"Notation" was presented by professor Walters at Wayne State University for MED 5590 on Monday, July 13, 2009.

1. M u s ic L it e r a c y
Notions about Notation

2. N o t a t io n in t h e E n s e m b le
C la s s r o o m
How do students typically interact with notation in the
large ensemble classroom?
Read and sing, or read and play
Students rarely produce their own music in this setting.

3. W h a t is M u s ic
L it e r a c y ?
The ability to communicate and comprehend the
language of music by reading, writing, speaking, hearing,
listening, and performing,
Aural Literacy – There is an ability to communicate and
comprehend purely “by ear.”

4. C o m p a r is o n t o E n g lis h
L it e r a c y
Writing lags behind reading the English Language
Writing is a strong indication of comprehension of the
English language because it is creative. To create a
coherent English sentence requires strong
comprehension.
Musical composition lags behind music reading.

5. R e a d in g M u s ic :
K e y t o E n s e m b le
S is key c producing a performance,
• Reading music
u c to e s s
particularly in instrumental music. A flute does not
produce an accurate pitch with an
in a c c u r a t e fingering. Band and Orchestra
students indicate some degree of musical literacy
just by performing a passage with proper pitches
and rhythms.
• Singers, however, don’t have to “push the right
buttons” to produce accurate pitches. Singers can
usually follow someone near them, or memorize
their part from the director’s examples, or hear it
in the accompaniment.

6. C o m p o s it io n is
e s s e n t ia l t o M u s ic
L it e r a c y
Student creation is a better indicator of
student music literacy than their ability to
recreate what others wrote by playing or
singing. It forces them to generate the
concepts from within.

7. W h y N o t a t io n s o f t w a r e a t
a ll ?
It creates a permanent copy of student work.
Editing is “WAY” easier!
It can be shared with others quickly.
It is aesthetically pleasing to the creator.
Software produced music notation is the standard for
musicians all over the world.
It can be easily shared on the web.

8. N e w N o t a t io n a l
N o t io n s
Large ensemble classroom is ill-equipped to allow student
composition, in particular composition with computer notation
programs.
Large Ensemble Teachers often do not promote composition
Belief produces Actions:
If we believe that writing is part of music literacy, then students
should be encouraged to write.
Students develop and demonstrate true mastery of music
concepts, not skills, through creations.

9. M u s ic C o n c e p t s in t h e
E n s e m b le C la s s r o o m
What concepts are learned in the Ensemble setting?
For which of those concepts would notation be an
appropriate avenue for student creation?

10. P r o b le m s !
Concert demands
Festivals, Concerts, Marching Band, Cedar Point, Memorial
Day, etc.
Time!
Real World vs. Belief in Music Literacy and Composition

11. C la s s r o o m s o lu t io n s
Pencil and paper in the folder
Computers available for before school, after school, and
lunch times
Computers can be used by brass player when focus of
rehearsal is on woodwinds.
Many Lesson plans on TI:ME don’t address the problems
we spoke about. They simply throw in notation as a step
in the lesson plan process.
Example Lesson Plan: Notating an Improvised Bass Line
by Laura Cipriano, from the Taipei American School

12. C o m p u t e r La b
s o lu t io n s

13. C o m p u t e r La b
s obiglu t io accommodate all the
Are computer labs enough to
ns
students in a large ensemble class?
Are teachers willing to take classroom time to use the
computer lab?
Should teachers be willing to take classroom time to use
the computer lab?
How expensive is the software and electronic musical
instruments for an entire lab? Is there a room available in
the school to install a music lab.
A computer lab is an excellent solution in some cases.

14. O f f s it e N o n - c la s s r o o m
S o lu t io n s
Inexpensive notational software programs
http://music-notation-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
Web-based Music notation
http://musicnotation.org/software/strategy.html
http://www.noteflight.com/login
Noteflight is collaborative as well!