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Sean Kemp of Adventus Interactive helps Brianna Paul and Daniel McDougall on Wednesday during a
music education program called MusIQ Club at Smokey Drive Elementary School in Lower Sackville. (Peter Parsons / Staff)
"My favourite part is that you get to make your own music."
- Conner Doyle, MusIQ Club student |
Published May 10, 2007
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Students tune into after-school program that combines software, hands-on help
By KRISTEN LIPSCOMBE Education Reporter
Grade 1 student Daniel McDougall grins as he pounds away on the keyboard and follows a lesson given by the master of music himself, Beethoven.
The famous composer may be in cartoon form on a computer screen, but there’s no doubt smiling seven-year-old Daniel is learning — and having fun.
He and five other students at Smokey Drive Elementary School in Lower Sackville stayed after school Wednesday to take part in MusIQ Club, a group that gets together once a week to learn the basics of playing and reading music.
Teacher Sean Kemp is there to guide his pupils and has help from an interactive software program called Children’s Music Journey that gets children excited about learning pitch, rhythm, composition and even music appreciation.
"We are making music," said Connor Doyle, 8, who struck the black and white keys with determination along with his keyboard partner, six-year-old Julia Graves.
"My favourite part is that you get to make your own music," Connor said.
Julia said she likes "that you get to pick your instrument," because with a click of the mouse she can change the sound of the keyboard from a piano to a banjo.
Brianna Paul, 7, and Sarah Barrigan, 6, flashed proud grins as they presented their own original song to Mr. Kemp and their attentive classmates.
"It’s alternative," the teacher said approvingly as their jazzy recording played over a pre-recorded piano tune.
"That’s OK!" Sarah declared, followed by a chorus of giggles all around.
"What’s good about it is you’re actually spicing up the chords," Mr. Kemp said. "(But) normally with music, it’s good to play one note close to another."
Chloe McNeil-Duchesne, 8, impressed the teacher with her own recording by recognizing the melody and sticking to the rhythm.
"That was actually fabulous," Mr. Kemp said. "The timing is exactly right."
Mr. Kemp said MusIQ Club allows him "to do more in an hour" when teaching several students at once.
"(The software) of course never replaces a real teacher — nothing could," he said. "But it is an effective tool."
Ian McKinnon, vice-president of Adventus Interactive, said his company’s new music education program is already reaching 400 students in 20 schools across Halifax Regional Municipality and the South Shore. It is quickly catching on across Nova Scotia and North America, he said.
"I think it’s a really good grounding to help kids develop as musicians," Mr. Kemp said.
( klipscombe@herald.ca)
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