

communication technology in music?

Answer: The introduction of the information and communication

technology in music creates an interdisciplinary field placed at the

juncture of several disciplines such as: musicology, acoustics,

physics, electronics, informatics, and social sciences.

2. What is the most important advantage in using the virtual

environment?

Answer: One of the most important advantages in using the virtual

environment rests in the fact that, all in all, it is cheaper and more

versatile.

3. What are the most employed instruments in the electronic

music?

Answer: In the electronic music of the present, given the growing

virtualization of the working environment, the most employed

instruments are programs and program suites which offer means

of recording, synthesizing, editing, and arranging the sonorous

material, along hardware tools which usually equip the studios.

Test nr. 2

1. What was the first analog synthesizer?

Answer: The first music analog synthesizers have been built as

pilot projects in higher education institutions: RCA Mark 2 - the

first programmable synthesizer at Columbia University.

2. What are samplers?

Answer: The samplers are tools that store and play recorded

sounds from real sound environment, more or less edited.

3. What is BBC Radiophonic Workshop ?

Answer: BBC Network had a whole department - BBC Radiophonic

Workshop - which used the tape manipulation served as a main

tool in soundtrack generation

Test no. 3

1. What is Propellerhead Reason?

Answer: A complete virtual studio except for the audio recording,

including virtual synthesizers, samplers and effects..

2. What are the tools used by Propellerhead Reason for emulating

acoustic sound?

Answer: Propellerhead Reason can emulate any acoustic sound

that has been previously digitally recorded by the two samplers,

one loop-player and the drum computer.

3. What are the mastering effects offered by Propellerhead

Reason?

Answer: MClass Equaliser – effect containing two independent,

fully parametric bands; MClass Stereo Imager – effect for

controlling the disposal in space of high and low frequency; MClass

Compressor – single-band compressor that allows compression

form subtle to aggressive pumping effects; MClass Maximizer –

effect that can significantly raise the perceived loudness of a mix

without risk of hard clipping distortion.

Assessment Test

For Assessment test reading of Content Teaching Unit no. 1 is

compulsory.

The Test should be e-mailed at the given teacher e-mail address.

Answer the questions:

1. What are the most employed instruments in the

electronic music?

2. What is BBC Radiophonic Workshop ?

3. What are the mastering effects offered by Propellerhead

Reason?

Writing on the first page the Name of the Course and the name of

the student is compulsory.

Minimal Bibliography

Breeze, Nick „Learning design and proscription: how generative

activity was promoted in music composing”, 2009, in

International Journal Of Music Education, vol. 27, nr. 3, p.

204-219

Holmes, Thom, Electronic and experimental music. Pioneers in

Technology and Composition, second edition, Routledge, New

York and London, 2002, p. 13

Krueger, Stephanie; Ponella, Philip „DRAM/Variations3: a music

resource case study”, 2008, in Library Hi Tech, vol. 26, nr. 1,

p. 68-79

Nedelcuţ, Nelida; Plaian, Carmen, Educational Platform –

Information Means in the Musical Area, 2010, in Buletinul

Univerşităţii Petrol-Gaze din Ploieşti, vol. 62, nr. 1A, p. 218-

222

Normark Anders, Reason – Operation Manual, 2009 Propelerheads

Southcott, Jan; Crawford, Renee „The intersections of curriculum

development: Music, ICT and Australian music education”,

2011, In Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, vol.

27, nr. 1, p. 122-136

Content Teaching Unit nr. 2

4. Multimedia Educational Resources Used in the Music

Education System ........................................................... 51

4.1. Multimedia Resources in Music ............................. 53

4.2 The D.I.M.A. experiment – a multimedia resource for

the music education system ....................................... 54

4.3. The advantages of using multimedia educational

resources in the music education system ..................... 59

5. Information and Communication Technologies in the

Pedagogy of Musical Instrument ....................................... 65

5.1. YouTube – another point of view .......................... 66

5.2. Establishing the repertoire .................................. 67

5.3. Comparative Analysis ......................................... 68

5.4. Sibelius - a Virtual Orchestra ............................... 69

5.6. Electronic Versions Of The Printed Score ............... 72

6. Electronic Platforms Used in Distance Education .............. 80

6.1. Platform Construction ......................................... 81

6.2. Courses Page .................................................... 84

6.3. Guides Page ...................................................... 87

6.4. Statistics Page ................................................... 88

6.5. Tests Page ........................................................ 89

6.6. Papers Page ...................................................... 91

Teaching Unit nr. 2 Objectives

After studying this thematic the students will be able to:

Improve the quality of musical education.

Develop the using of the electronic means applied to music

Operate the software programs in the musical production

used within the professional electronic music industry

Increase the quality of the procedures placed under the

influence of the IT technologies employed in the musical

field

4. Multimedia Educational Resources Used

in the Music Education System

Multimedia9 – a multiform medium containing media combinations of

video and photo images with texts that can be interactively accessed is

an upward trend educational mean. In this article we present the

D.I.M.A. product, a multimedia on-line data base created on Romanian

performing examples including an approach of the Romanian artistic

field at the terminology aspect, creation and performing level. The

musical and bibliographic patrimony of Gh. Dima Music Academy was

the research reference point in creating the product and in testing it, as

well. For stimulating the participation of the entire artistic community in

Romania, an open portal towards the academic community was created

- easy to access, permanently upgraded and supplemented.

Introduction

Multimedia means merging text, image, sound and cinematics into

one entity. The power of this entity lies in the way in which pieces

of information of any kind are linked together and become

accessible one for another. Through this, a new way of writing

takes birth, allowing to compose more efficiently any type of

article that can be rapidly and easily assimilated by the reader.

When creating a successful multimedia product, a good

interactivity will have to be taken into consideration and the new

technologies nowadays can make it more efficient in attracting

users. This product has to be attractive, have a groundbreaking

design, functional, user-friendly, and always up-to-date and, of

course, fast. The new informatics technologies anticipate a

multimedia approach in which different devices are affiliated: PCs,

webcams, video interfaces, network interfaces, video projectors,

interactive boards, etc. Together, multimedia technologies and

systems offer a diversified teaching and learning potential thanks

to the different mediums that are approached: sounds, voices,

9 Parts of this text have been published by the same author in Proceedings of

WEAS Conference 2011, coauthor prof. PhD. Nelida Nedelcuț, ISBN: 978-960-

474-293-6

texts, drawings, photo images, movies, animations, graphs, etc.

