One of the biggest drawbacks of using and teaching music technology is the learning curve for nearly every new software application. Why does this exist? Because before you can get the software working for you, there’s a different interface and a plethora of new keystrokes and pull-downs to master. Manuals are often difficult to decipher, or they overload the user with information, which makes it easy to miss some of the essential commands and, as a result, software programs become under-utilized. When maximizing its potential is so often unclear, it’s no wonder music technology can be too easily dismissed as an optional budget item.

However, there is a way to maximize your efficiency with these programs. Third-party resources (books, the Web, CD or DVD tutorials) can make a world of difference. These top-notch instructional materials can benefit you and your students in and outside your class. In this and the next technology columns, more than 35 new music technology/tutorial resources are reviewed for your convenience and possible use. These dynamic resources can help you learn the software and teach “outside the box” with confidence and clarity.

Books on Music Notation Products
Trying to master all those bells and whistles in music notation applications can stress us out. Here are a few outstanding new notation books and DVDs a Finale or Sibelius user must take a look at:

The Finale Projects by Tom Carruth, published by GIA Publications, 2007.
This is the ultimate project book. Excellent step-by-step instructions are provided for each to teach you how to do these projects. Upon completing them, the reader should have a more solid understanding of how to use the program and accomplish a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional work. This book includes a CD with PDF files of the finished projects that can be printed for reference. The CD’s 45 videos will walk you through the creation of each project and each new concept. It is amazing how user-friendly the more recent versions of Finale have become.

Sibelius: A Comprehensive Guide To Sibelius Music Notation Software by Thomas Rudolph and Vincent Leonard, published by Hal Leonard, 2007.
This “how to” guide for mastering Sibelius is designed for musicians, composers, producers, and arrangers of all levels. It offers easy-to-follow instructions or lyrics. This comprehensive tutorial covers standard notation, guitar tablature, percussion notation and much more. Its 15 chapters are organized in four sections: single-staff part; grand-staff and small ensemble scores; large-ensemble scores; and getting the most out of Sibelius. Practical exercises provide a multitude of shortcuts, tricks, and tips.

Video: Sibelius Tutorial, Levels 1 and 2 published by ASK Video, 2007.
Provides both a DVD-ROM and DVD (NTSC and PAL) with a lot of fine tutorials. This two-pack contains 49 videos and more than five hours of instruction. Level 1 has 25 videos and Level 2 has 24. Highlights of Level 1 include copy lyrics, guitar tab, mixer and playback. Level 2 features drums notation, live playback, multiple voices, and video. High quality video and audio gives great results.

Alfred’s Music Tech Series: Composing Music by Floyd Richmond, Tom Rudolph, Lee Whitemore, and Stefani Lango, published by Alfred Publishing, 2007.
This innovative publication designed for elementary through high school students can be used in a classroom or for individual study. There are progressive and supplemental activities included in each chapter. The accompanying CD contains files for most music notation software applications. This publication is dynamic because it gives music students a broader understanding of the elements of music by helping them become familiar with the operation of notation software programs. They’ll compose melodies and accompaniments on the computer and use notation software to create their own arrangements. No prerequisites with notation or theory required.

Sequencers
Sequencers allow users to easily compose, perform, and record their own music. Sequencers are great for students new to reading music because theycan help musicians create, edit, and burn compositions.

Alfred’s Music Tech Series: Sequencing and Music Production by Tom Rudolph, Floyd Richmond, Stefani Langol, and Lee Whitemore, published by Alfred Publishing, 2007. Older elementary-to-high school students can use this book in groups or individually. It emphasizes composing and recording music with basic tools and techniques for recording MIDI and audio, plus how to manipulate and arrange multi-track audio and mix your own songs. This book is organized around four areas: rhythm; melody and MIDI recording; pentatonic; and song building.

GarageBand 3: Essential Training by Jeff Dykhouse, published by HowAudio.Com, 2007.
This 2-hour 56-minute DVD comprehensively addresses nearly every aspect of GarageBand, along with a number of undocumented tips and ticks. The author uses a live studio band to demonstrate how to use GB to track a live session. Tutorials include mastering the interface (most intuitive sequencer on the industry), learning basic recording techniques, arranging a song, recording live instruments/vocals, editing and mixing tracks, adding special effects, podcasting and distributing GarageBand compositions via the Internet or CD. Even though Apple has just released a new version of GarageBand, the DVD provides a “What’s New in GarageBand ‘08” title available for online viewing.

GarageBand Tutorial DVD published by ASK Video, 2005.
Written for GarageBand 2, this video is an easy way to learn the most intuitive sequencer on the market. It covers file management, window, tracks, regions, loop browser, and recording. iPower users will benefit from the chapters on compression, distortion/overdrive, amp simulation, bitcrusher, equalization, filter/wah, modulation effects, vocal transformer, delay/echo, and more. There are more than 700 free AppeLoops included. The 28 high quality tutorials have an easy-to-use interface.

GarageBand 3 by Mary Plummer, published by Apple, X.
This “must-have” book for GarageBand 3 helps users master the interface and basic recording techniques, song arrangement, track editing and mixing, adding effects and distributition of GarageBand files. The self-pace format is good for any user level. This is a very practical book with step-by-step lessons to get great-sounding recordings. The companion DVD-ROM includes lessons and media files for over 20 hours of training, plus focused lessons that take users through real-world projects. There is a companion Web page (www.peachpit.com/ats.gb30) for updates or revised lessons.

