Electronic Music School: A Contemporary Approach to Teaching Musical Creativity

321 Pages·2021·38.33 MB·English

by  Will Kuhn, Ethan Hein

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Electronic Music School
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Electronic Music School
A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO TEACHING
MUSICAL CREATIVITY
Will Kuhn and Ethan Hein
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1
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Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Names: Kuhn, Will, author. | Hein, Ethan, author.
Title: Electronic music school : a contemporary approach to teaching
musical creativity / Will Kuhn, and Ethan Hein.
Description: New York : Oxford University Press, 2021. |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021008666 (print) | LCCN 2021008667 (ebook) |
ISBN 9780190076641 (paperback) | ISBN 9780190076634 (hardback) |
ISBN 9780190076665 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Computer music—Instruction and study. |
Electronic music—Instruction and study. | Ableton Live.
Classification: LCC MT723 .K84 2021 (print) | LCC MT723 (ebook) |
DDC 786.7/6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008666
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021008667
DOI: 10.1093/ oso/ 9780190076634.001.0001
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Paperback printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
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CONTENTS v
Foreword by Adam Neely • xv
Preface: The Music Class at the End of the World • xvii
Acknowledgments • xxi
To the Reader • xxv
To Public School Teachers • xxv
To Independent Music Teachers • xxv
To Everyone • xxvi
PART I WHAT YOU NEED TO START YOUR OWN ELECTRONIC MUSIC
SCHOOL • 1
1 Toward a Creative Music Curriculum • 3
1.1. The Creative Music Teacher • 3
1.2. Addressing Students Who Typically Don’t Take Music Classes (The Other Eighty
Percent) • 5
1.3. How Music Technology Can Fit into a Broader Performing Arts Curriculum • 7
1.4. The Divide Between Music Teachers’ Definition of Music and Students’ Definition
of Music • 8
2 An Art Class for Music • 12
2.1. Portfolio Creation • 12
2.2. Computer as Tool Versus Computer as Medium • 13
2.3. Songwriting and Sound Creation • 14
2.4. Remixing • 15
2.5. Sampling • 15
3 Understanding What a School Really Wants • 19
3.1. Who Makes Decisions About Curriculum? • 19
3.1.1. The Teacher • 19
3.1.2. Administrators • 19
3.2. Selling the Lab- Based Music Course • 20
3.2.1. Administrators and School Leaders • 20
3.2.2. Teachers • 21
3.2.3. Parents • 21
3.2.4. Students • 21
3.3. How Music Tech Benefits the Master Schedule • 22
3.4. How Music Tech Benefits the Music Department’s Profile • 22
3.5. Sweetening the Deal with Graduation Requirements • 23
3.6. Getting Funding and Staying Funded • 23
3.7. Protecting Your Investment • 24
3.8. Criticisms of a Nontraditional Music Class • 25
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Contents
4 Tech You Will Need for Your Program • 27
vi 4.1. The Computer • 27
4.2. Headphones • 28
4.3. MIDI Input Devices • 28
4.4. Getting a Space • 31
4.5. Possible Room Configurations • 32
4.6. Choosing Other Hardware for the Lab • 33
4.7. Setting Up an Individual Station • 34
4.8. Building on Existing Infrastructure • 34
4.9. Day- to- Day Considerations • 36
4.10. Maintenance and Cleaning • 37
5 Ableton Live and Push • 40
5.1. An Optimal Setup • 40
5.2. Why These Tools? • 41
5.3. Ableton Live Basics: Arrangement View and Session View • 41
5.4. Ableton Push Overview • 42
5.4.1. Do You Really Need One? • 43
5.4.2. Techniques Afforded by Push • 43
5.4.3. Drum Programming • 44
5.4.4. Chords and Melodies • 44
5.5. Comparisons to Other DAWs • 44
PART II CREATIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC PROJECTS FOR THE
MASSES • 47
6 Designing Creative Music Projects • 49
6.1. Working with Beginners • 49
6.2. Philosophy • 50
6.3. Process Versus Product • 51
6.4. Customization and Aesthetic Opportunities • 53
6.5. Pacing • 53
6.6. Listening to and Observing Students • 54
6.6.1. Techniques for Pop- Cultural Ethnographic Observation • 54
6.6.2. Tips for Incorporating a New Trend in Your Teaching • 55
6.7. The Project Formula • 56
6.8. Technical and Aesthetic Goals • 57
6.9. Deconstructing a Genre • 59
6.10. Universal Techniques • 59
6.10.1. Provide Default Tracks and Presets • 59
6.10.2. Add Variety Through MIDI Manipulation • 59
6.10.3. Scenes as Form • 59
6.10.4. Recording to Arrangement View • 60
6.10.5. Eight- bar Phrases • 60
6.10.6. Song Structure • 60
6.10.7. Fuzzy Boundaries and Fill Bars • 60
6.10.8. Making Songs End Gracefully • 60
6.11. The Prime Directive • 60
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Contents
7 Teaching Recording and Sampling with Audio Projects • 62
7.1. Designing Projects Centered on Audio • 62 vii
7.1.1. Play, Stop, Record • 62
7.1.2. The Timeline • 62
7.1.3. Recorded Audio • 63
7.1.4. Basic Editing Skills • 64
7.1.5. Loops • 66
7.1.6. Ableton Live’s Session View • 67
7.1.7. Ableton Live’s Arrangement View • 67
