other things, legally blind. MuseScore allows him to zoom in on his work to make it visually accessible to him in ways that even his own handwritten scores are not. He has become very adept with the program in a short time, and is able to write quickly and accurately, and then read his work without struggling.


My advanced music students are using Garageband for a project this trimester. Their assignment is to cre- ate a piece of music, using only student-generated content (no Apple Loops!) They began by recording a sound - anything from a single drum beat to a spoken word - and manipulating it using the built-in filters, lim- iters, compression and effects. Once they were comfortable with the recording and editing features, they began working on their projects, which could be anything from a traditionally written and recorded piece to ambient music to techno. Although I haven’t heard the results yet, the first stages have revealed some real creativity.


Garageband, once a student moves beyond building techno songs with the canned Loops, is a potent and easily mastered recording and editing program. It allows students to not only create a record of their work, but to look at the ways in which filters and effects alter waveforms. The visual equalizer view especially helps students make the connection between the manipulation they are performing and its actual impact on the shape of the soundwave. Their exploration has generated discussions about timbre, frequency range, and even the differences in recording technology. Through their use of Garageband, the advanced music students are more aware of the differences between the music they hear on their iPods, on the radio, or on a record player.


MuseScore and Garageband are two easily found, powerful pieces of software that any student in Maine can access. Garageband comes loaded into Mac laptops, and MuseScore is free to download. Both pro- grams allow students to create and interact with music in authentic ways that increase their understanding and appreciation of both written and recorded sound.


Courtney Naliboff teaches K-12 music, high school English and drama at North Haven Community School, in the middle of the Penobscot Bay. When not teaching, she writes and records songs on her ukulele. You can contact Courtney at courtney.naliboff@gmail.com


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