COLORADO MESA UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC
MUSA 111
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY
FALL 2013
T R 12:30PM - 1:20PM, MPAC 125
Dr. Darin Kamstra
MPAC 004, 248-1088, dkamstra@coloradomesa.edu
Office Hours: See schedule posted by MPAC 004, or by appointment
Overview
Welcome to the vast world of possibilities that music technology provides. Whether you use it to create your
own recordings, develop your own accompaniments, write your own compositions, or improve your
musical abilities, you can be assured of one thing: While the software and hardware will continually change,
the fundamental skills and concepts you must understand in order to effectively use music technology will
not.
Technology increasingly touches all aspects of music performance, education, composition, and business.
Of course technology is only a tool, not something that will inherently increase your musicianship.
Nevertheless, the more familiar you are with the possibilities for using technology, the more you can benefit
from the ways technology can assist you. With the overview this course provides, you will have the ability to
create professional-quality recordings of yourself or the groups you teach, create compositions and
arrangements with a professional look, improve your theory and ear training abilities, and create
accompaniments for classical or jazz pieces that you can practice with at any time.
In this course, we will explore and seek to gain a fundamental working knowledge of some of the most
common musical software packages in use today, as well as discuss ways in which those programs interface
with equipment connected to a computer. The course will give a general overview of current technologies
and software programs used for music production and notation, including Practica Musica, GarageBand,
Finale, Sibelius, Band in a Box, SmartMusic, and Pro Tools.
Required Materials
No textbook is required for this course. All of the programs we study include instruction manuals on the
computers, and the instructor will provide handouts that you should organize in a logical file structure
within your K:/ drive folder for this course.
Course Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate a basic proficiency in the following
areas:
A. Use of computer-aided instruction software
B. Sequencing
C. Computer Notation
D. Accompanying Software
E. Digital Recording and Editing
Institutional Student Learning Outcome
Each project completed in this course, as listed in the assessment section below, allows you the opportunity
to:
1. Construct a summative project, paper or practice-based performance that draws on current
research, scholarship and/or techniques, and specialized knowledge in the discipline (applied
learning; specialized knowledge)
Program Student Learning Outcome
Working with each of the software programs in this course, you will increase your ability to:
2. Hear, identify, and realize the elements of music (such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure,
timbre, texture), demonstrating general musicianship and skills appropriate for the particular music
concentration.
GarageBand can be used as a compositional tool to work with and manipulate any of the elements of music
listed above. Finale/Sibelius allows you to create computer notation (realization) of any music. Band In A
Box deals primarily with harmony and structure. Digital recording and editing techniques require a keen
sense of all of the elements of music to identify errors and create imperceptible splices.
Concentration Student Learning Outcome
Completion of the projects for this course, as well as participation in demonstrations of other programs and
apps, electronic equipment and connections, and microphone techniques, will enable students in the Music
K-12 Teaching concentration to:
7. Appropriately use music technology in their teaching.
Use of technology related to music is one example of how students in the Liberal Arts concentration can:
3. Interrelate music with other areas of interest.
Assessment
Final grades will be calculated based on the student’s performance in the following, less any deductions
according to the attendance policy (see below):
A. Homework Assignments and Worksheets
15%
B. GarageBand Project
10%
C. Finale/Sibelius Project
15%
D. Band In A Box Project
10%
E. Digital Recording Project
15%
F. Final Project
10%
G. Midterm Exam
10%
H. Final Exam
15%
Attendance Policy
Regular attendance at all class sessions is required. No excused absences will be granted except for official
Colorado Mesa University events. Upon reaching three unexcused absences, the student’s grade will be
lowered one letter, and an additional letter for every two absences thereafter. Extended illness is viewed as
one absence when documented by a physician. Late assignments will lose a full letter grade for each day they
are late. Arriving late to class two times equals one absence.
Course Outline
An outline of due dates for all assignments and assessments can be found online at:
www.coloradomesa.edu/~dkamstra/mt
Expected Time Commitment
You should expect to spend regular amounts of time outside of class in order to complete your projects and
assignments on time. I encourage your to invest a small amount of time with each program looking through
the available user manuals and tutorials in order to increase your proficiency with the programs and save
time later.
Final Exam
The final exam will be given during the regularly scheduled time (Thursday, December 12, 10:00AM11:50AM). The final exam will be comprehensive, incorporating all topics covered during the semester.
Tutorial Learning Center=TLC in HH 113
The TLC is a FREE academic service for all Colorado Mesa University students. Tutors are available on a
walk-in basis for many courses. Do you have a quick question? Do you need homework clarification or
feedback on a paper? Are you reviewing for a test? Help is available at the TLC!
At the main campus, come to Houston Hall 113 to meet with one of our friendly peer tutors. We are open
on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8am-6pm; Tuesdays from 8am-7pm, and Fridays from 8am5pm. We are also open Sundays from 1pm-6pm! Tutoring at branch campuses and distance tutoring is also
available. Check out the website for schedules and locations at www.coloradomesa.edu/tutoring or call 2481392 with any questions.
Tomlinson Library
Reference Librarians can assist you if you need help with research, finding reliable print and electronic
resources or citation help. The Reference Desk is on the first floor of the Tomlinson Library located on the
CMU campus. And for your convenience, you can Instant Message (IM) a Reference Librarian 24/7 from
the Tomlinson Library home page or call the Reference Desk at 970-248-1860. Email your questions to:
libref@coloradomesa.edu. Reference Desk hours: (Spring & Fall) Monday-Thursday 8am-9pm; Friday 8am5pm; Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 1pm-9pm. Tomlinson Library also has study rooms and computer labs
with color printers & scanners. Come by and see what Tomlinson Library has for you!
Educational Access Statement
In coordination with Educational Access Services, reasonable accommodations will be provided for
qualified students with disabilities. Please meet with the instructor the first week of class to make
arrangements. Nancy Conklin, the Coordinator of Educational Access Services, can be contacted at 2481826, or in person in Houston Hall, Suite 108.