Systemizing visual semantic knowledge is one of the key

challenges towards multimedia concept, and one that is

complementary to optimizing visual classification for individual

approach10.

Such interest in giving birth to new multimedia resources has risen

in the music education system, as well. This movement has been

triggered by various aspects:

The need of connecting the music education system to the

present education requirements;

The possibility of accelerating the process of learning about

music by using new technology;

The need of creating more simplified and adaptable teaching

processes

The tendency of today’s education to pay more attention to

creativity.

The accessibility and the flexibility of music education materials

have led to an urgent need for the development of the on-line

multimedia means in the art education. The aim of the

development is to fill in the gap between the academic and

commercial utilization of image processing. Thus the on-line

libraries must be interoperable, open source and easy to access.

To provide fast codes, assembler optimization, open platform, and

classroom based, new technologies permit integration of GPU

(Graphical Power Unit) use11.

At an European level, these requirements are comprised within

the sphere of the musical technologies research, the TIC and ICT

introduction into the education, creation (computerized music)

and sound production processes having priority in many research

programs: Teaching & Learning in the Digital Age, E-vocal

learning, Prelude (Training Program on ICT in Music Education),

Vemus (Virtual European School), I-maestro: Interactiv,

Multimedia Environment for Technology Enhanced Music

Education and Creative Collaborative Composition and

Performance etc.

10 Xie, L. Yan, R. Tešić, J. Natsev, A. Smith, G.R.(2010) Probabilistic

visual concept trees, Proceedings of the international conference on Multimedia, ACM New York, pp: 867-870. 11 György Kovács, János István Iván, Árpád Pányik, Attila Fazekas

(2010) The open source image processing library, Proceedings of the international conference on Multimedia, ACM New York, pp:1489-1492.

By using such means, the following type of intercommunication

can be initiated:

Fig.1. Communication circuits determined by the new education

technologies

4.1. Multimedia Resources in Music

The new communication technology is an important mean in the

music education system, since it allows a teacher to establish

connections with other teachers in order to share their ideas

create teaching projects, exchange class materials with students.

E-mail accounts can nowadays include a large variety of files:

texts, photos, graphs and audio-visual materials. The present

teaching system makes use of strategies of involving computed

teaching technologies which aim at learning about the way of

using computed instruments and especially at creatively using this

knowledge in teaching music and even establishing connections

with other fields of interest.

In this respect, the following have been developed:

Educational software that can fulfill various teaching tasks

that are efficiently adapted and integrated in the teacher’s

own strategy

Fully integrated teaching assisted platforms, e.g. Prelude,

an e-learning platform which provides specific instruments

of implementation of the courses together with other

multimedia materials into an electronic format by applying

a complex synchronous and asynchronous communication

system.

The resources delivered by the global computer network –

the direct connection with the Internet development and

with the joint communication means an increasing

involvement in the education process of all free resources

dedicated to music (as Audacity, Darkwave studio, Solfege

etc.)

Various software products that have been developed

through individual or institutional initiatives: due to a

multimedia boom over the last years, there has been a

series of numerous educational programs that have been

created for the artistic field, e.g. VR Encyclopedia of Art –

an extensive collection of historical events that offers the

users the key happenings in the art field. An online learning

environment for stimulating creativity with innovative

technological practice is Sonic Postcards. This is a national

education programme devised and delivered by Sonic Arts

Network, which promotes and explores the art of sound via

the Internet (www.sonicartsnetwork.org).

Recent research has shown how online, mobile and wireless

networks are creating new learning environments at the

intersection of formal and informal educational settings12. The

Internet has shown itself to be a dynamic teaching tool for

exploring, discovering, creating, communicating about and

playing in virtual music-making contexts.

4.2 The D.I.M.A. experiment – a multimedia

resource for the music education system

The on-line D.I.M.A. product (Direct Impact Multimedia

Application) is a multimedia resource in the music education

system created by an interdisciplinary team within the Gh. Dima

Academy of Music in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The product contains

the basic requirements of the on-line musicologic and performing

data base that fulfill the specialized users’ and the students’

exigency regarding the characteristic feature of the approached

subjects and also the Romanian cultural particularity in what

concerns the new technologies assimilation.

The product includes specific procedures and instruments which

facilitate the individual study according to the students’ own pace

12 Webster, P. and Hickey, M. (2006), ‘Computers and technology’, in G. McPherson (ed),

The Child as Musician: A Handbook of Musical Development, pp. 375–96,Oxford: Oxford

University Press.

and interactive means. It is also easy to be accessed, by offering

diversified information means. Our multimedia user interface is

both: a design method and an assistant tool which covers

specification of user requirements and information architecture,

selection of appropriate media to represent the information

content, design for directing attention to important information

and interaction design to enhance user engagement. The method

was evaluated in a case study design of a crowd control simulation

training system, which demonstrated the method was usable and

gave good solutions against an expert gold standard design. The

tool provides advice on media selection and attention effects that

match specification of the information content expressed as

information types and communication goals. As usually the

evaluation was carried out to measure the usefulness and

effectiveness of the tool in comparison to the method, and the

results showed that the tool has a positive impact on multimedia

design13.

The D.I.M.A., seen in a material form and as a multimedia

anthology of terminology, includes the following titles:

An approximate of 1000 musical creations (focused on

Romanian works and performing activities). The musical

example corpus will serve as a base for all levels of

education, study and research.

An anthology of musical terms interactively connected to

information about their cultural and historical context and to

links towards other websites. This anthology is based on a

Romanian reference book comprising specialized works,

courses, guide books, dictionaries and lexicons.

The platform takes full advantage of ICT that will be used as a tool

to accomplish various tasks. By accessing the D.I.M.A. platform,

the students may want to search for the list of terms, to have

access to various information, have access to various materials

format (text, video, audio, link on the web), to download teacher

assignments for various homework, to reflect on suggested

materials and upload their feedback, to use the communication

facilities and to present his/her own questions and answers

13 Alistair G. Sutcliffe, Sri Kurniawan, Jae-Eun Shin (2006) A method and advisor tool for multimedia user interface design International

Journal of Human-Computer Studies, Volume 64, Issue 4, pp. 375-392.

Fig.2 - D.I.M.A. platform

Having been made ready in about a year by a team with no

previous experience in developing such products, this platform

proves that the multimedia field can be efficiently approached in

the music education system, as well. Multimedia is no longer a

trend or a miscellaneous need – it has to be regarded as a high

technology that has to be assimilated during school.