GarageBand Mechanics, 3rd edition by Dan Schmit, published by FTC Publishing.
This book provides lesson plans to teach recording and arranging activities in the classroom. Included are sections on podcasting and movie making. Intuition and creativity are guiding forces of GarageBand. There are dozens of “how-to”s, tips, and curriculum centered projects for learning and implementing GarageBand in the classroom.

iLife ‘06 by Michael Rubin, published by Peachpit Press, X.
This is the only Apple-certified guide to iLife ‘06. This publication covers the entire iLife suite of software for iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand, and iWeb with real-life material and practical lessons that you can apply immediately to your own projects. Arrange your iTunes library and adding special effects to your video project are two of the many skills you’ll learn in these pages. There is a companion Web page (www.peachpit.com/ats.ilife06) for updates and revised lessons.

Reason Tutorial DVD by Morgan Pottruff, published by ASK Video, 2007.
This video offers over four hours of instruction on Propellerhead’s Reason. It contains 38 videos with brand new details and tips that really show off the power of the application. The video’s strong points are on more advanced features, such as combintor, matrix, redrum, subtractor, and vcoder.

Reason 3 Ignite! by Eric D. Grebler and Chris Hawkins, published by Thomson Course Technology.
With this impressive publication, you’ll learn about controls of using synths, samplers, and all the effects and other devices that make up Reason 3. The instruction is spot on, with lots of screen shots and step-by-step guides through the various new features Reason 3, including setting up your computer, working with Reason’s synthesizers, using digital samplers, adding effects to sweeten the mix, creating advanced audio routing with effects, and saving work and songs on CD.

Reason 3 Power! by Matt Piper and Machael Prager, published by Thomson Course Technology.
This is a great excellent entry-level tutorial for Reason 3. It starts with a brief introduction to the basics and then quickly moves on to creating a song. It’s full of solid coverage on installing and configuring Reason 3. I particularly like the presentations of understanding the sequencer and what it is capable of, mixing, burning, and publishing Reason 3 songs, using Reason with other popular digital audio programs, and generally expanding the reader’s knowledge of Reason. The companion CD includes one hour of movie tutorials as well.

ProTools LE 7: Essential Training by Jeff Dykhouse, published by HowAudio.Com, 2007.
This video presents why ProTools LE 7 is the most incredible professional level sequencer, and it’s absolutely free. This 9-hour 45-minute interactive DVD, CD-ROM and the “HA! Online Video Library” tutorial offer just about everything you need to create music affordably and with professional results. This software application is the most popular sequencer used by professionals in music production, post-production, TV and film scoring. It serves as the defacto industry standard. Major topics covered include QuickSTART overview, navigating the interface, making a new session, track inserts and sends, event menu (tempo and MIDI quantize), beat detective, audio suite menu, creating new files, audio for video, making new tracks, recording a take, using play lists, and troubleshooting. This video is comprehensive.

Mastering Cubase 4 published by Yamaha, 2007.
This book/DVD is a one-of-a kind resource for learning and mastering Cubase 4 with more than 90 pages of step-by-step color graphic tutorials. It contains interviews and application stories including uses of VST instruments, DAW automation, using loops in DAW projects, and creating complete scores with Cubase notation, plus editing, mixing and mastering secrets of the professionals. It also offers a quick-start DVD with video tutorials on how to get the most out of Cubase along with 15 Cubase tutorial videos on a wide range of subjects, video interviews, and tip tricks from the pros. In addition, it provides a free digital musician net account of $150, so you can record with musicians all over the world.

Cubase 4 Power! by Robert Guerin, published by Thomson Course Technology, 2007. This comprehensive guidebook provides a thorough look at the common as well as lesser-known features found in this powerful digital audio product software. I like how it explains why and when to use certain features. There are band-new tools in version 4 that you must learn: the new professional-level Control Room mixing environment; numerous new audio and MIDI plug-ins; and the new SoundFrame asset management system, among other items. You’ll find step-by-step coverage on recording MIDI and audio events and using the new VST3 plug-in tools. Features you’ll want to explore are the new SoundFrame management system and MediaBay interface, working with real-time audio tempo matching, and editing MIDI events directly in the Project window. .

Sound Forge 8.0: Essential Training by Thel Rountree, published by HowAudio.com, 2007.
This 7-hour 15-minute DVD tutorial opens up the world of Sound Forge, considered the industry standard for audio software professionals who want to create and edit digital audio files with absolute speed and precision. It shows how to analyze, record, and edit audio, produce music loops, digitize and clean-up old recordings, model acoustic environments, create streaming media and master replication-read CDs including achieving professional audio effects and learning the audio restoration tools.

Live Tutorial DVD (Ableton Live) by Morgan Pottruff, published by ASK Video, 2006. There are 40 videos and over 3 hours of instruction on Ableton Live. It covers a lot of ground, from installation and setup to the menus, browser, getting started, library, control bar, the mixer, arrange versus session view, and much, much more. The video examples require QuickTime 7.x Mac/PC for video playback for MIDI effects, simpler, tips and tricks and warp.

Logic Pro Tutorial 3 Pack by Tony Wallace, published by ASK Video, 2006.
Here are three different DVDs bundled together. Level 1 contains 28 high quality videos dealing with the most important product features, Level 2 has 24 videos and Level 3 has 26 videos. Level 1 covers folders, recording audio, recording MIDI and skipped cycle. Level 2 covers Apple loops, cycle drop recording, track automation, track freeze, and plug-in usage. Level 3 covers arpeggio, Pro Tools examples, rewire, and surround examples. Together, this three-DVD set offers very impressive instruction for learning Logic Pro.