In response to "Picture This" by Scott Watson:
Scott Watson brings up an awesome point about the effects of students seeing their sound. The first example he used was when he was trying to teach his students legato vs staccato. He recorded the students performing each in a waveform editor and allowed his students to literally see the difference. The space between the waves was too large for a true legato sound, and his students could now clearly see that space.
Humans are very visual learner, and by allowing musicians to see their sound, they can develop better listening skills. For example, if a choir is having trouble eliminating a glottal attack at the beginning a phrase, a waveform image of the onset will show a spike at the beginning of the wave. The height of the wave will allow students to view how harsh their onset is and by how much they need to reduce it. That visual of the wave will heighten student's hearing as well because students will begin to really listen for that spike.
This idea also caters to the idea that different students have different learning styles. While some students may be more aural learners and can easily hear a glottal attack, other students truly are more visual learners. By allowing students to see their sound, those visual learners will be able to further their understanding which the aural learners may have already developed.
Music educators constantly push that their subject is academic. By expanding the different medias and mediums music educators use to teach their student, other educators will begin to see our subject as more academic. Many people don't understand how music can be a visual learning experience beyond music theory. The use of a waveform media to show students their sound can expand the visual element of the subject.
Personally, I really like the idea of using a waveform program to show students their sound. It can assist with creating better crescendos and decrescendos, other dynamics, and other ornamentations of music.
I, too, enjoyed the "Picture This" article. It never occurred to me to use waveforms to teach students about their sound. As you said, and I agree, a lot of people are visual learners and by incorporating that, they become more aware of what they are doing.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great article. In both choral and instrumental classrooms, the idea of using waveform software to visual sound is a wonderful way to point out those subtle differences that are difficult to put into words. I use the free software Audacity with band members to show their articulation and ends of notes. I find that too many students choke off the ends of notes and these waveform programs are great ways to point out these differences. The sky is the limit on your creativity!
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