The online world is able to combine professionally various ways of

communication: text, audio, photography, video, infographics and

the D.I.M.A. product uses the following configurations in order to

give value to these means of communication:

Text – printer-friendly and written in an informative

manner. This configuration gathers information in the field

of interpretation (instruments, singing), about composers

and music styles, musicals theories and their applications

and it also includes teaching tutorials for using computing

and communication technologies in music. This

configuration’s availability to be constantly updated by the

team working on this product, but also by musicians and

other outside users has to be reinforced.

Images – bringing text to life. This rule remains unchanged

for both the print media and the online world. The current

technology allows the insertion of images in both texts and

attractive photo galleries.

Audio samples – represent a true piece of information. The

audio samples and the music notes turned into images add

a great value to the tool of exemplifying.

Video examples for which there are two options: either

uploading the original file on the own server, or embedded

[...] For the first option the user can download the file from

the site and then she/he can view it off-line at any time (this

is an advantage for users that have slow Internet

connections). The second option offers video-streaming

directly from the site and this is an advantage for the

workflow, even though the server and the application

connection become more overloaded.

Infographics contain schemed information that offers

results „at a glance” and they can be animated or static. In

the case of animated infographics there is the possibility of

choosing software technologies that ensure the interactivity.

A material source of assistance for the D.I.M.A. users will be

provided through the following applications:

on-line tutorials for IT skills improvement and for an

introduction into music notes reading;

a data base including Romanian publications (music related

books and articles).

The approach is the key to the successful completion of any

project. D.I.M.A. is split up into individual phases, each phase

with its own tasks and deliverables. Each phase provides

functionality and reward for the users. Several steps are necessary

to be taken so that the solution is developed in the most effective

and efficient way and also according to the main objectives. Here

is a brief outline of the steps taken at the beginning of the project.

Detailed planning of each element on the project plan.

Defining of the timelines and of the required resources.

Assignment of responsibility.

Cost estimate

Determine ongoing support and maintenance costs

The implementation of this application is based on the research

team, the methodology and the infrastructure.

The research team is made up of 6 musicologists who collect the

terms during the most part of their activities, approximately 40

teachers from the distance learning field who will test the resulted

materials in educational programs and, finally, a technical team.

Concerning the hardware aspect, D.I.M.A. is assisted by an IBM

server and the software factor is ensured by a MediaWiki version

adapted to the needs of a musical data base – audio and video

examples, scores, etc. Maintenance is carried out by an

experienced firm. The data will be entered either by using the

network of the “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy, or by using any

browser connected to the Internet.

Fig. 3 Information flow on editorial board

In fact, the methodology proposed for creating the database is

divided into four stages. Each stage has a number of specialists in

musicology that is content responsible and he assisted in technical

matters by a specialized team. In the following table is described

the term formation stages in multimedia form.

Table 1. Article building stages

Methods used Content Technical

means

Conceptualization

stage

Suggestion Evolving

choice

Alternative

examination

Evolving

edopted

option

Evolution stage

Ideas

distribution

Choices

examination

Mixed media

scheme

Technological

fulfillment

Outset audit Particularized

architecture

Application stage

Activity

scheme

control

Achievement

generation

Assess

contexts

Assess and

audit

Finishing stage

Estimate

aim

achievement On-line

production Fulfillment

examination

The D.I.M.A. application is sustained by a MediaWiki portal

adjusted to the specific needs of a music media anthology. The

main objective is to offer a suitable platform for developing new

ways of offering high level information in the music field that

should be easy to access and that can be used in learning

environments.

One of the D.I.M.A. project’s objectives is to implement this

product in the distance learning process system and to observe,

verify and monitor the users’ rate and the research impact in

coordinating teachers and students, as well.

There are some of the facilities provided by the D.I.M.A. platform

that are illustrated below:

Fig. 4 - Facilities provided by D.I.M.A. platform

4.3. The advantages of using multimedia

educational resources in the music education

system

One of the major advantages offered by the multimedia resources

is interactivity. High levels of interactivity are made possible by

putting together multiple forms with media contents. The online

multimedia content becomes more and more focused on objects

and databases and this allows the end user to insert her/his own

innovations and personalization. One can find such examples on

websites with photo galleries and image labels that are uploaded

and modified by users at any time or on websites where the

described events, the illustrations, animations and the video files

are changeable. This allows the users to experience the

multimedia world without having to possess any programming

knowledge that is so challenging and inaccessible for the most of

the public.

One of the purposes of our research consists in investigating

suitable methods of creating a multimedia resource with different

cultural specific features for optimizing the man-machine

interaction adapted to the music education. In this respect, a data

base with Romanian performing examples including an approach

of the artistic field at the research level (terminological aspects)

was created. Moreover, this database also includes an approach

of the creation field. After implementing such multimedia

resources on a group of our students with different levels of

education we reached the following conclusions:

the students gained a different point of view regarding the

content of the curricula. Previously they thought about it as

being too vast, but looking at it on-line they considered the

curricula a compulsory factor for their education (fig.5 and

6)

The students opinion before and after using D.I.M.A.

Fig. 5 - before using D.I.M.A.

Fig 6 - after using D.I.M.A.

The students are more keen on learning at home at their own pace

and in using the multimedia resources as an interesting way for

practicing their knowledge

The students’ opinion regarding their free choice regarding their

learning process (Fig 7 and 8)

Fig. 7 – before using D.I.M.A.

Fig. 8 – after using D.I.M.A

The curricula becomes more relevant for the students provided

that the following aspects are insisted upon: the practical part, the

applicability of their knowledge, the way of establishing their

music education, but also the way in which the latter is combined

with their other habits that they developed in school.

Fig.9. Students’ opinion regarding the relationship between the

curricula and their needs

Students have increased the level of the ICT used in their learning

process (fig. 10 and 11)

Fig. 10 - before using D.I.M.A

Fig. 11 - after using D.I.M.A

Other advantages of on-line learning materials (in a multimedia

format):

smaller global costs in comparison with the traditional teaching

practices;

information is delivered when and where the student requires it,

at her/his own pace and in her/his own environment Many studies

have pointed there are at school-level and teacher-level barriers

and practical constraints within the workplace14.

interactive schemes bring a considerate contribution to

developing one’s self-teaching abilities, while still staying in

a comfortable environment. Although music education

‘enjoys’ the educational potentials of creativity and

technology, in order to do so vigorously, teachers need to

recognize the problems besetting music education as

opportunities for change15.

this teaching method is more flexible and it leaves room for

improving the act of studying, having a direct result on the

co-operation with persons from external fields of activity

14 Webster, P. (2006), ‘Computer-based technology and music teaching and

learning: 2000–2005’, in L. Bresler (ed.) International Handbook of Research

in Arts Education, pp. 1311–1328, Dordrecht: Springer. 15 Iemma, M. (2006), ‘Six ways to iPoD: MP3 tools for your classroom’, Music

in Action for Australian Educators, 4: 1, pp. 26–27

that show interest in entering the music education and that

are now qualified to do so.

