"Because our mission at Emory is somewhat different from the pure performance/ technique-oriented music conservatories, any teaching device that aids in a more thorough investigation of the music curriculum is important to us," said Assistant Professor of Music Steven Everett. "We are a liberal arts college, so our emphasis is not only on the performance and technique, but also the place of music in the arts and in history."
Warner New Media and Voyager are two programs that Emory's students use in much the same way that students of past decades used encyclopedias to look up composers. The CD-ROM technology is far more exciting for students than the standard books because of their appealing graphics, recorded music and layers and layers of detail that students can browse through.
CD-ROM is used for many courses in music literature, theory and history at Emory. Students can choose a specific lesson, read through the text and actually hear the accompanying music played simultaneously. "Students never have studied music in the depth and intensity they can now," said Everett. A journey through the "Mozart Dissonant Quartet" allows the students to see Vienna as it was during Mozart's life as a child prodigy. Clicking on "The Instruments" produces a history of the violin and bow. Another click accesses a map of 18th-century Europe from Seutter's Atlas.
Beyond the obvious historical understanding that these programs allow, important routine lessons can be learned better and faster by using them. Basic classes such as ear training, that traditionally required countless repetitions of chords and notes by the professor, can now proceed at the student's own pace. Interactive programs such as "Practica Musica" let the student know where he or she is weak and whether a pattern is emerging, such as always mistaking one sort of chord for another. The program also "tallies" the students' scores so the entire student learning disk can be presented to the professor for review and critique. In addition, valuable class time is saved because students who have already mastered skills aren't held back. "Now students can set their own pace in the CAI lab and repeat as much of a lesson as needed," said Everett.
According to Emory College junior Beau Eddleman, "The ear training disk is helpful because it is so absolute. If you're wrong, you're wrong. You correct yourself and go on from there. It's a strict teacher and a thorough one."
-- Joyce Bell