BARTON POLOT

udio compact discs (CDs) have become so commonplace since their introduction in the mid-1980s, music teachers and students listen to CDs ubiquitously at home, in the car, and on headphone stereos. Compact discs for computers (CD-ROMs) have become so commonplace since the early 1990s, virtually all personal computers sold today include a CD-ROM drive. Now enter the next phase of the CD phenomenon: recordable compact discs, or CD-R.

Recordable CD technology has been available for several years but only recently became affordable and reliable. At this writing a CD-R "burner" can be purchased for as little as little as $300, and blank discs are available for less than a dollar. The software that is bundled with most new CD-R drives allows you to assemble the contents of a disc quickly and intuitively. Add a CD-R drive to your computer, and you obtain a second CD-ROM drive that doubles as a versatile recorder.

Being able to record audio CDs opens new options for music teachers. Since a CD-R recorder can assemble computer audio files (.wav or AIFF) onto a disc that can then be played on any audio CD player, teachers can compile anthologies of listening examples. Start by copying files of digital audio onto your computer's hard drive — or digitize your music using audio software; you will need up to 650 megabytes of hard drive space for a full 75-minute CD. Today's 4x CD-R devices burn discs at four times the playback speed; hence a disc with one hour of music will take 15 minutes to burn. The result will be a disc with all the fidelity, durability and instant access you've come to appreciate with CDs. Many CD-R drives also enable you to record audio directly to disc in real time.

Use CD-R to compile your students' music. Students in MIDI labs thrill at seeing their creative work on a compact disc, and the CD is an ideal medium for sending students home with an audio portfolio. Use CD-R to create rehearsal discs for your students; unlike cassettes, a CD with accompaniments will always play back in tune and at the correct tempo. Transfer your ensemble performances to CD-R; the CD you burn can serve as a master disc that you can send to a duplication bureau.

The same software that creates audio discs can also create CD-ROMs for Macs and PCs. Use CD-R to back up your computer's hard drive, or to make convenient custom installation discs. CD-R is ideal for creating inexpensive archives of old files — or of photos from your new digital camera. Your more creative students can develop multimedia software on CD-ROM, integrating music with graphics, animation, video, and interactivity. It is even possible to burn a hybrid CD-ROM that will work on PCs and Macs. While you're at it, have your students design the labels for the discs and jewel cases using CD label media that print on your laser or ink jet printer.

Alas, it seems certain that the newer DVD technology, with far greater storage and superior audio fidelity, will eventually supplant the venerable CD. Remember, however, that DVD players and DVD-ROM drives are designed to be compatible with the (comparitively) low-tech CD. So it seems certain, too, that the compact discs you record today will be playable well into the 21st century.