Studies of collaborative creativity using music technologies16 and

of students’ perspectives on composing with MIDI or using web-

enhanced learning establish that technology provides an enabling

environment in which learners and teachers enter a co-

participative process around activities and explorations where

learners can take back control of their learning17.

Conclusions

The traditional music education system that makes use of old

methods and strategies has become anachronistic and

unattractive. The media impact on the individuals that find

themselves in the current education system is so strong that

converting them to a set of real esthetical values can be primarily

done by using similar methods.

Bringing the focus of the teaching process on using multimedia

resources brings a direct advantage for concentrating on the

peculiarities of the studied phenomenon, leaving the details aside.

This aspect makes room for better understanding and

remembering of the studied subject area.

After implementing the D.I.M.A. product in the Gh. Dima Music

Academy, there has been an increasing interest of the students

for using the IT resources. The reason behind this was that a

multimedia database can make an individualized learning process

become possible. Each student has her/his own learning rhythm

and type of memory (audio or visual) when learning. D.I.M.A. can

answer these needs by creating learning solutions that fit the

learning profile of every student.

Moreover, the specific character of the multimedia resources

creates the possibility of presenting a content in various forms;

having movies, audio examples, animations and simulations as

tools that bring the student from one medium to another allowing

16 Dillon, T. (2006), Exploring Young People’s Collaborative and Creative

Processes Using Keyboard and Computer Based Music Technologies in Formal

and Non-Formal Settings. Milton Keynes: Open University. 17 Challis, M. (2007), ‘The DJ Factor: teaching performance and composition

from back to front’, in J. Finney and P. Burnard (eds), Music Education with

Digital Technology, pp. 112–124, London: Continuum

him the possibility of making comparisons; the content is learned

consciously and the interest is kept awake.

Several studies18 have identified the way in which such

approaches have pointed to time-saving matters when teachers

use online technologies and collaborative tools, which include

blogs, podcasts and wikis used instrumentally in their practice.

This approaching amplifies and extends pre-existing instructional

practices and develops reflective practices which increase

collaboration within and beyond formal school settings19.

Another advantage of on-line resources is the fact that most of the

materials on the Internet are constantly updated and this is

possible at a low price; the available information can be found in

a digital format so that the text, images and sound can be used in

music classes or in own projects.

18 Nordkvelle, Y.T. and Olson, J.K. (2005), ‘Visions for ICT, ethics and the

practice of teachers, Education and Information Technologies, 10: 1–2, pp. 21–

32 19 Savage, J. (2007), ‘Pedagogical strategies for change’, in J. Finney. and P.

Burnard (eds), Music Education with Digital Technology, pp. 248–258, London:

Continuum.

5. Information and Communication

Technologies in the Pedagogy of Musical

Instrument

The20 article presents working methods involving information and

communication technologies in teaching a musical instrument. The

paper only presents methods which have been tested in

classroom, especially by piano teachers, the teaching techniques

being part of the authors’ personal experience. Conclusions also

present a study based on a questionnaire, revealing an opening

towards these new methods, adapting the instruments from the

ICT area.

Introduction

Nowadays, information and communication technologies are a

very valuable source of information in all areas. From the point of

view of structuring this information, we distinguish categories that

prove useful in the various artistic fields. It is about only using

relevant information and instruments, in every single area. We

have a large number of resources to be used in musical education.

The modern teacher has at his/her disposal, at this point, a

multitude of instruments to support the educational process,

according to the specific needs. Nevertheless, we have to consider

that they are mere instruments and cannot replace the interaction

between teacher and student. Although some surveys in the US

reveal that on-line resources, such as the electronic distance

learning platforms, are equal if not superior to the face-to-face

interaction teacher-student (Babson University, Ricardo Geromel,

2012), reality proves that technology can offer an excellent

support for teaching and evaluation, but cannot entirely replace

direct communication. This brings about the syntagm ”blended

learning”, where the proportion between the use of electronic

platforms and face-to face- classes is variable, according to the

area of the taught disciplines.

20 Parts of this text have been published by the same author in ICT in Musical

Field – issue nr. 2/vol. IV/2013, MediaMusica Publishing House, ISSN 2067-

9408, coauthor prof. Mara Pop

In musical education, the interference of information and

communication technologies is also influenced by the types of

courses. Therefore, in the theoretical area, technological support

is much more present, as lessons are based more on propagation

and use of information, very often without the need of a facilitating

teacher. There are therefore many cases where software and on-

line resources can successfully replace the presence of a teacher.

Their flexibility leads to successful assimilation of theoretical

notions in various scenarios. Let us take, for example, the case of

the GnuSolfege software (free software – we highlight this

information), where the teacher can teach the notions of music

theory (recognition of melodic and harmonic intervals, rendering

of intervals, identification of the chords, rendering the sounds in

chords – the tonic, third, fifth, musical scales, melodic and

rhythmic dictations, musical memorizing, cadences etc.) while

also keeping track of the classroom and the individual students.

Alongside this powerful resource there are numerous other

possibilities (software and on-line) to be used in the theoretical-

musical area. For the interpretative area of music though, due to

its special nature, technology does not offer prompt solutions for

high performance. The special nature of the interpretative classes

resides, for example, in the necessity of touch, in many cases, of

complex sensations, including the sense of touch, the sense of

their own body, the sense of hearing, under the direct guidance of

a teacher. These provisions cannot, under any circumstance, be

replaced by technology. Nevertheless, technology, due to the

teacher’s flexibility, can be, indirectly, used to improve musical

interpretation by facilitating access to multimedia information or

by the use of software destined for this specific musical area. In

what follows we will be exploring some of the technological means

which can be used in musical interpretation teaching, focusing on

piano lessons.

5.1. YouTube – another point of view

Although this is a website specializing in video content, its

resources can be successfully used as instruments for piano

teaching.

