Dear Squeak and Blat,

I am wondering if you know of an ear-training program that would let the instructor enter all examples (or at least have the ability to enter examples and catalogue them) of melodic, rhythmic and harmonic dictation? We currently have GUIDO and are moving to add MLS in our CAI lab and would like to have this capability also. We have Mac's in the lab too, (SE's but also have much higher MAC computers available to us).

Thanks for your help.

Julia H. 

Squeak:

I see you're a licorice-stick player as well! Are you from Oklahoma too?!

Blat's is really up on the commercial CAI software here so he'll be able to give you more specifics. Most of the newer ear-training software fits into what Blat and I like to call "flexible practice" CAI (see Viewport III in our textbook). Part of that flexibility is the option for the instructor to add their own content and patterns. The latest version of MacGamut certainly provides that feature as does Practica Musica. The distinguish music theory pedagogist, Allen Winold, at Indiana University is also working on a set of HyperCard stacks for the Mac that has this facility for harmony, melody, and rhythm. He was showing these to us at the College Music Society's computer institute at IU this past summer.

Much of this software will run on the older Macs as well as the newer PowerMacs. If you have a piano lab with MIDI keyboards, you can put MacPlus, SE, and Classics in there with some of these CAI programs and a basic sequencer.

Blat:

Julia, Squeak has nailed it. Practica Musica is especially good at this, but does not do harmonies. You might check out Musicware's MusicLab (for the PC and soon to be on the Mac) software as well as their Harmonic and Inner Hearing software. I wonder if others out there have recommendations?

I know many folks who have created their own materials with easy-to-use authoring systems like HyperStudio, HyperCard, ToolBook, etc. and their own MIDI files or sampled sounds. I know this sounds like a lot of development work, but it actually is worth the time to try to "Roll-Your-Own" since YOU have complete control and can alter as you see fit. Search around on the Internet for examples of customized software that other musicians have created using these authoring tools.