Individual Article:
Lab moves from School of Music to Library and is transformed in the process
What started as a simple plan to move a laboratory from the School of Music to University Library has ended up transforming the way students can study music at Northwestern. After months of planning by University Library, the School of Music, and Academic Technologies, the new Music Library Listening Center and Computer Lab has officially opened its doors on the second floor of Deering Library.
The project involved exploring new music technologies and selecting the best and most innovative software available for music education. This software creates exciting opportunities for Northwestern students and faculty. Instead of just delivering music as the former Listening Center did, the new facility allows students to create music from scratch using notation programs, sequencers, multimedia software, and musical optical character recognition (MOCR) software. The notation software, for example, allows students to compose a piece of music and then listen to the composition played on various instruments.
“This opens up a completely new avenue for the lab,” says Peter Webster, associate dean of academic studies and research in the School of Music. “The focus has shifted to include music creation and multimedia work such as CD and DVD production. There is tremendous potential here.”
The relocation of the Music Lab from the School of Music to the Music Library was first discussed more than a year and a half ago by Webster, associate dean René Machado, technology faculty from the School of Music, and former head of the Music Library Don Roberts. The initial plan was to dismantle the existing lab and simply transfer the resources to the Library to provide students with more technical support, but it became apparent that the new facility would have to be retooled to accommodate both PC and Mac computer platforms. Today the lab features a total of 18 machines – nine PCs and nine Macs – all equipped with advanced music keyboards, headphones, and the latest software available for beginning and intermediate music applications.
All of these innovations mean that students will need to learn how to use the new equipment. Academic Technologies played an important role in making this possible, creating a computer classroom for instruction by agreeing to equip one of the labs on the Library’s lower level with similar music keyboards, musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) sound modules, and the music software for instruction. Bob Taylor, director of Academic Technologies, was instrumental in arranging the installation of this equipment and his unit also helped to fund part of the cost.
“The Music Library Listening Center and Computer Lab is the product of true collaboration among several units within the Northwestern University community,” says Toni-Marie Montgomery, dean of the School of Music.
Three units have made a significant commitment to the project: the School of Music provided funding for a program assistant and purchased music keyboards for the lower level computer lab; Academic Technologies contributed some of the equipment for the lower level lab; and the Library provided space and computer equipment for the new facility. Jeanette Casey, acting head of the Music Library, and technicians Jim Hobbs and Greg Hunt also played an integral role in coordinating the move and installing equipment and software to complete the project.
“This type of collaboration keeps the Library in the mainstream of academic activity at a time of extraordinary change. It also demonstrates the Library’s commitment to serving as a center for technology on campus. Because this facility is located in Deering Library, it allows us to play a central role in the School of Music.”