Coding is becoming a more prevalent medium for creative endeavors in classrooms across the country with STEM and STEAM integration. Using coding software and hardware, students can create their own interfaces, instruments, controllers, songs, and even installations from the ground up.

 

The following example experience draws on the motion sensing capabilities of Scratch (a coding language with a web-based editing portal). Students will need access to one computer per group. The computer will need to be able to run FLASH, have speakers, and have a camera. Though Scratch is the only entry-level coding app that I know of that allows for a user to program sounds and music, other coding programs can be used to create visuals, games, or other things that can be the impetus of creative musical experinces. 
 

• Example Creations

• Example Experience

• Suggested Apps

• MAKEY-MAKEY

Example Experience

Coding Our Own Controller

 

Guiding Questions:  

• In what ways can people organize sound?

• In what ways do people use computer coding to create sound objects?

• How can we test the effectiveness of our creation?

Potential Process:

1. Students will explore ambient, generative, and open form musical works like “2/1” from Ambient 1: Music or Airports and the app Bloom from Brian Eno, In Bb 2.0 by Darren Solomon, the app Polyfauna by Radiohead and Universal Everything, and a teacher created movement controlled code-based work (example 1 and example 2).
    

2. The teacher will facilitate a discussion about how these works function and how the sounds are arranged. The class will develop a collaborative mindmap of their findings, developing a list of ways in which the music is arranged, how the music is controlled, and the ways sounds are constructed. The teacher may want to direct students' attention to the sound creation strategies notes by Darren Solomon that sounds should: fit within the same scale, be simple, float with limited tempo, be filled with space and silence, be recorded in quiet environments, and limit thick chords (Solomon, n.d.).
    

3. The teacher will introduce the overall crux of this project; creating an interactive musical controller using computer coding (for younger students, Scratch works well). Students will interact with the teacher-created example and further discuss how it works, with the teacher facilitating their discoveries by asking questions regarding how the sounds are arranged and triggered.

   * The next two steps are interchangeable with regards to their order. 
    

4. Students will begin collecting sounds and musical fragments based on the collaborative mind-map. Student will record these sounds directly onto the computer that they will be using to code (or they may use an independent audio-recorder, but the files should be transferred over to the work computer as soon as possible). A good guideline for sounds could be: collect 10 short (1-5 second) musical phrases and 10 single sounds.
    

5. Using an age appropriate coding software (I suggest Scratch for novice users), students will create and arrange images on the screen. It is useful to consider creating a basic set of “how to” videos or giving students a code database so that they might quickly figure out how to create a code to allow the computer’s camera. Consider taking a look here for some help with Scratch.
    

6. As students arrange images on the screen, they will program each image to trigger a sound. Sound could be triggered via video/motion, a mouse click, a mouse float-over, or a keystroke (or even via using something like a makey-makey).
    

7. Once students have set their images and sounds, they will share their work with others students. The peers will try to “figure out” the controller. They will give the creators feedback regarding problems with interacting with the controller and/or things they enjoyed. Based on this feedback, the creators can create a second iteration of their work. Repeat this process numerous times.
    

8. After students have created a fairly stable controller, the teacher will ask students how they want to share their work with others. Will they set them up in a special space as an installation? Will they share their work with others via a website? Will they use the controller to create their own new song? The final products will be saved in a reasonable format for their portfolios or for a class website.