7.2. Project Example: Arranging Clips • 69
7.2.1. Project Duration • 69
7.2.2. Technical Goals • 69
7.2.3. Creative Goals • 69
7.2.4. Listening Examples • 69
7.2.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 69
7.2.6. Project Design • 70
7.2.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 70
7.2.8. Troubleshooting • 73
7.2.9. Differentiated Instruction • 73
7.2.10. During Work Time • 74
7.2.11. Assessment Strategies • 74
7.3. Project Example: Unreliable Product Ad • 74
7.3.1. Project Duration • 74
7.3.2. Technical Goals • 75
7.3.3. Creative Goals • 75
7.3.4. Listening Examples • 75
7.3.5. Materials Needed • 75
7.3.6. Before Teaching This Lesson • 75
7.3.7. Project Design • 75
7.3.8. Day- by- Day Plan • 76
7.3.9. One- Hour Version • 78
7.3.10. Troubleshooting • 78
7.3.11. Differentiated Instruction • 79
7.3.12. During Work Time • 80
7.3.13. Assessment Strategies • 80
7.3.14. The Comedy Pyramid • 80
7.4. Project Example: Simple Remix • 82
7.4.1. Project Duration • 82
7.4.2. Technical Goals • 82
7.4.3. Creative Goals • 82
7.4.4. Listening Examples • 82
7.4.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 82
7.4.6. Project Design • 84
7.4.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 86
7.4.8. Troubleshooting • 88
7.4.9. Differentiated Instruction • 89
7.4.10. During Work Time • 89
7.4.11. Assessment Strategies • 89
7.4.12. Making This Project Your Own • 89
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Contents
7.5. Project Example: Picking Apart a Multitrack • 90
viii 7.5.1. Project Duration • 90
7.5.2. Technical Goals • 90
7.5.3. Creative Goals • 90
7.5.4. Listening Examples • 90
7.5.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 91
7.5.6. Project Design • 92
7.5.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 93
7.5.8. Troubleshooting • 94
7.5.9. Differentiated Instruction • 94
7.5.10. During Work Time • 95
7.5.11. Assessment Strategies • 95
7.5.12. Making This Project Your Own • 95
7.6. Project Example: Custom Cover Song • 96
7.6.1. Project Duration • 96
7.6.2. Technical Goals • 96
7.6.3. Creative Goals • 96
7.6.4. Listening Examples • 96
7.6.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 96
7.6.6. Overview of the Technique • 97
7.6.7. Syncing the Guide Track Using Ableton Live • 98
7.6.8. Cultural Considerations • 100
7.7. Project Example: Movie Soundtrack • 101
7.7.1. Project Duration • 101
7.7.2. Technical Goals • 101
7.7.3. Creative Goals • 101
7.7.4. Examples • 102
7.7.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 102
7.7.6. Project Design • 103
7.7.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 103
7.7.8. Troubleshooting • 107
7.7.9. Differentiated Instruction • 109
7.7.10. During Work Time • 110
7.7.11. Assessment Strategies • 110
7.7.12. Making This Project Your Own • 111
8 Teaching Songwriting with MIDI Projects • 112
8.1. Software Instruments Versus MIDI • 112
8.1.1. Drums Versus Not- Drums, Step Time Versus Real Time • 113
8.2. Functional Music Theory • 114
8.3. Elements of Music • 115
8.4. Sound Design • 116
8.5. Genre Deconstruction • 117
8.6. Project Example: Drum Programming • 117
8.6.1. Project Duration • 117
8.6.2. Technical Goals • 117
8.6.3. Creative Goals • 117
8.6.4. Listening Examples • 118
8.6.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 118
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Contents
8.6.6. Project Design • 118
8.6.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 118 ix
8.6.8. Troubleshooting • 125
8.6.9. Differentiated Instruction • 125
8.6.10. During Work Time • 126
8.6.11. Assessment Strategies • 126
8.7. Project Example: Beatmaking • 127
8.7.1. Project Duration • 127
8.7.2. Technical Goals • 127
8.7.3. Creative Goals • 127
8.7.4. Listening Examples • 127
8.7.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 127
8.7.6. Project Design • 128
8.7.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 129
8.7.8. Troubleshooting • 132
8.7.9. Differentiated Instruction • 133
8.7.10. During Work Time • 133
8.7.11. Assessment Strategies • 133
8.8. Project Example: Slow Jam • 134
8.8.1. Project Duration • 134
8.8.2. Technical Goals • 134
8.8.3. Creative Goals • 134
8.8.4. Listening Examples • 134
8.8.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 134
8.8.6. Project Design • 135
8.8.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 136
8.8.8. Troubleshooting • 145
8.8.9. Differentiated Instruction • 146
8.8.10. During Work Time • 146
8.8.11. Assessment Strategies • 146
8.9. Project Example: Future Bass • 147
8.9.1. Project Duration • 147
8.9.2. Technical Goals • 147
8.9.3. Creative Goals • 147
8.9.4. Listening Examples • 147
8.9.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 148
8.9.6. Project Design • 148
8.9.7. Day- by- Day Plan • 149
8.9.8. Troubleshooting • 156
8.9.9. Differentiated Instruction • 157
8.9.10. During Work Time • 157
8.9.11. Assessment Strategies • 157
8.10. Project Example: House Music • 158
8.10.1. Project Duration • 158
8.10.2. Technical Goals • 158
8.10.3. Creative Goals • 158
8.10.4. Listening Examples • 158
8.10.5. Before Teaching This Lesson • 158
8.10.6. Project Design • 158