At present, YouTube gathers daily:

• more than a billion views;

• over 6 billion hours of video materials viewed

• 100 hours of video material uploaded every minute

This video information can be divided into several categories

(music, news, politics, science, movies, education), and, according

to sysomos.com, music takes the first place with 30%. Although

at a superficial first glance YouTube can easily be included in the

“entertainment” category, at a closer look it offers priceless

resources of historic recordings of rare musical works, as well as

the possibility of promoting new ones together with many other

opportunities.

We quickly distinguish two directions in the use of this website, as

detailed below.

5.2. Establishing the repertoire

In teaching an instrument, repertoire is very

important for the student’s development. Each

developing musician needs a repertoire

customized by the teacher according to their

physiology, technical abilities and especially

temperament. Most often than not, aside from

the usual repertoire (which we can easily call

“standard”), the teacher has to search for

spectacular, stimulating works, with a high

degree of novelty, which can increase the

student’s attraction to study the instrument, as well as their

interaction with the audience. Surely, the respective works can be

found in libraries, both physical and virtual, but the way the

information deposited only in musical notation is perceived makes

that works of high potential be overlooked.

Therefore, recordings found on YouTube can prove to be truly

useful.

YouTube is a website that requires the users’ registration. This

becomes an advantage when, after registration, the user is offered

a series of instruments such as:

Creating playlists

Subscribing to various video channels

Accessing the history of views

Access to the option “View later”

Management and visualization of subscriptions

The scenario of searching for musical works (videos) to include

them in a repertoire and upload them in a playlist is as follows:

The user searches for the chosen terms, for example – “Piano

Cage” – in order to find piano works by John Cage

Click on “View later” – in the down right corner of each

video.

Click on “View later” on the left of the video list, in order to

enter the list of selected videos

After viewing and choosing the desired videos, the user

selects them by ticking in the box in the left hand side.

Click on + above the list of videos to open the menu for

creating and accessing playlists

Click on “Add to playlist”

After filling in the requested information (name of the list

and status – public, unlisted, private) – click on “Create

playlist”

This is how musical works can be grouped in playlists, which can

prove very useful in time in establishing instrumental repertoire,

not only due to the advantage of depositing them in an accessible

place, but also because they can be communicated both to

students and to fellow teachers.

5.3. Comparative Analysis

YouTube can also be used for comparative analysis – a method

directly involving the student.

In the musical area YouTube is rich in various interpretations of

one and the same work. Their accessibility facilitates the

possibility to use comparative analysis, as the student can only

gain from it.

Therefore, following the selection and grouping of various

interpretations of the same work (interpretations which can

include recordings of the masters, as well as performances of less

famous musicians) they can become the subject of comparative

analysis.

The teacher views together with the student a playlist grouping

several performances of the same piece. After listening to certain

fragments, comparatively, the student is asked to find differences

of interpretation, based on objective musical parameters: tempo,

agogics, nuances. Consequently, the capacity of analysis is

stimulated, while highlighting the objectivity of opinions.

5.4. Sibelius - a Virtual Orchestra

The Sibelius software, used especially for writing scores, can also

become helpful in accompanying solo pieces, especially in middle

school, due to its audio rendering module.

There is a very common situation, the one when a student has the

first contact with the opportunity to play a concert instrument. In

most cases, the accompaniment is done by a pianist. It is very

possible that the student has the opportunity to study with a

pianist, but if not, the lack of an accompanying pianist can hamper

the process. Therefore, Sibelius can be of great help due to what

it offers from the point of view of audio rendering the written

score.

A score does not have to be written directly in Sibelius; it is even

better if it is imported from MIDI files. Online resources abound in

musical pieces of all genres in this format. Cultured music also

benefits from these resources, as the probability to find numerous

instrumental concertos transcribed in MIDI format is very high.

As an example look at the website kunstderfuge.com - it offers

free (up to 5 downloads a day) or with payment (20 Euro –

unlimited downloads for a “lifetime” licence) more than 19300

works of cultured music, converted in MIDI format, by over 1000

composers, with more than 200 contributors (specialists who

transcribed the works in MIDI format – with an exclusive contract

in this respect).

After downloading the chosen file (for example – Mozart Concerto

for piano KV 466 in d minor, first part) – from the same website

kunstderfuge.com, it will be opened by Sibelius (File-Open). In the

following panel, in the Notation tab the following parameters of

transcribing the MIDI file into a score can be set:

Figure 1. Sibelius - Notation panel

The most important options in this panel are:

Note Values: Adjust rhythms (to be checked) and the smallest

value in the score is chosen – usually a quaver;

Notate: Staccato, Tenuto – we recommend you to check them;

Tuplets: Allow these tuplets – the type of exceptional divisions

present in the original score are chosen (for example, in Mozart,

the orchestra score will never contain a septuplet, consequently

the option will be None.)

We recommend that the rest of the options remain unchanged.

After confirmation with the OK button, Sibelius will “read” the

chosen MIDI file and will generate a score. Surely, the teacher will

have to check whether the score corresponds with the original one,

especially from the point of view of the measures (generally, the

website presented above offers very accurate MIDI files, including

from the point of view of the articulations of the instruments). We

have to take into consideration that very many MIDI files contain,

in the beginning, a pause bar, containing various MIDI messages

of initializing the sub-routines of the rendering programme (virtual

instruments used, tempo, MIDI channels etc), therefore we

recommend that this bar is not erased.

In order for Sibelius to render the audio file, we must indicate the

starting point by a click on the desired note,

rendering, we have the Playback panel.

Figure 2. Sibelius – Playback Panel

After having previously listened to the work, the teacher can

decide to adjust the volume of certain instruments. To do that,

you need to access the mixer panel in Sibelius, by pressing M or

click in the Window menu on – Mixer. This panel allows for the

adjustment of the volume of each virtual instrument, also offering

the features Mute and Solo

Figura 3. Sibelius – Mixer Panel

The Mute feature is applied, in this case to the piano solo, so that

only the orchestra can be listened to.

The Mute feature can be deactivated on the Click channel,

representing the metronome – very useful for a first contact with

the virtual orchestra generated by Sibelius.

Following these minimal adjustments, the teacher can start the

audio rendering, while the student plays at the same time with it.

It is recommended that the computer (laptop, desktop) on which

Sibelius is installed has at least medium power speakers, so that

the audio rendering can be heard over the solo instrument.

Some of the advantages of using this type of study consist of the

fact that both the teacher and the student (where intuition and

computer skills are very helpful) have:

The possibility to reprise the orchestra material from any bar;

The possibility to change the tempo of rendering the orchestra material;

The main audio benchmarks are offered; The virtual orchestra never “tires”.

