Table 2: Conditional Statements
loop do use_bpm 80 use_synth :dpulse
if one_in(2) sample :tabla_dhec
else sample :loop_tabla
end sleep 4
end
Te previous examples demonstrate just a few structures common to both music and coding: repeats and loops; mul- tiple endings and conditional structures; pitches, durations, loudness and the concepts of variables and arrays, to name a few. Music and coding also share similar processes that we mentioned previously. Te programmer must employ the higher order thinking skills of imagining and planning to create the music and the coding structures that will produce the imagined sounds. Te artistic processes of evaluation and refinement are very similar to the process of debugging in coding practice. Here the programmer evaluates the resulting sounds of lines of code and refines them to achieve the desired musical outcomes from running the program. Due to these shared processes and structures, learning to make music and to make code is mutually reinforcing. Both music and coding provide unique ways of structuring understanding that can help a student make sense of and organize concepts in music and in computer programming. Tus the study of computer coding can enhance your stu- dent’s musical understanding.
Figure 1
coding structures can be understood in relationship to structures in music. Te integration of music and computer programming reflects the real-world application of art and computer science and provides more authentic learning experiences for your students. As Shively (2015) notes, we should offer “real-world musical experiences that are meaningful to our students.” Since many of our students have interests that include music, computers, gaming, and coding it follows that opportunities to experience music and coding would be valued precisely because they tap into their interests.
Can code become art? Someday, your school may have a performing computer-music ensemble. In the meantime you can begin to bridge the gap between art and science by helping the STEM teachers in your school find ways to incorporate music into their learning activities. If the task of learning to code seems daunting or too time consuming, remember that the music teacher doesn’t have to be the one to teach coding. Simply being aware of the overlapping concepts and tools available to both disciplines, allows you to seek out collaborative opportunities with teachers of oth- er disciplines and in doing promote true interdisciplinary learning.
References
Martinez, S. L. & Stager, G.S. (2013). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.
Shively, J. (2015) Constructivism in Music Education, Arts Education Policy Review, 116:3, 128-136, DOI: 10.1080/10632913.2015.1011815
Smith, M. (2016, January 30). Computer Science for All (Web log post). Retrieved from https://obamawhite-
house.archives.gov/blog/2016/01/30/computer-sci- ence-all
Ken Smith is an associate professor of music education and music technology at Western Michigan University, School of Music (
kenneth.smith@
wmich.edu).
In this article, we see how the structure of music can be compared to coding structures and vice versa, and how
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