Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
RARPA Case Study April '04 Department: Music Programme Area: Music Technology Course: Cubase Sequencing 3MK506 Course duration: 10 weeks/30 hours Level: Beginner No of students: 7 Tutor: Karina Townsend Aims Procedures in place for establishing clearly stated aims for the course: Music tech courses are co-ordinated by a tutor co-ordinator who consults all tutors delivering courses in the design of Course Outlines (COs). These state several broad aims for each course. An example of the CO for the present course is included in Appendix A. Aims clearly communicated and understood by all learners on the course: COs are available online in advance. Hard copies are distributed to each learner at the first meeting. Tutors read through the CO with the student group to reiterate, conceptualise and demystify explicit aims. Student questions are invited and answered from the outset, to clarify what is a complex subject. Statements of Learning (SOLs) derive from these COs and students complete the beginning of course column according to their initial abilities as to each aim. Appendix B gives an example of the SOL used in the present course. Tutors check the SOLs with students to establish that they are understood and completed. Arrangements existing for establishing individual aims within a group of learners: Students introduce themselves to the group and to describe their music making and computer using experience. They also describe any equipment they are using at home, and share any experiences of using their particular set-up. Several students mention what difficulties they have and what they are particularly hoping to learn on the course. The tutor records any specific equipment described. Students' equipment is also described on in Initial Questionnaire (IQ) which music tech tutors use to document and assess their group. An example of the IQ is given in Appendix C along with the studentspecific notes made during session 1. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 The SOL explicitly asks students to describe any additional specific aims they have for their personal learning during the course. Procedures in place for negotiating, reviewing or amending these aims during the delivery of the course: Course delivery features a recap of previous work partly to contextualise new topics but also as a means of assessing student learning and understanding and retention. The tutor makes frequent use of Q&A and class/pair/individual observation to ensure that each student is achieving the aims of each lesson. Whenever possible, students are given individual support appropriate to their level and progress. Students are frequently asked how they feel about the This course also featured a short formative test in week 5. Each student was asked to begin a new project from scratch, and to include the topics covered to date on the course. The tasks were put sequentially on a checklist, which asked the students to rate each activity as 'easy', 'OK', or 'hard'. The tutor used these subjective checklists partly to objectively rate the students' progress at the halfway mark, but also, to inform the subsequent delivery, for example to build in revision topics. This checklist is given in Appendix D. Initial Assessment Procedures in place to establish clearly the starting point for each individual learner before the beginning of the course: SOLs are completed at the start of the course. IQs (questionnaires) were further used as a means of quickly getting an understanding of every student's initial state. These questionnaires provide a snapshot of each student according to their musical experience, instrumental ability, if they own or share a computer and whether they have used any music software in the past. Importantly, it also asks if they have access to music making software outside the course. Records kept of these procedures and of the outcomes for each individual learner: There is a course folder to keep these IQs and the SOLs for reference during the course. This also contains a scheme of work (SOW) allowing notes to be made according to group and individual progress. The SOW for this course is given in Appendix E. This course used a modified SOL where the tutor rated each student's progress at the halfway mark (using the self-assessment test to inform the tutor's observations). Objective and subjective summative assessment at the end of the course was recorded on the SOL where the initial aims were revisited and considered by the tutor and the student. Procedures and outcomes appropriate to the length, level and aims of the course: The music tech tutor team meets regularly to monitor and assess the strengths and any weaknesses of courses. Cubase sequencing courses are taught by three tutors who Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 share SOWs and various learning materials in order to standardise the courses as far as possible. On completion, students are all asked to provide feedback on courses and are asked if they have any suggestions or comments regarding the course. We have found that the majority of these feedback forms find the courses to be an appropriate length and level and that the mix of theory and practical material is appropriately balanced. Learning Objectives Procedures in place through which suitably challenging learning objectives are set for the course: Learning objectives are set each week according to the lesson aims, which build, week upon week, to meet the broad aims described in the CO. An example of an individual lesson plan is given in Appendix F. Every session features a mix of theory and practice as the overriding aim of the course is to promote independent confident working and importantly, informed experimentation and personal study. Objectives clearly stated and communicated to all learners on the course: In each session, lesson aims are set out on the whiteboard to introduce the session and keep topics clearly in mind throughout. The aims are discussed and described in terms of learning objectives so students understand what they will be doing each week, and why. Arrangements in place to review and revise objectives during the course on the basis of feedback from individual learners: