Soundation Reflection and Review

Using software to compose and arrange music is something that I’m fairly familiar with.  Programs such as MuseScore and Finale have been very helpful in the past 9 years that I’ve been teaching.  Soundation is an online program that can be utilized from almost any computer connected to the internet and as long as you have that connection, you can access your account and start a new song to work on or you can continue editing a song you started earlier.
My composition, “Climbing Higher,” is a piece that starts with a few voices, but as it progresses, more and more parts join in to create a more complex piece.  It kind of represents my own progress in learning how to use all of these software programs that may be familiar to others but somewhat new to me.  At first, using Soundation was difficult because I had never used it before.  But after watching the tutorial videos and playing with the program itself, I finally started getting the hang of it.  The composition incorporates musical elements such as Form (it’s kind of an A-A-B-A form with an introduction and ending) and Dynamics.  For example, I used the volume display option to add a decrescendo just before the Bridge (B section) and towards the end of the Bridge, I put in a crescendo to build it back up into the A section.  The interesting part about all this is that I didn’t have to put in a crescendo symbol in the music; all I had to do was adjust the volume to fit the shape that I wanted it to fit.  Adjusting the yellow line to make a dynamic shape was easy and intuitive.  I hope that people who listen to this piece think of it as a song that starts simple, grows, and them comes back full circle to how it started.  The only musical difference is once it returns to the last A section, there are accompaniments and counter-melodies joining in that were not there in previous sections.  I’d like to think of this as a type musical scaffolding, adding and building off of the parts that were heard in other sections.
For the most part, Soundation was quite easy to use.  I took some time to watch the videos on their website to get an idea of how it works and what it has to offer.  The sound samples were easy to access and with a simple click, you can listen to each part to see whether or not it would fit with your current composition or arrangement.  Once you assign a part to either an audio or instrument channel, you can play around with elements like reverb or filter.  There were times when I felt like I was working in a recording studio, only I was in the comfort of my living room!  Being able to mute certain parts during playback is a huge advantage to me.  As more parts and voices join in, it can be hard to hear everything and obtain a sensible balance.  Muting parts and adjusting individual volume channels made a huge difference in balancing out my piece.  There were a few challenging moments, like when I was trying to stretch a part out or I couldn’t get my iRig piano/keyboard to work when I wanted to record a part for the Bridge.  But all I had to do was look up my issue on google and sure enough, there were numerous discussion forums and even a couple of videos showing how to fix the problem that I encountered.  There is certainly a sense of community within this program and there are always people out there willing to help me with my composition if I’m having trouble with something.
In regards to educational purposes, Soundation can definitely bring a lot to the musical classroom.  Due to the lack of notation in this program, Soundation is a great music-making tool for students who do not possess the reading and decoding skills of music that other students may have.  Band, chorus, and orchestra students are typically expected to know how to read music but for students who have never participated in an ensemble but would like to create music, Soundation should be at the top of their list.  Personally, I feel as if this program could be used more at the beginner level for music students.  If kids know how to read music, I would encourage them to use programs like MuseScore, Finale, or Noteflight.  All of these programs have immediate playback so students can listen to their work and observe how it grows and develops musically.  Kids can share their compositions and receive feedback from their peers, which I think is a great way for them to collaborate with each other.
As I was creating my piece, there were moments where I thought of how I would fit this into my lessons.  One example I thought of was to split my class up into groups of 3-4 students and each group would be working in their own “recording studio.”  Within their studio, every student would take on their own role (composer, arranger, sound engineer, etc.) and they would work together to create a piece of music.  For instance, the composer/arranger could assign certain parts to their respective audio or instrument channels.  Then, the sound engineer would listen to those assigned parts and make adjustments when necessary.  In my experience, giving a student a title like “composer” or “sound engineer” gives them a little boost in confidence and it makes them want to work harder.  At the end of class, each group will play their composition and the other groups will listen and share their thoughts on the piece they just heard.  This can turn the lesson into a living discussion forum and kids can talk about their original music in a safe and nurturing environment.  Feedback is imperative for students who want to improve their composition skills and even though I can give feedback as the teacher, students should learn how to give constructive feedback to one another.
I believe my middle school students would love to use Soundation in my classroom.  My band students already use MuseScore on some occasions so maybe they would enjoy Soundation.  Next year I will be teaching more beginning percussion classes so maybe Soundation would be a good fit for them since their notation skills are somewhat limited.  Overall, I really enjoyed using this program and my students will most likely enjoy it as well.