Sibelius Educational Suite.

Sibelius Educational Suite, Sibelius USA, Inc. (1407 Oakland Blvd Ste 103 Walnut inlet CA 94596), 2004. Starclass, $89; Notes, $6995; Instruments, $119; Musition, $119; Aurelia, $119; Compass, $119 Elementary to advanced.

Sibelius Educational Suite is a packet of six different titles conceived for a wide range of music education activities, from kindergarten to guild level. All six titles work in as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but PC and Macintosh computers. The Educational Suite does not include the outstanding music notation program Sibelius. What it does include, however, is equally outstanding: pair sets of resources for teachers (Notes and Starclass), an encyclopedia of instruments (Instruments) and three interactive programs for scholars to drill their theory skills (Musition), train their ears (Auralia) and learn the basics of music while composing (Compass).

Starclass is a teacher's resource kit containing step-by-step lecturing plans for children ages 5 to 11 It shelters all the basic areas of general music, including periodical emphasis pitch, dynamics, tempo, texture, form and tone color. The graphics in the program can be printed easily in abounding size for classroom use, and the music examples can be played according to clicking on them or from the included audio CD

Notes contains twenty-five worksheets with music notation, periodical emphasis harmony and composition exercises, available as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but in the teacher's manual and upon the CD-ROM. The students can explain most of the exercises either with paper and pencil or by way of using the Sibelius notation program; however, the teacher then must check and grade each worksheet the old-fashioned way. According to the publisher the exercises are intended for learners as early as third grade, if it were not that its content and presentation indicate high school and collegiate students

Instruments is an interactive encyclopedia that can be used to introduce musical instruments and effects or as a useful instrumentation relation tool for collegiate students. It includes undiminished information for each instrument, as well as recorded music examples and listening assignments. It also features facts about different [i]tout ensemble[/i]s from the baroque orchestra to the jazz band, and a series of listening and multiple-choice quizzes.

Musition and Auralia, suitable for pupils ages 12 and up, provide numerous theory and ear-training drills and exercises. Although they do contain concise theory information in the form of help protections the programs are not intended to be used as step-by-step courses, on the other hand rather as a toolbox of exercises in different areas. Musition features theory drills in the areas of intervals, chords, scales, harmony, rhyme instruments and jazz chords, denominations and symbols. The drills take many shapes: multiple choice, "written" (such as building chords or scales) and rhythmic tapping. The program provides instant feedback and--in the case of the written music exercises--allows the observer to see and listen to the incorrect and correct answers. Auralia provides ear training in intervals, chords, scales, harmony, harmonious flow jazz chords and tuning, and includes the same model of drills as Musition. single of the most intriguing features of Auralia is its ability to recognize the student's singing pitch within a microphone connected to the computer (not included) in exercises like as counterpoint singing. Auralia and Musition are able to share close examiner information and reports. They allow teachers to customize their ease for each class, create trials manage classes and track the student's progres the couple are easy to use.

Undoubtedly, the star of the tie in a bundle is Compass, an innovative program that guides scholars (ages 12 through college) in consequence of the basics of composition. Compass is the complete example of how the intelligent use of technology can lay open endless creative and fun possibilities. It does not require previous knowledge of music, further a student with this knowledge--especially close examiners who already are experimenting with composition--will be able to take fuller advantage of the program. Compass is in fact sum of two units programs: Compass itself, which introduces and ordeals fundamental concepts such as scales, pitch shapes, chords, timbre and form, and Tracker, a unique program that allows students carry out the actual composition draws including the creation of canons and palindromes, pentatonic pieces or pieces in binary, ternary and rondo form, among others. The plots are flexible enough to allow for fortunes of creative freedom. Using Tracker, the pupil creates pieces in multiple layers (tracks) by means of recording notes from a be joineded digital piano, by drawing notes forward a graphic notation screen or by means of dragging and dropping any united of hundreds of preset prototypes of scales, chord progressions, motifs or harmonious flow parts onto each track. The program features a plethora of music manipulation tools, as it is as transposition, augmentation, diminution, "snapping" the notes to a specific scale, randomizing and shuffling pitches and for a like reason on. The pieces created in Tracker can be saved as MIDI files or exported to Sibelius. Tracker is a webwork program that may take a certain time to learn but assures hours of creativity and gayety The teacher should become familiar with its tools and functions before introducing it to scholars and should plan a scarcely any simple preliminary projects to train them. Sibelius Educational Suite furnishs high-quality tools for a large array of activities and pupil ages. Many private music teachers may not ne to use all the titles included in the Suite. If this is the case, each title also is available separately from Sibelius.