Verbal feedback from students and observation of practical work continually inform the pace of delivery and subsequent lesson planning. The latter is the crux of ongoing assessment. Particularly in the case of this beginners' course, musicianship and musical ability varied widely. For some students, they were actually learning about music in addition to specific software. For such students, it was vital to ensure that they had sufficient technical ability to experiment with the materials of music for themselves, and as many routes into music composition as possible. Graphic input methods proved excellent as a means of introducing rhythm and composition to reinforce the notion of pulse and duration, for example for those who had never played an instrument. Formative Assessment Procedures in place to support the process of formative assessment on the course: Each session featured a 'public performance' of work undertaken in the session. This was by means of the central mixer and monitor speakers permitting the tutor to route individual workstation output to the main speakers. Students played their work and Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 discussed their working methods and any difficulties they had overcome in the session. Peer feedback was encouraged and was universally acknowledged as very useful and enjoyable. Several lasting friendships were formed on the basis of music made. In addition, this central mixer permits the tutor to monitor via headphones what individual students are doing so the tutor can choose to intervene where necessary or appropriate. SOLs were updated by the tutor at the half-way mark, after considering the task checklist completed by students. The tutor discussed their self-assessment with each student used this to pinpoint particular topics and techniques to revise with individuals and in some cases, the whole group. Effective arrangements for advising and supporting staff involved in the process of formative assessment: The tutor has completed a Post-Compulsory PGCE and has tutored many full and parttime adult learners over the past 10 years. As tutor co-ordinator, she is responsible for the ongoing professional development of the music tech team and via meetings and group emails, examples of reflective practice are shared and discussed with the tutor team. Tutor observation is also routinely undertaken as a means of sharing ideas of good practice, including formative assessment. Effective procedures in place to record feedback to learners from this process, and to link it to the review of individual learning objectives: The midway task checklist documents subjective progress. It was used to give feedback to students and to enable the student to reflect on what had been achieved and how this related to the learning objectives covered to date. Learner self-assessment used on the course and its efficacy: The very nature of the subject matter meant that students were frequently selfassessing, explicitly in the practical phases. The technology relays student work directly back via headphones and graphically on-screen. The learning strongly is goal driven, students clearly want to refine and edit their work and the tutor observed increasing competence and fluency in the use of the program to compose and arrange music throughout the entire group. Effective progress reviews as a structured feature of the course: The public performance was a very popular means of reviewing progress in a shared fashion. This gave the tutor the chance to highlight (revise) particular techniques employed by selected students, and further, to refer to techniques students had discovered for themselves. The tutor aimed to 'sum up' the progress made each week and in one-to-one work, to reiterate specific progress to individual students. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Arrangements for recording the outcomes of formative assessment and learner reflection on these outcomes: Sessions either asked students to begin new work, or, to open previous work and save it under a different name. This way, students could refer to earlier work to assess for themselves how they were progressing. Concepts of progress and achievement communicated effectively to learners: Progress and achievement were frequently elucidated by the tutor, through public performances and during one-to-one activity. Also during group Q&A activities. They were also communicated effectively amongst learners via peer review. The evidence is in the music that was made which was increasingly sophisticated and well produced. Summative Assessment Effective procedures in place to conduct end-of-course assessment: Every student completes at least one well-produced piece that they burn to audio CD. A measure of competence is the ability to produce more pieces in the available time. Greater confidence and competence permit quicker working and therefore more pieces. Towards the last quarter of the course, students undertake this major project and it is during this phase that perhaps the greatest opportunities exist for objective tutor assessment. In addition, students are able to take data files of their work away on CD to permit them to continue to refine their work given the appropriate equipment beyond the course. Are there effective systems in place to advise and support staff involved in the process of end-of-course assessment? Every tutor is required to complete an objective summative assessment for each student on the SOL. The student also self-assesses themselves according to the explicit aims. There is also a chance to add anything additional that they feel they have achieved on the course. As to support to staff, please see Formative assessment point 2. Are there effective systems in place to record the outcomes of this assessment? The SOL documents these assessments. Procedures and documentation in place through which a summative statement on progress and achievement is agreed with learners: The tutor completed the SOL after the student had made their self-assessment and the final assessments were discussed with each student as a means of reinforcing what had been achieved, and, in most cases, to pinpoint possibilities for progression to further private study, home studio set-up or other courses. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Use made of effective learner self-assessment in this stage of the process: Please see the SOL. The summative assessment was informed partly by the students' self-assessment in addition to tutor observation. Use made of effective peer assessment at this stage of the process: As with all sessions, peer assessment played a major role. Students were able to play their audio CDs to each other and discuss ways to develop their work in future projects. How is the process of summative assessment explicitly linked to individual learning objectives? Because of the wide range of individual objectives (eg, "to make and record my own music" to "to get my audio card and keyboard working at home") it is difficult to document all objectives for all students. Nonetheless, the tutor was able to point to these individual objectives and discuss with students how far they had gone in achieving these. In the case of those wanting to get their own equipment working, this clearly had been achieved during the course, and in the case of two students, tutor support via email is ongoing. Does the process of summative assessment record outcomes not anticipated in the learning objectives identified for the course? Not explicitly although some of the audio pieces clearly showed the inclusion of material and techniques that weren't explicitly covered in the course, for example where one student combined an audio technique from another course with his MIDI sequencing work. One student said that they had learned more about themselves, in terms of "sticking at something that they found hard". Are the outcomes of this process clearly related to concepts of progress and achievement? To have made an audio CD of original work from scratch in 10 weeks is clearly a measure of progress and achievement in itself. The fact that two of the students envisaged playing their pieces when they were DJ'ing and one was using their work as part of a portfolio for Higher Education shows how students viewed their achievement. Are effective records kept by both learners and tutors on the outcomes of summative assessment? Tutors retain and use the SOL using them to inform their Tutor Evaluations of the course. These are ultimately kept my the tutor co-ordinator and entered into an electronic database. Students may request copies of the completed SOL and a Tutor Report of their progress and achievement. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Further Thoughts on Completion of the Course Formalised self-assessment: although the tutor is asked to make an objective assessment of the students' progress at the halfway point, I feel that students should also be asked to assess themselves at this point. At the end of the course, I believe that students tended to under-rate themselves according to the learning aims and it may have been helpful to ask them to rate themselves halfway to really ask them to reflect on what they had achieved at that point. In addition, the learning aims set out on the Course Outline are quite broad. In fact, many of them could be seen as being covered in the halfway task which all students who completed it found to be quite 'do-able'. Looking at the task from week 5, I believe that this gives a much clearer indication of student progress than the Statement of Learning. However, it would be inappropriate to ask students to rate themselves on such a wide array of learning outcomes at the outset of the course as it would be bewildering and potentially destructive. Perhaps it is an inherent difficulty in the Statement of Learning format. Students may not truly realise that they have reached the broad aims even when they actually have. Perhaps then it is a conceptual problem and in future, I may spend more time with students in breaking down the broad aims to map to topics we have covered on the course so they can self-assess more realistically. Interestingly, the male students who completed the course tended to rate themselves more highly than the female students and the high proportion of female students on the course (highly unusual) may have skewed the final self-assessments. The additional documentation used in music technology was developed in response to the acute need to truly understand new students' starting point immediately. This is particularly important, as students usually have to share workstations (this was an unusually small class). It gives the tutor a 'headstart' in making choices as to student pairings and perceived differentiation needs. It is noteworthy that the student who wanted to go on to HE was subsequently offered at least one place on the basis of the material she had done in this and the complimentary Cubase Audio course she undertook at the same time. Noteworthy especially as the institution was satisfied with her portfolio rather than an actual qualification (though she would be classified as a 'mature' student). In fact, given the generally mature demographic of our students, it would seem that hands-on experience, portfolio work and a tutor report would count toward an application for HE study just as much as an actual qualification. A final point is that 3 students have subsequently contacted me via email for support with their burgeoning home studios! This is excellent as I've had more feedback on the course itself in retrospect from these students. One clearly stated that she now realised she'd learned more than she thought at the time. Clearly supported by the informed and highly focussed questions she was asking. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 To illustrate that the learning goes on, one student has suggested that an email forum might be established so that ex-students could share ideas and workarounds beyond the duration of the course. An excellent idea which I'm aiming to establish in the coming months. