SAISD Digital Music Production Tips
Summer, 2008

Have students listen to lots of music in many styles
Spend a lot of time analyzing and critiquing musical communication quality.
Spend a lot of time analyzing and critiquing production qualities.
All evaluative opinions are valid though some show more maturity and insight than others.
Evaluations should be honest but supportive. No Simon Cowells need apply.
Students should be able to say specifically why they form opinions.
Keep the orientation on popular music but with parallels in classical art music.
Keep focus on quality product. Develop a professional portfolio.
Make students feel like part of an exclusive inter-school group. (Brack, Jeff, and UTSA)
Give extrinsic rewards and lots of recognition for quality work or real improvement.
Expose students to real audio professionals and what they do.
There is plenty of time for creative play, but it should be directed at a final product.
Communicate with other schools and especially Dr. Sebald. Give suggestions, share results.
Students are producers in this class. Let them use others for performing talent.
Encourage students to transfer skills to other classes (tech papers, style analyses, recorded reports)
Notation is not very important to the digital musician, but hearing is.
Take an active part in learning. Demo your own products for students.
Show enthusiasm for music technology and what students accomplish.
Draw parallels between what you do as a music teacher and what a music producer does.