Touching sound—Connections on a creative spiral

Abstract

Touching Sound is the title of a project concerned with the learning process, music education and new technology. It is also the name of a suite of computer programs. Music in education can contribute to all areas of experience, including the mathematical, physical, technological, spiritual, but mostly to the aesthetic and creative, and human and social areas. With the child at the centre of the curriculum, music in education is concerned with enabling all children to participate in musical activities, and to realise their own musical thoughts and feelings through sound. Any technology must therefore be completely accessible to all children, whatever age or ability. There are many skills of the mind which are developed in this process—imagining, formulating, discriminating, selecting, rejecting, evaluating, ordering, structuring. The essence of good computer programs is one of simplicity, of ease of access, of enabling learning in more direct ways. Touching Sound turns the computer into a new musical instrument, providing new ways of creating and shaping sound, of playing sound, thus overcoming, but not devaluing the barriers of traditional techniques.