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Appendices A. Course Outline B. Statement of Learning C. Initial Questionnaire and Tutor Notes about Student Experience D. Self Assessment Checklist Used In Session 5 E. Scheme of Work F. Example Lesson Plans Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Appendix A Course Outline (3MK506) Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Course Outline Programme area Music Phone No: 020 7430 0546 Course title: Cubase sequencing Course no: MK506 Course tutor: Karina Townsend Day: Tuesday Dates: 6 January - 9 March Time of class: 14.00-17.00 Fee: £130/£65 Venue: Stukeley Street 1. What is the course about? Composing, editing and producing musical ideas using Cubase SX. You will use a synthesiser to input notes and rhythms into this powerful sequencing program and learn to edit and refine these to produce complete pieces. 2. What level is the course? Beginner - aimed at anyone who wishes to learn how to put this exciting technology to creative use. No prior experience of music sequencing necessary, however some familiarity with computers would be beneficial. You needn't be a keyboard wizard as Cubase is very flexible. 3. What will the course cover? (contents, themes, projects) Setting up a project studio and the necessary hardware and software requirements Recording and editing parts in the Arrange window, using tools to extend and create arrangements Refining parts in the various Edit pages and graphic (step) programming from scratch Quantization and the creative use of MIDI controllers An introduction to VST instruments 4. What can I expect to achieve? By the end of the course you should be able to: Produce at least one piece of original music which you will burn to audio CD Use the MIDI functions of Cubase confidently and creatively Have a good understanding of ways to develop your skills further beyond the course Have a firm understanding of a rane of equipment typical of a contemporary project studio Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 5. How will I be taught? All classes will begin with a demonstration and discussion followed by practical work in pairs. You will work on one of 6 Mac based workstations to practice set themes, techniques and skills, applying these to your developing musical ideas and you will regularly present your work in progress to the group. You will receive regular support, encouragement and feedback from your tutor throughout the course 6. What course can I do next? To learn how to add live instruments and voices to your work, you could study Cubase Audio or Pro Tools. To study further sequencing approaches you could consider our Reason or Ableton Live courses. 7. Are there any other costs (e.g. certification, materials, equipment or books I need to buy before or during the course?) CDrs can be bought for saving your work (£0.50). Students should bring a note pad and pen. A list of suggested reading is provided. 8. How will I know how I’m progressing? You will save successive days' work as new files, providing a record of your progress. You will receive regular support, encouragement and feedback from your tutor and present your work to the group. You may request written feedback from the tutor at the end of the course 9. Will I have a chance to give my views on the course? There will be an opportunity to evaluate your course at the end. Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Appendix B Statement of Learning 3MK506 Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 RARPA Statement of Learning 2003/04 This sheet asks you to record your learning during your course. We hope it will help you recognise what you have learnt. It also provides us with a record of your achievements. This is important because we use it as evidence to our funders in order to receive the subsidy to enable us to fund the course. Your name: Course Title: Cubase Sequencing Course Code: 3MK506 Learning Outcomes In the box below are the learning outcomes for your course. At the beginning of the course please indicate your starting level (scale 1-4 below). At the end of the course show how far you feel you have progressed using the same scale. Scale: 1 = I can do this well 2 = I can do this 3 = I can nearly do this 4 = I cannot do this Learning Outcomes Beginning Of Course Tutor’s mid course assessment 1. Produce at least one piece of original music which you will burn to audio CD 2. Use the MIDI functions of Cubase confidently and creatively 3. Have a good understanding of ways to develop your skills further beyond the course 4. Have a firm understanding of a range of equipment typical of a contemporary project studio What do you hope to achieve from the course? Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 End Of Tutor’s final Course Assessment Other achievements Can you give examples of any other achievements you have made as a result of the course? e.g. a new skill, a piece of work, personal development. (If you have several others, choose the most significant ones for you.) Continue overleaf if necessary. Signed Name Date I confirm that progress has been made by this student and that s/he has achieved the learning outcomes indicated above. Signed Name Date Thank you very much for your time Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Appendix C Purpose-designed Initial Questionnaire & Tutor notes about student equipment/experience Enrolment and Information line 020 7831 7831 Advice and Guidance line 020 7430 0543 Music Technology at the City Lit Initial Position Survey At The City Lit, we are wholly committed to assisting people achieve their personal, educational and employment goals and to enjoy themselves in the process. In addition, we aim to promote a learning culture which ensures all learners achieve their maximum potential. Here in the music technology department, we understand that our students will have a wide range of experiences concerning music making, and in using computers and other technologies. It’s important for us to gauge the success of our learning programs in terms of individual student achievement and so we are piloting a scheme to assess individuals’ achievement on our courses. Please take a few minutes to answer these questions as fully as possible. It is not a test, but a survey designed to help the tutor understand your experiences in the areas of music making and computing so that you get the help and tuition you need, and so that we will be able to assess your progress throughout the course. All information will be treated as confidential and will not be passed to any third party. Thank you. Name: Age: (optional) Course: Course Code: How did you hear about the course? Do you play any instruments (inc. Vocals)? Yes No Please describe your music previous making experiences (how long, highlights so far etc) Do you have the regular use of a computer? Yes No Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 If yes, is it: Apple Mac PC If yes, is it: At home Friend’s house At work Library Other Is it your own or share your own computer? Own Share If yes, do you have any music making software on it? Yes No If yes, which programs? How would you describe your abilities on a computer? Beginner – haven’t used a computer at all before Moderate – don’t use a computer much but can get around Experienced – use a computer regularly and am confident Have you made/played music on a computer or games console before? (If so how long ago?) Yes No Which program/s did you use? Do you use any non-music computer programs? Yes No Do you have an email address? Yes No Do you use the internet regularly? Yes No Do you use any music technology online discussion forums? Yes The City Lit No What are you hoping that music technology will do for you? Any other comments? Your information is valuable to us and we thank you for your time. The Music Technology Team. The City Lit Cubase Sequencing 3MK 506 Tutor notes about student equipment/ experience Start date: 6/1/04 NB: Tutor's original notes included student names. Student 1 (M) Moved to London 3 months ago from Wales Been in a band for 4 years and made 3 demos in studios Sang in a choir as a child Plays various instruments, guitar, drums, basic keyboards Has a new pc (sounds good spec, PlV 768 RAM) Windows XP (HP) Creative Labs Audigy soundcard (seems to be having a problem with the breakout box) Cubase SX, Fruity Loops, Logic, Traktor, Numerous VSTs Email yes Student 2 (M) Has Cubase SX on WinXP pc Did Cubase Audio and All about plug-ins with Andy P Has Terratec DMX 6fire soundcard with breakout box (probs with breakout box) Has Midiman keystation (old and now discontinued) No real instrumental experience Email yes Student 3 (F) Has pc but no music software nor has ever used any Plays piano but main instrument is Irish fiddle (!) Teaches music in primary schools (used to teach secondary) Doesn't see herself using computers in the classroom but wants this course more to broaden her own experience Email yes Student 4 (F) Been in London for 5 years (from Ireland) and began Djing 2 years ago Plays house, techno and trance (beatmatching) Has pc and Cubase SX but no keyboard Also has Reason, Acid and Recycle The City Lit Has had no formal music training Email yes Student 5 (F) Has worked with engineers to make about 10 tracks Has a pc at home and could get hold of a keyboard Doesn't have Cubase SX ("yet") Interested in keyboard synths and in particular, the range of sounds and sound design Into ambient music Email yes Student 6 (F) Has spent 8 years "hoping" to make music (!) Has been DJing for 8 years and now wants to make her own tracks perhaps to play out Now studying theory as well Hoping to go on to HE - sound/music tech if this works out Has worked on Cubase with friends (partner - has Mac in house) Wants to sing her own vocals to her own tracks Has Cubase at home on Mac (Cubase VST 5 soon to be upgraded to SX under OSX) Also has a midi keyboard - not sure what it is Email yes (Feel she has a very realistic and concrete idea of why she's enrolled) Student 7 (M) (not present week 1) Says he has experience of only vocals but turned up with a guitar on the second and subsequent classes (!) New to using a computer but keen to learn Doesn't have access to equipment at all outside the course (not sure he wants to…) Doesn't use email Seems very tentative and somewhat self-deprecating (Older, less 'playful', feel he may have missed the group introduction and 'bonding' in week 1). The City Lit Appendix D Appendix D Self-Assessment checklist used in session 5 The City Lit How's It Going? Because this course runs over 10 weeks, it's worth pausing for a moment to take stock of what we've covered already during the first half. In fact, we've covered a lot in a short space of time so it's a good idea to put these new skills into action so we can see how far we've come already. Below, I've outlined a short project for you to try. There's nothing new here, only a recap of the major themes and techniques we've been looking at. I'd like you to work your way through the various points and, rate yourself on how confident you feel about each one. Your name Date Task 1. Start up the computer and log in as student 2. Launch Cubase 3. Begin a new project (you can use 'default template' for this) 4. Assign the project to a new folder (give it a name!) within your class folder 5. Save your project in this folder with the name 'test' and your initials 6. Turn on the mixer and set up your headphones to a comfortable level 7. Make sure AQ (auto quantize) is not lit up on the transport bar! 8. Make sure you can hear an appropriate click 9. Turn off cycle on the transport bar 10. On midi track 1, name the track and set it to play drums (remember chn!) 11. Record a simple 4-bar kik/snr part 11. If it is too long, turn on 'snap' and trim the part to be 4 bars exactly 12. On midi track 2, choose drums also 13. Name the track appropriately and record a 4-bar hi hat pattern 14. Trim it if necessary 15. On midi track 3, choose a sound for a bassline 16. Record a 4-bar bassline to compliment your drum parts 17. Trim it as necessary to last exactly 4 bars 18. Select all of the above and duplicate so the whole pattern is 16 bars Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 Easy OK Hard Task Easy OK Hard 19. Use key edit to change the length of at least one of the bass notes 20. Use key edit to change the start position of at least one of the bass notes 21. Use key edit to change the pitch of at least one of the bass notes 21. Create a new and empty 4-bar part on track 4 22. Use drum edit to enter some notes into this empty drum part 23. Duplicate this new part to last 16 bars also 24. In the project window, use the mute tool to produce a simple arrangement 25. If you have spare time, feel free to embellish your piece as you wish 26. Save your work 27. Quit Cubase and power down