It is really a very difficult thing to pick up. If you don't have a desire to pick it up yourself, this is daunting. Labs such as Letcher's, in which a teacher can listen in on students' workstations, add more costs, as does music software. Cost is still a big barrier for any district that doesn't have at least a little discretionary spending. However, districts and individual teachers can find creative ways to get around some of the expenses.
Many districts have programs that help parents buy books and software.
Teachers can also be creative about using software that isn't strictly designed for music making. One of Hochkeppel's favorites is a visual arts program called Kid Pix, which lets elementary school students make slide shows using computer slides they create themselves. With the computer's microphone, students can make soundtracks for their presentations by recording themselves playing various instruments. Though not as high-tech as the synthesizer, the program gives students the same immediate feedback on their compositions. Peter Webster, a researcher at Northwestern University, says it certainly shows promise, but he offers some caveats.