MIDI, Sequencing, and their Use in Music Learning

A couple of weeks ago, the term MIDI was merely a word that I had heard of, but I really did not know anything about it. As I continue to read and learn about MIDI, I am beginning to develop a better concept about MIDI and I am seeing ways that MIDI can be used for music in general and how it can be applied for use in the music classroom. Reading the articles “Sequence-Stration” and “Using MIDI Accompaniments for Music Learning at School and at Home” was interesting because they allowed me to see how MIDI can be a valuable tool for student learning. One major way that MIDI can be a valuable tool is through the use of MIDI for accompaniment, which can help students learn music and become better performers. A way that MIDI can be used for accompaniments is by using a sequencing program. In order to create a valuable accompaniment or composition using a sequencing program, it is useful to know some tips about how to create a quality piece using a sequencing program. That is why I thought it was interesting to read the article “Sequence-Stration.” I agree that the more realistic a piece can be, the more students will appreciate it and the more responsive they will be to the sequence created. Therefore, as I delve into sequencing programs it is good to learn which sounds create the best productions and how to make musical choices that will create the best sounding result. In addition to the value of learning how to create better sounding sequences, it was also exciting to realize how one can benefit from having an understanding of musical concepts when creating a sequence. In order to create a better sounding sequence one can apply musical knowledge to help facilitate creating a sequence. Concepts, such as an understanding of instruments and their sounds, as well as basic compositional techniques, such as octave doubling, can help one create a better sounding sequence. This could also be valuable for students experimenting with sequencing. Not only can they experiment with composition; however, they can take musical concepts that they have learned to help improve their compositions and move beyond simple experimentation.

In addition to learning some of the techniques that can be helpful in creating compositions and accompaniments, it was even more appealing to learn how the concepts of MIDI and sequencing could be used to aid in student learning. It is extremely valuable to have students play and learn their music with the other parts of the piece available for them to hear. However, a full ensemble setting is not typically available for student practice outside of the general rehearsal, and in younger ensembles students are not always ready to have independent parts. Through the use of MIDI, it is possible to create accompaniments that students can use for practice, which can ultimately help them to become better performers themselves. I have often utilized CD accompaniments and recordings in my classroom to help students learn a piece of music or to use as an accompaniment for pieces in younger band classes. As the articles mentioned, a downfall to using a CD recording is that you cannot alter the piece to meet the needs of the students. With MIDI accompaniments, that is not the case. When using MIDI accompaniments one can slow down tempos for the earlier stages of practice without changing pitch or overly distorting the sound quality, which can occur if one tried the same technique with a real audio recording. In addition, MIDI provides the capability to allow students to hear all parts playing to help students understand how a piece is to be played, as well as having the option to mute parts so that the students may develop independence with performance. Along with the practice value that MIDI can provide to students, MIDI and sequencing can help a teacher create accompaniment tools that can be beneficial for use in the classroom. In younger grade levels, such as fifth and sixth grade, I try to utilize a keyboard to help provide an accompaniment and steady beat for the students. However, I have found this a bit challenging since I am not an accomplished keyboard player, and it does not allow me to move around and interact more with the students. Being able to use a MIDI accompaniment that I could make adjustments to would be an extremely valuable tool to aid in my teaching. I could create better accompaniments than I could play myself, and I would also be freed from the piano to move around and help students and I would be able to pay more attention to them. An accompaniment could also be useful in helping students to learn improvisation. A MIDI accompaniment could provide students with a tool to practice on their own as well as to better help them understand what a chord progression may involve. Along with the benefits that MIDI can provide for student practice, it was also great to see how easy it could be to make the practice tools available to students when using MIDI. As I have been learning, and which was emphasized again in the readings this week, MIDI files are much smaller than real audio files, which allows them to be posted to websites that students can easily access. This potential just increases the possibility for student practice and involvement in their music class. A point that was made in the article “Using MIDI Accompaniments for Music Learning at School and at Home,” that I found very intriguing was that when these materials are made available to students at home through the internet, students may be more inclined to utilize them at their own leisure because they do not have to worry about being self-conscious or other social pressures that may make them fearful of practicing at school. I think that this is an extremely interesting concept, because I have had students with a great deal of talent, but who are hesitant to enhance their abilities because they do not think it is “cool” to practice or show their abilities. I think the capabilities of MIDI and home practice tools could alleviate some of these pressures and help these students get more involved in their music programs. I also thought that it was fascinating to learn about the possibilities of MIDI files to be downloaded and then used in a notation program or a sequencing program. It is an excellent opportunity to allow students to experiment with composition; however, when you can have students use a MIDI file to provide scaffolding to the composition process it is great. Students do not have to start from scratch, but they can experiment with composition by taking a MIDI and then creating their own arrangement of a piece by altering different musical elements such as dynamics and tempo. MIDI even allows students to easily change instrumentation. This could provide fun and exciting ways for students to explore music on the internet and then experiment with composition. Along with the educational suggestions for MIDI made in the articles, it was interesting to see how many valuable online resources are available for music learning and how those sources make use of MIDI to contribute to the learning process. As I continue to learn and explore MIDI and its capabilities, it is fascinating to see how it can be used for education and advancement in music learning. I am intrigued by how valuable this technological tool can be to me in teaching music, and I look forward to trying to implement some of these suggestions into my own teaching as well as learning the many other ways that MIDI can be used in music and music education.