More technical aspects, such as actual sound production and editing on the keyboard, are introduced in more advanced classes. This allows the students to do multi-track recording on the computer. Software, used with the synthesizer, provides the students with choices of hundreds of sounds. The more sounds the students have to work with, the more creative the environment. There are a number of excellent software sequencers on the market today, for both PC and Macintosh formats.
Compositions start as simple eight measure projects with just one track or sound.
Eventually, projects with multiple tracks and sounds are assigned. Once students are familiar with the recording process, more creative assignments are given to stimulate the composer within. A project might be as simple as a 30-second spot for a travel commercial or as complex as synchronized music for a chase scene in a film. The emphasis is not formal music composition but to offer students musical settings combined with the skill to use the keyboard and computer as tools to access various sounds opening avenues to musical creativity. In classes in which student ability may range from years of private piano lessons to playing guitar by ear, the main focus is to give the students an opportunity to create music regardless of their formal training.