Fifty-Ninth National Conference
October 27-29, 2016
Eldorado Hotel & Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, Santa Fe
CMS Pre-Conference Workshop
Technology's Role in Achieving Creativity, Diversity, and Integration
in the Undergraduate Music Curriculum
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Mesa Ballroom A
Showcase: Utilizing the iPad Multi-Touch Linear Keyboard: A Hands-on Vehicle for Improvisation Opportunity!
Utilizing the iPad Multi-Touch Linear Keyboard: A Hands-on Vehicle for Improvisation Opportunity! The report of the Task force on the Undergraduate Music Major (TFUMM) indicates a lack of opportunity for students to engage in improvisation activities during undergraduate years. “One of the most startling shortcomings in all of arts education is that too many music students graduate with little to no experience or significant grounding in the essential creative processes of improvisation and composition. In contrast, students majoring in the visual arts could not gain a degree without producing a portfolio of original creative work. Yet for music graduates, a lack of skill or even cursory experience in composition and improvisation is the norm rather than the exception.” (COLLEGE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM online, TFUMM Copy Edited Version: January 2015, p. 4. The iPad multi-touch linear keyboard provides an exciting opportunity for any music major as a vehicle for practicing and experiencing improvisation activities in real time. It does not matter what instrument the person plays proficiently, indeed if any! Overt activities can be accomplished through the availability and usage of the multi-touch linear keyboard and then conceptually transferred to the person’s own major instrument. The person does NOT have to have piano keyboard abilities or proficiency on the traditional 12-tone keyboard to be able to improvise professionally and musically. A multi-touch linear keyboard allows visualization of many scale possibilities, and works nicely with MIDI or audio backgrounds provided through the use of a monitor computer or loops that are played thought apps on the iPad itself. This showcase will illustrate how students can practice and develop improvisational skills as they experience improvisation activities with the iPad. Using numerous apps, including ThumbJam and iReal Pro, examples of how the linear keyboard can be utilized and improvisation activities can be illustrated. How this sessions fits with ideas presented in the task force report?
“TFUMM” indicates a lack of opportunity for students to engage in improvisation activities during undergraduate years. This can be because of limited practice room space, or opportunity for group ensemble experience for improvisation interaction. Mobile devices such as the iPad can do much to alleviate this problem, providing optimum opportunity for musical and continual improvisation performance activities. Over the past years improved technology has resulted in new codec formats for file conversion. Advanced compression techniques allow for better reproduction quality with smaller file-size downloads. Knowledge of the development of these files, and when/where to use them can be an advantage for both transmission of data and better quality of production. Conversion between formats can become a problem and knowledge of development and conversion possibilities are important for sharing and quicker download. This focused showcase illustrates a means to bridge the TFUMM mentioned barrier allowing for more time and opportunity in addition to a convenient and continually accessible musical venue for practice of improvisation. The showcase will illustrate the iPad as a venue platform for improvisation. A “real time” explanation and illustrations will be provided of how the iPad can provide and support this activity. |
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Abstract This showcase will illustrate how students can practice and develop improvisational skills as they experience improvisation activities with the iPad. Using numerous apps, including ThumbJam and iReal Pro, examples of how the linear keyboard can be utilized and improvisation activities can be illustrated. |
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About Fred Kersten
Dr.
Fred Kersten is currently and has been for eight years an Online
Graduate Facilitator for Boston University. He works with graduate
music education majors around the world who are completing their
master’s degrees in music education.Fred holds five degrees in music, education, administration, and music education. He received the B.S. and M Mus degrees from Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York. His M.S. in Elementary Education and Certificate of Advanced Study in School Administration are from SUNY, New Paltz in New York. The Doctorate (D Ed) in music education/administration was awarded by The Pennsylvania State University. |