the computer safely From this simple exercise, you can see that already, you can make a whole piece using just the skills and techniques we've looked at in just 4 weeks. Thank you for taking the time to evaluate your progress. The City Lit Appendix E Appendix E Scheme of Work 3MK506 The City Lit Music Technology – Scheme of Work Cubase Sequencing 3MK502 Lesson 1 Theme of Lesson Welcome to the course. Health and safety issues. Administration and initial information: PSL completion. Initial questionnaire completion. Group sharing of prior music and computer experiences. Making a start: The problems with computers! (crashes and how to avoid losing everything). What is MIDI? Demystifying the workstation components. Launching the Cubase SX software. The main project window features. Emphasis on the importance of MIDI channels and the fact we always find drums on Ch. 10. Triggering drum sounds with the keyboard. Triggering tuned sounds with the keyboard. What's the difference? What is a click/metronome for? Making your first 4-bar recording of a simple kick and snare drum beat. What's important ? (underlying pulse or tempo). A brief introduction to the toolbox and tools - guessing what they could be for. The importance of saving in the appropriate place. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in one session? Recommended reading and websites. Resources Workstations. Whiteboard & Markers. PSLs. Initial questionnaires Project window handout. Reading list. The City Lit Lesson 2 Theme of Lesson Recap and welcome any late starters (admin etc). Retrieving previous work and expanding the arrangement using tools introduced last week. Extending an arrangement using generic commands like copy and paste, repeating parts and using software specific commands like alt+drag. Why could this be useful? (moving drum parts onto other midi channels to produce rhythmic tuned parts). What makes a bassline? (Low pitch and usually monophonic). What are the characteristics of a strings part or a 'pad' part? (Chords. Discuss what makes up a chord and how it derives from a scale.) Getting into the details: What if one of my notes is 'out'. Do I have to re-record the whole thing? No! Using the 'solo' button to 'audition' separate parts. Conversely, using the 'mute' button to mute a single part. How can this help us assess what's going on? An introduction to the Edit page (Key edit) and the toolbox within. What can you see? (Musical notes). Pitch and note length and where they occur. How can we change (edit) them? Similar methods of data manipulation in this and the Arrange window (generic commands and software specific). Why use keyboard shortcuts? Isn't the mouse enough? (Discuss efficiency and health and safety issues). Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. Key Edit, Part Processing & Keyboard shortcuts handouts. Major scale handout. Lesson 3 Theme of Lesson Recap previous sessions achievements. The City Lit Delving deeper into the details: The edit page (key edit) in greater detail. Keyboard and mouse note entry procedures. How is this different from playing notes in from the keyboard? What are the pitfalls? Snap, Q (note length). An introduction to controllers – this week only velocity and its manipulation. A brief introduction to drum edit emphasising the similarity with Key Edit. Educated guesswork about the tools here. What kind of music might graphic programming in the Drum Edit window be best suited? (Examples of techno, electronica and house). Repetitive units in popular music. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. Drum Edit handouts. Lesson 4 Theme of Lesson Recap previous sessions and discuss where we are at after only 3 sessions. More about beats: Drum edit in greater detail. Sub-menus and global commands like 'fill' guessing what they might be for. What if we combine this with 'velocity' information? What kinds of music might they be well suited to? (Drum n Bass examples). Talking of composition: Emphasise the variety of ways one could begin a piece – live playing versus programmed drum parts for example. Do we have to stick to one method? No! Example of using a programmed drum pattern instead of a click in order to get an appropriate feel. What if I suddenly want to put in a middle 8! Extending an arrangement using split/insert at locators. The City Lit What if I want to change the tempo? Am I stuck with just one? No! Using the mastertrack to produce accellerandi and ralentendi. How do I keep track of where I am? Using Markers. A few other handy midi controllers – pan, volume etc. Why might these be useful? Discuss what a symphony orchestra looks like. Where does everyone sit? How far away are they? How might we re-create this in our compositions? Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. Drum edit handouts. Marker Track & Mastertrack handouts. Lesson 5 Theme of Lesson Recap previous sessions and discuss what we have achieved already. An introduction to quantize. What is it for? How can it help us out? (Tightening up timing on pieces played 'live'.) Over quantize - 100%) and iterative quantize (50%). What kinds of music are the two fuctions well suited? Recap MIDI controllers. Are there any more ways to modify the sounds we are using? (Introduce the idea of 'cheap' domestic keyboards and discuss which ones have highly editable sounds - e.g. Yamaha XG standard. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. The City Lit Quantize handouts. Computer music magazines for self-directed study. Midi controller handouts. Lesson 6 Theme of Lesson Recap previous sessions and discuss where we are at by now. Where can we learn more about how music is made? Using MIDI files and finding them on the internet. Tutor examples in many styles. Discuss how karaoke tunes are made (often midi files). Importing a MIDI file and 'exploding by channel' so we can look at the various parts that make up an overall piece. Saving them as a new file and beginning to edit them for our own purposes (esp. drum parts and patterns). Examining them to get an idea of the nuances we might use to achieve more realistic sounds. Writing for film: Importing a movie. