I designed and wrote new syllabi for the first two semesters of class piano, after reviewing the textbooks that will be used in these courses. Finally, I reviewed the 16 MIDI disks that accompany each of the two volumes of the textbook and learned how to use the many functions that these make available for classroom teaching and student practice. I also taught my colleague, who teaches a section of class piano for music majors, how to operate the lab and the software. The course will now be taught using MIDI software to provide accompaniments for each exercise and repertoire piece that students will learn in class piano. The accompaniments may be altered in tempo and in background orchestration.
Students have the option of practicing with one hand while the software plays the other.
Students may also record their playing and listen to it with the pre-recorded track or as a solo. With all these features, students will have more structure in their individual practice and be able to learn the required keyboard skills more quickly. They will have instant feedback from the recording feature and be able to compare their performances with the correct one. The redesigned course will be taught during the 1998-1999 academic year, beginning in the fall of 1998.