History of Music CAI

Generation 1

The earliest examples of Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) in music were created for university mainframe computers between 1967 and 1975. These were primarily drill-and-practice type programs teaching music theory and ear training, and were developed and housed at large research-oriented institutions including the University of Illinois, Stanford University, The Pennsylvania State University, the University of Delaware, and Florida State University.

G. David Peters, one of the early developers for the PLATO system at the University of Illinois, has identified four generations of CAI software. "This first-generation software proved the possible application of Computer-Based Music Instruction (CBMI) to a small group of enthusiastic music educators and music theorists."* He goes on to point out that, in spite of the high hardware and development costs, "several hundred CBMI programs were developed on these mainframe computers from 1969 to 1980."*

Generation 2

With the introduction of the first microcomputers in 1978, a second generation of music CAI evolved. These often utilized proprietary music keyboards and played through add-on sound cards that provided four or more voices of digital sound. According to G. David Peters, "More than five hundred music programs were developed beginning in 1978 that could be considered second-generation software..."**

On the emergence of the microcomputer, David Williams, an early developer of music CAI for the microcomputer and a co-founder of Micro Music, wrote that, "The first significant accomplishment was turning them into wonderful, inexpensive, surrogate teachers for drill and practice of music ear training and theory skills."***

Generation 3

The third generation of CAI music software, as defined by G. David Peters, began in 1981 with the introduction of 16-bit computers and the definition of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. These 16-bit desktop computers were dramatically faster than their 8-bit predecessors, but it was the MIDI standard that had the greatest impact on music CAI. According to David Williams, "MIDI became the lingua franca of music technology."*** The MIDI standard allowed computers and music synthesizers to communicate with each other using a standard language, with more than fifty MIDI-enabled music CAI programs developed between 1984 and 1992.

Generation 4

"The major factor influencing the development of the fourth generation of music software has been the development of interactive multimedia software delivery systems."**** These systems include compact disk drives (CD-ROM), larger hard disks, enhanced graphics displays, better sound quality, and faster computer processors.

These hardware enhancements, particularly the CD-ROM and the graphics capabilities, have enabled the emergence of four new types of music CAI in addition to the original Drill-and-Practice type: Guided Instruction, Games, Exploratory, and Creative. Guided instruction software functions as a demonstrative tutorial, leading the student through the material. Game CAI ranges from competitive drill-and-practice programs to elaborate adventures that require musical discoveries to complete. Exploratory CAI encourages the student to explore the material at an individual pace, in a manner that is analogous to a multimedia coffee table book. This category has seen the most explosive growth in recent years, as it is ideally suited to take advantage of the CD-ROM delivery method. Creative CAI is the newest category, encouraging the student to create music, usually in the context of composing, improvising, or practicing.

Generation 5

As can be seen through the development of the first four generations, the development of computer-assisted instruction in music has been driven largely by advances in computer hardware technology. The recent development of the Internet and its gradual metamorphosis into an operating system of sorts make it clear that the future of music CAI is online. This is clearly the beginning of a fifth generation of music CAI.

While the Internet has always been Exploratory in nature, there are now numerous examples of Drill-and-Practice music CAI programs online. Though no comprehensive approaches to music theory instruction exist yet on the Internet, such programs will certainly follow as hardware issues improve over time.

Three interesting examples of this new generation of music CAI are 7th Chord Identification, 7th Chord construction, and Secondary Function Construction by Timothy A. Smith of Northern Arizona University. These three programs all deal with identifying and creating written seventh chords. They are Drill-and-Practice music theory programs for the high school or college student.

Another example is Big Ears by Michael Ossman. This is an example of a fifth generation Drill-and-Practice program that provides online ear training on intervals up to a perfect eleventh. This program is also most appropriate for older students.

Yet another example of fifth generation music CAI can be found on the web site of the Music Department of Mount Allison University. The Sample Entrance Assessment includes five ear-training drills and seven written drills. These exercises do not keep scores or even allow the student to enter answers; instead they present a question, then offer the correct answer when the student clicks to reveal it. These Drill-and-Practice programs are also designed for high school and college students.

Notes

* G. David Peters, "Music Software and Emerging Technology," Music Educators Journal 79, no. 3 (November 1992): 22.

** G. David Peters, "Music Software and Emerging Technology," Music Educators Journal 79, no. 3 (November 1992): 23.

*** David B. Williams, "Pioneering New Trails Through the Wilderness of Music, Computer, and Communications Technologies," ATMI Newsletter, 25 October 1995 [journal on-line]; available from http://www.orat.ilstu.edu/emtbook/presentations/atmiNews.txt; Internet; accessed 25 November 1998.

**** Robin Stevens, Technology and Music Teaching and Learning, (Geelong, Victoria, Australia: Deakin University, 1994), 45.