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. Also example MIDI files. Example quicktime movies. Lesson 7 Theme of Lesson Recap previous sessions and discuss where we are at now. This week is a 'production week'. Consolidation of our compositions and beginning to refine these. Sound balance: Introduction to the MIDI track mixer. Creating volume fades in and out: Automation is possible using 'read' and 'write' in the track inspector. The City Lit Can we guess what other kinds of information might be automated (pan etc) and what kinds of music might rely on this kind of effect? Returning to controllers once more - Expression. What is it? How can we use it to make rhythmic material without a drum pattern? What kind of music often uses this kind of effect? Can we have 2 effects running on one part? Yes! Try pan and expression 'gates'. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. MIDI track mixer handout. Lesson 8 Theme of Lesson Recap on previous. This week, only one new idea - MIDI effects (modules) – the arpeggiators and MIDI echo features. Discuss where arpeggiators originated and how they could be of use to us in our own compositions. What is an arpeggio in fact? It's a chord (week 2) played in a 'broken up' way, i.e., the notes follow one another in time. Up and down or randomly. Discuss how this can introduce movement into our compositions. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. Example song files using midi effects processing. Lesson 9 Theme of Lesson Recap on previous weeks and plan for week 10. The City Lit A brief introduction to VST instruments. What are they? Do they do everything that our keyboards do? (Not necessarily - due to specialisation). Where's the sound coming from then? Discuss the importance of the mixer (to allow us to mix keyboard sounds and computer sounds). Discuss CPU usage and soundcard latencies and why these might affect how we can use them when triggering them from a keyboard. They're all I can use though and they sound great - where can I find more? Music tech magazine giveaways, websites etc. Putting it all together then: Recapping all the connections on the workstation - MIDI leads and Audio leads. This will lead on to the final recordings next week. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would in this session? Recap the session building in details from previous week. Resources As above. VST plug ins – native and further examples. Studio wiring template to be completed by students in small groups. Lesson 10 Theme of Lesson Final recap. Project development work for final compositions. Emphasis on incorporating the elements covered on the course. Practical work in pairs with tutor observation and facilitating troubleshooting. Final mastering of compositions to Audio CD. Public sharing and discussion. Recap. Student feedback – did they enjoy themselves? Did they achieve more than they thought they would on the course? Recap the main elements of the course and discuss progression routes with students. Where to find budget software and equipment and adapting your own computer to serve as a music workstation. Completion of PSLs to establish how the students feel they have progressed on the course. Completion of anonymous course evaluation forms by students. Any last questions. Final goodbyes. The City Lit Resources As above. Handouts on budget setups, websites handout. CDrs for sale to students. The City Lit Appendix F Appendix F Example lesson plan – week 1 3MK506 The City Lit Times Content/subject matter Teacher activity Student work Resources 25 mins Induction Verbal introductions and descriptions Listening 13 Course Outlines 13 PSLs Health and safety matters. Administrative form filling PSL and Initial Position Statement completion. Verbal introductions Welcome and induction to City Lit and the Cubase Sequencing course. Group activity. 13 Initial Position Questionnaires Workstation equipment (Stress this wordy section is necessary only in this first session). 5 mins Introduction Overview of the session (material and timings when we will have a break). Putting today's work in the context of the whole course. 25 mins Practical demonstration Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 Verbal explanation. Whiteboard use. Listening and verbal response. White board & marker. Notebook and pen. Equipment is OFF. Introduce the components of a typical project studio (only the computer, keyboard/synth and midi interface at first). Powering up: Starting up the computer, switching on keyboard power and switching on mixers. Launching the Cubase SX program. Choosing a folder for your project and why this is important. Choosing an appropriate project format. Looking around the project window. Playing keys on the keyboard and checking MIDI activity. Sounds - tuned and percussive. MIDI channels to access a variety of sounds. Listening to a pulse or metronome. (Default setting for now - 120bpm and 4/4 time). Playing a simple rhythm in time with the metronome. Recording a simple drum part (e.g., kick and snare). Saving your work. Playing back your drum part. 35 mins Student practical work The City Lit Practical demonstration and discussion. Listening and watching demonstration making notes if appropriate. Distribution of handouts. Receiving handouts. Question and Answering tutor’s answer to prompt for questions if appropriate informed guesswork. and asking questions appropriate to the material of the session. Demonstration workstation, central Behringer mixer and monitor speakers. Tutor prepared handout on the Cubase SX Project Window. Students to divide into pairs (tutor aided if necessary based on tutor formal and informal assessment of group members from above). Students to power up all components of workstations. Students to launch Cubase SX program, choose an appropriate folder to save their new work and choose the appropriate project format for this class (MIDI sequencer). Tutor to monitor student activity and listen remotely via headphones on Behringer mixer. Working in pairs as directed to practice, discuss and consolidate techniques covered so far in the session. Workstations, headphones and adapters, handouts for reference and/or self directed learning. Notebooks and pens. Refreshment and informal discussion. Canteen! Tutor to prompt student troubleshooting if appropriate. Students to connect headphones and adapters to workstations. Students to choose set a track to MIDI channel 10 and play keyboard to trigger drum sounds. Students to run Cubase and practice playing a kick and snare pattern. Students to record a simple kick and snare pattern. Students to save their work. Students to play back their drum pattern. 