Preface Introduction to Music Theory is an interactive, multimedia textbook/workbook on CD-ROM designed to be adaptable for a variety of student situations: Non-music majors who wish to use this as a vehicle to expand their general knowledge of music fundamentals and apply this knowledge to creative projects. Music majors who lack the theoretical background to begin the first semester of a required music theory sequence. High school students Elementary eductaion students who desire this type of course for enrichment or for (re)certification. Students who are pursuing a music-related profession (e.g., film studies), but not majoring in music per se. Private applied instructors, amateur performers, high school students, home-schooled students as well as others interested in the art. Music is a form of communication--the communication of feelings and emotions through organized sound. Musicians (composers and/or performers) use creativity, performance skills AND an understanding of the language of music ("music theory") to communicate the "meaning" of the music to their listeners. The basic materials in music theory consist of a body of knowledge concerning both pitch and rhythm. An extended study of these fundamentals is essential to anyone who desires competence in any style of music. Topics covered will include: A brief overview of musical elements Musical notation (including pitch, dynamics, rhythm and tempo) Melody (including scales and key signatures) Harmony (including intervals and chords) Because creativity is the essence of the art, students are given the opportunity to use their theoretical knowledge of the topics listed above and apply them to creative endeavors (e.g., composing a melody with specified parameters related to the current lesson). Advantages of a computer-based program A computer-based delivery system is ideal for this subject because: It provides interactivity in both the presentation material and computer-generated exercises and drills. It incorporates sound to demonstrate music examples within the presentation material. Through the use of free, downloadable music notation software (Finale NotePad), students are able to create their own music, edit it, and subsequently listen to it Printable PDF files allow the student to use pencil and paper for written assignments and practice drills. It can provide easy navigation within and among all of its components. It provides large amounts of repetition and drill--the computer can be a tireless drill "sergeant." It is linked to related web pages. Flexibility of the material This CD-ROM was originally created as a web site to serve as an entirely online Fine Arts course in General Education at the University of Utah. Written assignments are self-graded, creative projects are emailed to the instructor as attachments, and the midterm and final exams are taken in person with paper and pencil. Subsequently the course has been used for music majors who need remedial work, and they take the course concurrently with their first semester of the required music theory sequence. Students from both groups suggested that the creation of a CD-ROM would be beneficial for a couple of reasons: 1) the student would not need to be connected to the internet while working with the electronic materials and 2) the students would have access to the materials after the course had been completed. Changes have been made to the material in order to create a CD-ROM with greater flexibility to accommodate diverse teaching styles and situations. The lessons serve as both textbook and "lecture." Practice drills are available both as computer-generated drills and self-graded PDF files done with pencil and paper. Written assignments are provided for a variety of situations. For each lesson, there is at least one assignment that can be self-graded and one assignment that can be submitted (pencil and paper) for a grade. For most lessons, there is an "enrichment" assignment that incorporates the C clefs with more challenging exercises. To read more detailed descriptions of the various components of this CD-ROM, click on the "next page" link found at the top and bottom of this page or the "Components" button found in the navigation bar at the top of this page.