Music lab provides new learning opportunities

Thanks to gifts from renowed composer John Chowning ’59 and the Rev. Harold Figley ’49, Wittenberg students are now learning to compose music with the latest computer-assisted tools.

The welcome technological leap shows the power that both the technology goal and the educational equipment goals of the Defining Moments Campaign can bring to the lives of Wittenberg students.

“The students have been very excited as they work with the equipment,” said Steven Winteregg, adjunct associate professor of music, who regularly uses the lab in his classes.

“There are many schools that have a MIDI lab, but they only use it for notation and/or ear-training,” he added. “We use it for so much more.”

For example, the lab allows the music faculty to teach such topics as sequencing, composition, arranging, orchestration and counterpoint along with ear-training and music notation.

Located in Krieg Hall, the lab contains six workstations, all with Macintosh computers, and seven sythesizers, including four Kurzweil K200s, one Roland A-90EX, one Korg X5 and one Yamaha PSR-320.

Auxiliary equipment in the lab includes two Mark of the Unicorn MIDI Time Piece AVs, a Mackie CR1604-VLZ mixer, two video monitors, three VHS Stereo VCRs, a window dub inserter, a cassette recorder/player, two JAZ drives and one ZIP drive.

Finale(r) music notation software, Performer(r) and Digital Performer(r) sequencing software, Musica Practica(r) ear-training software, and MacGAMUT(r) ear-training software are also available to students.

In addition, the lab features audio-for-video capability, which allows students to learn the principles of video and film composition.

Students who demonstrate outstanding potential in this area may be offered apprenticeships at the award-winning Encore Studios in Dayton, Ohio.

“There are very few schools that teach adding original music to video.

Some schools teach adding sound and music to video, but it is usually taught in the communications department, and they use ‘canned’ music,” Winteregg explained.

“We are one of the few schools in this part of the country that teaches this in the music department and teaches it in conjunction with composing for video. We are definitely one of the few for our size.”

Currently, two classes, Beginning Composition and Computer and Advanced Composition with the Computer, are offered in the lab.

“We also have a small group that is investigating sound sampling on its own,” he said. This sampling capability was added specifically to allow students to sample, rework and design their own sounds.

Since the lab became available last year, a growing number of music and non-music students have shown an interest in gaining expertise in this area, a trend Winteregg thinks will continue.

“I think that the lab will draw students who are interested in all aspects of music composition and that would have to include composing for video, film, the Internet, etc,” he said.

“The lab adds a dimension to Wittenberg that many other schools do not have,” Winteregg added.