15 mins Break for refreshment/student social exchanges Collation of student forms. 15 mins Tutor recap of work and new concepts The City Lit Tutor to choose one piece of student work to demonstrate multi-track recording using a new and tuned sound (e.g., bassline). Tutor to introduce the idea of basslines - typical characteristics and probe students as to their understanding of 'pitch'. Practical demonstration and discussion. Watching and listening. Asking appropriate questions and answering tutor Question and answer to prompt for questions. informed guesswork. Demonstration workstation, central Behringer mixer and monitor speakers. Tutor to monitor student activity and listen remotely via headphones on Behringer mixer. Working in pairs as directed to practice, discuss and consolidate techniques covered so far in the session. Workstations, headphones and adapters, handouts for reference and/or self directed learning. Notebooks and pens. Presenting work to the group and discussing methods and troubleshooting methodologies. Workstations, headphones and adapters, handouts for reference and/or self directed learning. Notebooks and pens. Handouts from above for reference. Tutor to stress saving work as soon as new material is added (reinforce the idea of computer crashes and avoiding losing all work - student responsibility). 40 mins Continuation of student practical work Student pairs to continue their practical work according to the guidelines above. Tutor to prompt student troubleshooting if appropriate. 15 mins Public sharing of work Students to remove headphones and reconvene in a circle facing inwards. Students pairs take it in turns to play their pieces so far, answering tutor questions about how they composed them and how they got around any problems they encountered. Brief recap from tutor of the session and student verbalfeedack. Tutor to monitor student work and other students' reactions. Feedback to tutor regarding their enjoyment. Behringer mixer and monitor speakers. Reading list handout. The City Lit 5 mins Powering down and tidying up (health & safety) The City Lit Lesson Plan - City Lit Location: City Lit Music Technology suite Date: January 6th, 04 Course: Cubase Sequencing 3MK506 Time: 2.00–5.00pm with a 15 minute break at 2.30pm approximately. Lecturer: Karina Townsend Tutor Co-ordinator No. of Students: 7 Group Profile: 7 adult learners. No prior experience of the Cubase program is assumed. No prior music making experience is assumed nor any formal music education. Lesson Aims: To introduce: The students to the City Lit, the course, each other and the tutor. The students to the idea of PSLs (personal statements of learning) and initial position statements. Health and safety concepts in the studio. Basic concepts of computer use i.e., regular file saving, folders and launching applications. The components of a typical project studio. The concept of MIDI. The project window in Cubase SX. The differences between tuned (scaled) and percussive sounds. The concept and purpose of a metronome (underlying pulse). Basic MIDI recording, saving and playing back. Lesson Objective: Students will be able to: Observe health and safety guidelines in the studio. Explain the purpose of folders and applications on a computer and the importance of regular saving. Identify the basic components of a project studio. Identify and differentiate between MIDI and audio leads. Describe the main components of the project window in Cubase SX. Identify tuned and percussive sounds. Enrolment and Information line Advice and Guidance line 020 7831 7831 020 7430 0543 Describe the purpose of a metronome. Choose MIDI tracks to record both tuned and percussive sounds, save and play back recordings. Previous knowledge assumed: This will be the first week of a 10 week course and no prior experience of music making is assumed. This will be a 'diagnostic' session to establish the level of computer competence and musicianship amongst the group. Materials, equipment and resources: Music workstations (7 in total), comprising Apple Mac G4 computers running Cubase SX Roland XP50 multi-timbral keyboards Mackie 1202 mixers headphones and adapters one central Behringer 2404 mixer with Tannoy Reveal active monitors whiteboard and markers seating for students Paper and pen for tutor to make any relevant notes during the session. Tutor’s coursefile with prepared handouts for revision and/or self-directed learning purposes. Assessment of Student Learning: Question and answer methods; Tutor and student directed. Assessing student 'guesswork'. Tutor observation of practical activities via observation of working methods and also individual Q & A. At the end of the session, there will be a public performance (via central mixer) of student compositions. Tutor to ask student pairs how they achieved certain aspects of their compositions (based on tutor observations and Q & A during the practical phases) to permit students to discuss their learning and methods with the group. Differentiation: Practical demonstration with verbal description, question and answer, use of handouts to permit self-directed study and to aid task completion. Tutor observed practical work where individuals have scope to show their present level of understanding. Student presentation and verbal description. Contingency Plans: If the demonstration workstation fails for any reason, move to another workstation. If workstations failed to a degree that the class could not feasibly continue, move to the Learning Centre to look at learning materials there, or internet sites relating to Cubase and other music technology. The City Lit Evaluations: Did students remain engaged? Did students ask questions? Did students answer tutor’s questions? Did they give correct responses? Did they retain/use handouts? Did they complete practical work as directed and with increasing confidence? Could they describe their methods appropriately? The City Lit