There are also certain disadvantages, such as the mechanic

character of the rendering, which, although extremely precise,

cannot replace the indications and expressive suggestions offered

by a conductor to a real orchestra. Another disadvantage is the

fact that, although the sounds are created from real sounds,

sampled and controlled by an algorithm (ASIO, DX or MME

drivers), there is the feeling of an artificial orchestra.

However, as a starting point for the study of instrumental

concertos or of works with ensemble accompaniment, this way of

working is very useful due to the sonorous image it offers and its

versatility.

5.6. Electronic Versions Of The Printed Score

The electronic versions of the printed scores can solve a series of

problems the instrument teachers are dealing with.

a) The existence of different score versions of the same work.

For example, we can think of the multiple printed versions of W.A.

Mozart’s sonatas, differing from many points of view (agogics,

digitations, articulations, ornaments etc.). In order to obtain an

accurate interpretation, the original musical text is needed

(Urtext), to be compared with the existing printed versions.

b) The difficulty to access different versions of the scores for

comparison

A very frequent situation is that where the library of the institution

only has one or two versions of certain works and, many times,

the version containing the original text

is not present. This leads to the impossibility, or, in the best

scenario, the difficulty, to compare the musical works measure for

measure, so that the teacher can make the best choice regarding

the possible interpretative problems.

c) The presence in the library of the institution or in the

personal one, of works included in a collection, most of the

times in a single, very valuable copy

The instrument teacher cannot give the student the only copy for

duplication. The copy cannot, under any circumstance, be

borrowed, as most of the times it is sizeable, easy to deteriorate

and, why no, easy to lose.

For these problems (chosen among many others) there is the

solution offered by the communication technologies.

Very many musical works belong now to the public domain, which

makes them accessible to everybody, often with an explicit

interdiction in international law of copyright, to become the object

of commercial activities.

These works have been scanned in a digital format, converted in

universal formats (Pdf or Tif) by enthusiasts or various

organizations (for example - the Internationale Stiftung

Mozarteum organisation) and offered to the public to be

downloaded, printed, played, researched etc. on various music

websites (for ex.: imslp.org and nma.at)

The website nma.at (online since 2001) offers the entire collection

of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s works in the original version

(Urtext), held and ceded for this generous project by the

Bärenreiter Publishing House.

Figure 4. nma.at search panel

The user can search the works with the help of the fields KV,

Category (category of the works), Key or Keyword or by browsing

through the series presented in the lower half of the main screen.

The website imslp.org (online since 2006) is part of a project

offering the public works from the public domain.

Figure 5 imslp.org search panel

At this point, the website contains more than 258000 works.

Any user who registers on the website can contribute with scans

of the works in the public domain.

You do not need to register to visualize and download the works.

Aside from the scanned works, audio versions are presented, also

from the public domain.

This generosity comes to meet musicians offering them numerous

scores which otherwise would have been forgotten in public or

personal libraries.

The problems mentioned above, which can be met by the

instrument teacher, are easy to surmount in this way, due to the

rapid access to scores, without the time limit of libraries and with

the possibility to consult an unlimited number of works.

Accessing several versions of the same works, in this case, W.A.

Mozart - Sonata in C major, KV 545, on the two websites

mentioned above led to the following results: a scan of the original

edition (Urtext) – Bärenreiter Publishing House (on nma.at) and 3

printed versions – Breitkopf & Härtel Publishing House (1878), G.

Schirmer Publishing House (1893) and C.F. Peters Publishing

House (1934) (on imslp.org).

In this case, the teacher has more than enough material to

compare versions, or consult the Urtext edition.

Another advantage of the electronic versions of the score is the

possibility to print the musical material on paper, selectively, after

comparisons and research.

Conclusions

All these methods of integration of information and

communication technologies in teaching a musical instrument

have been directly tested in class or in preparing the necessary

materials (scores, repertoires, audio materials etc.).

The results of integrating these new technologies are clear from

the perspective of obtaining more rapidly the desired results:

Establishing an adequate repertoire, customized for each

student;

The possibility to generate, present, assimilate different

artistic opinions with the help of comparative analysis

facilitated by accessibility

The virtual orchestra can provide a much closer

accompaniment, from a timbral point of view;

The research to establish certain interpretative criteria

based on the study of the different versions of scores

accessible online.

With this purpose, we created a questionnaire and we applied it to

various instrument teachers along the years, teachers who have

had the opportunity to test these methods. Here are the questions

and the value of their answers:

1. Have you ever used the websites with video content in order

to look for new instrumental works?

The percent of answers at this question was 91% affirmative and

9 % negative, which which shows the great interest in using these

sites

2. If you used the websites with video content to find new

instrumental works, how often did you do it?

3. Have you used the results of searches for new instrumental

works on video websites in order to establish the proper

repertoire for students?

4. Have you ever used websites with video content for

comparative analysis?

5. Do you think that the virtual orchestra generated by

specialized software can be of help in accompanying certain concertos in the learning phase?

6. Have you used specialized websites to consult and

download scores from the public domain?

7. Can the scores from the public domain, present on specialized websites, be of help in taking decisions

regarding interpretation?

All these results lead to the clear conclusion that, although there

are no specialised means of information and communication

technology in musical instrument pedagogy, other resources in the

area of information and communication technologies can be

successfully used for this purpose.

6. Electronic Platforms Used in Distance

Education

The21 electronic platform of the Distance Learning Department of

the “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca, Romania is

the main means of student-teaching interaction that supports the

teaching/learning activity on all levels. The results we have had in

our experience with this platform very clearly show the availability

both of the content providers (teaching staff) and of the

beneficiaries (students) for using this technology. Given the

implementation, in the platform’s interior, of global systems for its

evaluation, we have been able to follow the users’ requests. The

analysis of requests and evaluation of assessment systems’

outcomes have led to a continuous development of the platform.

By making on-line technologies more flexible so as to meet the

demands of music pedagogy, superior level music education has

much to gain by implementing specific instruments.

Introduction

The 2001 establishment of the Department of Continuous

Education and Distance Learning of the “Gh. Dima” Music Academy

in Cluj-Napoca created the necessity of having a modern work

instrument that would use the new internet-based technologies.

The on-line phenomenon was the “motor” that motivated many of

the decisions and the philosophy of constructing this multiple

valence instrument (Rubin, S. & Eichenholtz, S., 2014). The

effective functioning of a modern higher education system is

impossible without a high quality electronic support for students,

especially created to satisfy their requests and those of the

teaching staff members involved in the educational process

(Toktarova, Vera I., Ivanova Angelina V., 2015).

