MUSIC LESSONS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

It’s every student’s dream to create the next dance hit, or film title track – not to mention getting a top grade in the next exam or assignment. The professionals have all the studio gear they need to produce award-winning results. And now, so do your students! “Teaching Music With Reason” gives students an introduction to creating and producing music, by exploring basic musical elements and using production techniques to enhance creative ideas.

The curriculum is based around a specially adapted version of Propellerhead Software’s awardwinning Reason program. Every computer in your music lab or classroom can have its own mixing desk, effects units, drum computer, sample players, loop players and analog synths, complete with sounds – not to mention a sequencer for creating the ideas. Every student can have a personal studio with a realistic rack of equipment that you could expect to see anywhere in the world – it even looks the same, down to the rack bolts! Meanwhile, you don’t have the hassle of moving equipment, dealing with repairs and worrying about cabling! You can simply concentrate on the teaching.

Integrating the Curriculum

“Teaching Music With Reason” is designed to allow integration with other areas of the particular national, state or college Music or Music Technology curriculum you are currently following.

Fundamental skills include:

• Listening
• Understanding musical elements
• Developing technical skills and applying these creatively

Integrating Reason

Your Reason Adapted program will also integrate with some existing classroom resources. ReWire technology allows this program to be linked to other ReWire capable software (Steinberg Cubase SX, Emagic Logic, Ableton Live, Digidesign ProTools, Cakewalk Sonar and many more). Student work produced during these curriculum lessons can be extended in other courses by adding audio tracks to existing song material for example. Sounds supplied with your Reason Adapted program can also be used in a stand-alone capacity with other ReWire compatible applications.

What your students will learn:

• Improvising and recording ideas; building rhythm, bass, harmony and melody tracks
• Programming patterns and relating these to musical bars and beats
• Exploring sounds and textures, using a range of supplied sounds
• Creating form and structure
• “Musical” editing to create contrast and variation
• Creative work with loops
• Using effects for composing and production
• Shaping sound using the controls on realistic synths, samplers and other devices
• An introduction to mixing – balance, EQ, panning
• Automating mixer and device parameters for additional production ideas
• Using technology to develop musical concepts and ideas
• Applying techniques in a creative context through project work
• Compiling a CD portfolio of coursework

Designed for use in:

• Secondary school and high school music classes
• College and university introductory modules in Music or Music Technology

Your Teaching Resource

Teaching
In your Teacher’s Resource pack, you’ll find a series of step-by-step lesson plans – everything you need for a weekly lesson over a couple of terms or semesters. Reason song files in contemporary styles are provided for demonstration and student use.

Lesson Preparation
If you’re completely new to Reason, each lesson provides background information for the teacher covering the specific functions and techniques to be used during the lesson.

Assessment
Record sheets are provided for monitoring overall student progress during the course and for assessment of project work.