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Get Financially Enlightened! Christine D. Moriarty of MONEYPEACE
Q the art OF…
MATTHEW THORsEN
Music Composition
B Y A N A R uE si N k
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a Creative spirit: Although it helps if students know how to play an instrument or sing, all they really need is interest. Computer: Most kids have access at home or at school.
Ben hunt
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to learn. Computers level the playing field so all kinds of kids can participate, according to Music-COMP director Sandi MacLeod. She founded the nonprofit back in 1995. Today, more than 50 Vermont schools — and more than a dozen homeschooled or independent-study students — participate in the program. “Students have incredible sound libraries. They’ve been hearing sounds since the womb. Composition helps to organize those sounds,” says MacLeod. She sees many social and academic benefits to music composition: Students develop their communication skills, persistence and concentration. And composing enhances their ability to listen and analyze. “Anybody can compose if you stick with it and listen to what the mentors tell you,” Ben claims modestly. “It’s fun to create something. And I like getting it performed live.” Nothing dead about it. K
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“It’s fun to create something. And I like getting it performed live.”
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Many aspiring young Vermont On stage at COlChester’s composers like Ben get guidance elley-lOng MusiC Center, four and support from Music-COMP, a professional musicians with shiny group formerly called the Vermont brass instruments face eighth grader MIDI Project, which provides online Ben Hunt and his Edmunds Middle mentoring to students in school music School music teacher, Betsy Nolan. programs. Using software such as Ben is about to hear his composition Sibelius or Noteflight, kids as young “Fanfare of the Zombies” performed as 9 or 10 can get those snippets of for the first time. The tuba starts, soft and low, then the song out of their heads and onto the computer screen. Students work with music grows in waves as two trumpets Music-Comp mentors for six to eight join in. There’s a mournful trombone weeks, composing and revising. From solo before the opening theme returns, their work, Musicthis time stated thunComp selects about derously by all four two dozen pieces instruments. You to be performed by can hear, and almost professional players see, the undead in concerts held marching through twice a year. the hall, trailing their Ben caught the rotten limbs. It’s a composition bug modern-day “Danse Ben hunt several years ago. Macabre.” He has now written When the music about 10 pieces, often inspired by stops, there’s a pause. “Does it sound noodling on his bass clarinet. better than the Sibelius file?” asks “Fanfare of the Zombies” started trumpet player Chris Rivers. “Yeah,” with a simple idea to compose Ben replies with a satisfied grin. something in a minor key. “I’ll play They’re talking not about Jean something by accident and think, Hey, Sibelius, the late-Romantic, Finnish that sounds cool.” composer — but about a computer Music educators consider composoftware program that helps translate sition to be a key component of music musical ideas into the language of literacy, but it can be hard to teach and standard musical notation.
software: Younger kids can use composition tools that don’t require notation, such as Groovy Music ($69 and up; available at sibelius.com.) Creatingmusic.com is a free, creative environment where children can compose music and play interactive music games. kids in grade 4 and up may be ready to use notation software such as sibelius ($200 and up; available at sibelius.com) or (Noteflight, basic version is free at noteflight.com.) Learn more about Vermont’s online music composition mentoring program at music-comp.org. Hear student compositions performed at Music-COMP’s Opus concert, Wednesday, May 2, at the Ludlow Town Hall.
Next session starts May 1st
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The Art of...” spotlights creative skills that enrich kids’ lives. Got a class or teacher to recommend? Email us at ideas@kidsvt.com. k8v-VtNanny0412.indd 1
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