The experience of other higher education institutions has shown

the efficiency of the on-line electronic support for several types of

content and requests (Campbell, D., Cook, K.J., Kusch, B. &

Moulton, S., 2009). Because of the numerous software options for

21 Parts of this text have been published by the same author in ICT in Musical

Field – issue nr. 6/2015, MediaMusica Publishing House, ISSN 2067-9408,

coauthor prof. PhD. Nelida Nedelcuț

building an electronic platform, the lack of standardization was a

problem (Linda, Ashcroft și Chris Watts, 2004).

We also undertook to solve certain problems signaled by other

research in the field (Dmitrievskaya, N.A., 2015), some of which

are the platform compatibility in terms of software with the

present operation systems, the lack of dependence on time and

space, the autonomy provided to teaching staff and students by

the opportunity of using mobile devices.

6.1. Platform Construction

The platform is built around a MySQL data base. The manipulation

of this data base offers the possibility to administer all factors

involved in Distance Learning: users (students, teaching staff,

administrators, personal data), courses (with the inherent

multimedia materials), curriculum, communication (forum, instant

messages system), guides, statistics, assessment systems (tests,

papers), questionnaires, timetables.

An extremely important element of this platform is represented by

the curriculum that underlies all didactic teaching/assessing

activities of the Distance Learning Department of the “Gheorghe

Dima” Music Academy Cluj-Napoca. The curriculum offers a

central point in relating study objects, specializations, students,

timetables, calendars, credits, etc.

We also considered the implementation of an instant messaging

system and of a forum in which users can initiate discussions, can

post announcements or express opinions, suggestions, etc.

The evaluation level was covered by the questionnaires module in

which users are invited to evaluate various aspects of the

platform, of distance learning, of subjects, etc.

There are three types of platform users: administrators (with all

administration privileges, excluding those related to academic

transcripts), teaching staff (with specific privileges), and students

(with restricted privileges). The platform can be accessed in a

secured, permanently monitored manner.

Figure 1. Structure and functioning of the Distance Learning

Department electronic platform

Hereunder we shall offer a synthetic presentation of the main

platform pages.

Home Page

It is the place were one can find all new staff about the “Gheorghe

Dima” Music Academy’s Distance Learning Department. It also

offers an interactive calendar in which one can access the days

with educational activities or events. These dates are highlighted

with yellow. On accessing them, on the left side of the calendar a

section opens with the activities of the day, ordered according to

hours. In the lower area of this section there is an object filter,

which is very useful when the user searches for specific

information. This calendar is automatically updated from the data

base, so that the platform administrator needs to introduce those

activities in the general timetable only once.

DATA BASE

TEACHING STAFF

ADMINISTRATORS

STUDENTS=

Curriculum

Timetables

Courses (multimedia)

Communication

Forum

Messaging

Tests Feedback

(questionnaires)

INTERNET

Figure 2. Home Page

Users Page

It is a page accessible only to the user categories teaching staff

and administrators.

All platform users are listed here in alphabetical order. In the

lower part of the table there is a filter with the help of which one

can choose the display according to the following criteria:

academic year, user types (students, teaching staff,

administrators), faculty, specialization. The number of results

shown on page can also be selected. The table can be ordered

according to the name, the specialization and the study year of

the displayed users.

Figure 3. Users page

The most frequently used tool on this page is the search box in

the header of the second column, under its title (name). It enables

the rapid search of a user in order to view his/her status: courses,

personal data, transcripts and corresponding documents.

Administrators can view/modify financial records (payment

registration, tax changes, etc.) by accessing the tax page related

to each particular student.

6.2. Courses Page

This page is a link to the most frequently used platform content –

the multimedia courses of all specializations of “Gheorghe Dima”

Music Academy’s Distance Learning Department.

This page has an arborescent structure.

The first level contains three sections (according to the

specializations): Pedagogy, Singing, and Musical Performance.

The next level is represented by the Study Objects (divided into

the study years of the respective specialization), and the

Multimedia Annex (or video Tutorials).

Figure 4. Example of course structuring within the specialization

Musical performance

In the end, for each year the displayed courses can be accessed

according to modules.

Each module’s page is made up according to the distance learning

Standards. Thus, the following items are displayed: Learning unit

goals, 14 lessons, Minimal and general bibliography, Object guide,

Analytic curriculum, Object calendar. In terms of assessment the

page displays Control themes, Final continuous assessment,

Assessment papers.

The users of the teaching staff category can edit these courses by

accessing the Edit mode (in the upper part of the display, near the

course title. On accessing this mode, on the left of the titles in the

course, editing symbols appear which permit deleting the chosen

title (red x symbol), editing the content of a chosen title (pencil

symbol) in an editor resembling a modern text editor, as well as

rearranging the course titles with the arrow up and arrow down

symbols. The chosen titles can be allotted to another learning unit

with the help of the selector called „The Unit”. Thus, the teaching

staff members can organize the information intuitively, having at

their disposal instruments very resembling to text editors

available in the software environment.

Figure 5. Course example (user of the Teaching staff category)

The multimedia content is presented in the sections Multimedia

annex or Video tutorials. Because the manipulation and upload of

this content require specialized knowledge, the platform

administrators offer continuous assistance in this regard.

The assessment system within the courses offers students the

possibility of self-assessment, receiving an automatic score by

accessing multiple choice control themes or being assessed

directly by the teaching staff, by completing the Assessment

themes which are automatically sent to the teaching staff member

who gives a mark or makes comments. The mark and the

comments are also sent back, automatically, to the student by the

platform system.

Forum Page

This page offers a forum made up of all the platform’s users.

It offers the opportunity of group discussions on any issue

regarding the platform’s functionality or the Distance Learning

Department. They are moderated directly by the Administrators,

and indirectly by the Forum utilization rules to be found on this

very page.

Figure 6. Forum Page

6.3. Guides Page

This page contains the materials necessary for guidance in the

distance learning technologies: Counselling Guide of Distance

Learning Students, Distance Learning Advancement Guide, Guide

for the Development of Study Materials, Guide for the Use of the

Electronic Platform, Student’s Guide, Ethic Norms, Regulation for

Organisation and Functioning. These materials are provided in PDF

format, presented in a Viewer JS viewing module. This module has

options for downloading the viewed file, for increasing/decreasing

the page, jumping to another page and full screen viewing with

and without control buttons.

