Noteworthy Technology Essay -- Music Composition Essays

Noteworthy Technology Few things possess the power of music. Good music has the capacity to convey messages, evoke emotion and inspire awe. Yet, not many posses the means to acquire the power of music. Writing music by hand can be time consuming, inaccurate, and it does not allow the composer to actually hear the annotated music. Furthermore, learning an instrument can be time consuming and frustrating if all a person wants to do is compose their own music. This is where the beauty of technology comes in. Through a system known as MIDI, or Musical Instrumental Digital Interface, and musical notation computer software, composers are able to input their music into a computer and have the means to listen to, edit, and print out their compositions. While MIDI technology and computer musical notation software is easily accessible today, it is a relatively new technology. MIDI was created in 1983 by a collaboration of the major music industry electronic instrument manufacturers including Roland, Yamaha, Korg and others (MIDI). MIDI includes a set of technical principles that standardize computer based music and allow electronic devices like synthesizers, computers, and multi-track recorders, to interact with each other (Ohler pars 4). For example, a person can use a use a single keyboard to trigger sounds from 10 other keyboards connected by MIDI interface. MIDI technology does not send an actual musical note or sound, but information about the note, in a process very similar to how computers share information through modems. MIDI communication is based upon the byte. Each MIDI command is composed of a specific byte sequence which contains important information such as the status byte, which tells the receiving MIDI... ...ay of creating joyful noises. MIDI and musical notation software makes it very easy to annotate our musical ideas. In this very direct way, we can use technology to glorify God with our creative talents and songs of praise. Works Cited MIDI.com. 8 Dec. 2002 <http://www.MIDI.com>. Ohler, Jason. "The Promise of MIDI Technology." Learning and Leading with Technology. Mar. 1996: OCLC FirstSearch. 8 Dec. 2002. Keyword: Music Composition. Perry, Jeffery. "The Inner Voice of Simple Things: A Conversation With Paul Lansky." Perspective of New Music. Summer 1996: 40-60. OCLC FirstSearch. Hekman Library, Grand Rapids. 7 Dec. 2002. Keyword: Music Composition. Webster, Peter R. "Time, Technology and Creative Process." Arts Education Policy Review. 94 Sept. 1994: 32-36. OCLC FirstSearch. Hekman Library, Grand Rapids. 8 Dec. 2002. Keyword: Music Composition.