Figure 7. Guides Page

6.4. Statistics Page

This page (accessible only to users in the categories Teaching Staff

and Administrators) can be used to generate statistics. Currently,

the statistics record the number of times the users log in, the

courses accessed by them, graphics of these statistics (temporally

– for years and months) and specific statistic tables – generated

based on the administrative needs of the Distance Learning

Department.

Figure 8. Statistics - Charts Page

6.5. Tests Page

This page presents all the tests in the courses (assessment and

self-assessment ones). They can be filtered according to

categories, courses and current status – completed, not

completed. The generated tables focus on the type of course to

which the test is attached, the type and correctness of its

completion. Statistically, this page offers the possibility to directly

monitor the evaluation quantity and quality of the learning process

of the notions provided by the courses available on the platform.

Figure 9. Tests Page

Questionnaires Page

In terms of evaluating the activity of the Distance Learning

Department of the “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy in Cluj-

Napoca, the questionnaires available on this page are a

particularly efficient instrument. Their results offer the feedback

necessary to enhance the efficiency of all parameters in this

department. The results of the five questionnaires are sent to the

platform anonymously; the system however records the

identification of the person who filled in the questionnaire, without

making a connection to the provided answers, so that the same

user cannot fill in the same questionnaire repeatedly.

The Results section on this page offers the possibility to integrate

the users’ feedback in the statistics, according to study years.

Figure 10. Questionnaires Page

Transcripts Page

On this page, students can view their academic transcripts and

their financial status. The users in the teaching staff category can

enter/check marks and attendance in tutorial activities.

Figure 11. Transcripts Page

The page offers three sections which can be selected with the help

of the corresponding buttons:

The Transcripts section shows all students’ transcripts. Their list

can be filtered according to year, study year, specialization,

student type and academic transcripts. Thus, the administrator or

the teaching staff member can see the academic transcripts of the

selected student and can print it if necessary. In the lower part of

the screen there are three buttons with which official documents

related to students’ schooling can be printed: Academic Register

pages, Diploma Supplements and Europass Supplements of the

Bachelor Degree. These documents can be accessed / printed only

by users who own the administrator status.

In the „Add marks” section, the teaching staff can enter marks in

a class book which is shown after the desired object has been

accessed, by selecting it from the displayed form which contains

the faculty, the specialization, the academic year, the study year

and the object.

In the „Attendance” section the students’ course attendance can

be entered according to days and specializations.

The users with Administrator status can also view the students’

financial status on this page.

6.6. Papers Page

The self-assessment and assessment papers sent from the

Courses page are assessed by teaching staff on this page. This is

the place where the papers sent by the students are stored in the

form of a list. After accessing them, the teaching staff member

gives a mark and may make comments, and the platform’s system

updates the mark on the student’s personal page. The student can

check the mark and the comments for all the papers sent.

Figure 12. Transcripts Page

Timetables Page

It contains all the timetables of the activities in the Distance

Learning Department of the “Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy.

For student users timetables are displayed restrictively, so that

the student may access the study years and the semesters only

for his/her specialization.

Teaching staff members can select timetables according to

specializations, study years and semesters. They can also view a

timetable with graphic representation according to days in the

form of an hourly diagram of specializations with the help of the

“General Timetable” button.

Administrators can view and change timetables, as the platform

offers checking instruments which link the curriculum to the

activities included in the timetable. Activities are entered with the

help of a form that contains the object, the day, the hourly

interval, the room and if applicable the tags Exam or Test. After

these are completed, the timetable is updated by the “Add”

button. From this moment on, the platform’s system performs a

check in the data base - in the already extant timetable and in the

specialization’s timetable - and if everything is correct (if the

classes pertaining to that object are not exceeded, there is no

overlapping, etc.), the respective activity is entered in the

timetable. If there are problems, the system signals them to the

administrator and waits for corrections. A system for timetable

calculation is also implemented which shows in real time the

possible problems linked to the planning of the activities (the

button “Calculate”).

Figure 13. Timetables Page

Personal Data Page

This page offers users the possibility to modify personal data by

accessing general personal data forms (the button “Personal

Data”), residence (“Residence” button), identity documents

(“Identity Card” button), contact (“Contact Data” button) and

Schooling Contracts (“Contracts” button).

Figure 14. Personal Data Page

Conclusions

This platform is one of the main work instruments of the Distance

Learning Department.

Its usefulness was rapidly revealed by the enthusiasm shown by

all user types (administrators, teaching staff, and students) since

the very first implementations.

The platform enables the informational control of all parameters

involved in organizing resources, by administering and

correlating:

Students

Teaching staff

Objects

Timetables

Courses and their contents

Assessment

Transcripts

Communication

All these are interconnected due to the intelligent implementation

of the administration of a solid and secured data base.

The instruments for the platform assessment by the users

(regardless of their access level) have led not only to clear proof

of this system’s usefulness, but also to the quality development of

the services offered by the Distance Learning Department of the

“Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy in Cluj-Napoca.

Self Assesment Tests

Test no. 1

1. What is Multimedia?

2. What is the major advantage of multimedia resources?

3. What are the typical electronic e-learning platform users?

Content Teaching Unit 2– Abstract

The new communication technology is an important mean in the

music education system, since it allows a teacher to establish

connections with other teachers in order to share their ideas

create teaching projects, exchange class materials with students.

The educational dynamics is largely enhanced by the modular

system in which the working environment has been oriented

according to study objects. Due to the particular features of music

study at university level, this platform benefits from software

opportunities specially tailored to meet the demands of this

specific kind of teaching, interaction and coordination of the

continuous evaluation of users.

Responses and comments of self assessment test

Test nr. 1

1. What is Multimedia?

Answer Multimedia means merging text, image, sound and

cinematics into one entity.

2. What is the major advantage of multimedia resources?

Answer: One of the major advantages offered by the multimedia

resources is interactivity.

3. What are the typical electronic e-learning platform users?

Answer: There are three types of platform users: administrators

(with all administration privileges, excluding those related to

academic transcripts), teaching staff (with specific privileges), and

students (with restricted privileges).

Assessment Tests

For Assessment test reading of Content Teaching Unit no. 2 is

compulsory.

The Test should be e-mailed at the given teacher e-mail address.

1. Write an essay about integration of new teaching

technology in lessons design.

Writing on the first page the name of the course and the name of

the student is compulsory.

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Krueger, Stephanie; Ponella, Philip „DRAM/Variations3: a music

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