Barton Polot
is Professor of Music and director of music technology at Schoolcraft College
Michigan
Music Technology Conference 2007
A PRE-CONFERENCE OF THE MICHIGAN MUSIC CONFERENCE Thursday 25 January
9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
DeVos Place
Grand Rapids | |   BARTON POLOT
igital music is virtually everywhere. Our world is one of CDs, iPods, Podcasts, ringtones, Internet streams, satellite radio, Napster subscriptions, and Zune-knows-what's-next. Increasingly, however, our students are not merely consumers of music, not merely performers of music. On laptops, in school computer labs, on digital audio workstations and more, our students are creators of music. The theme of the 2007 Michigan Music Technology Conference is Digital Music Making. In his keynote address, Lee Whitmore will share "Stories from the Streets," three real-life examples from K-12 music programs, including a hands-on jam session and many student projects and creations.  Dr. Lee Whitmore is a distinguished educator, author, clinician, and keyboardist. As founder and managing director of SoundTree, the educational division of Korg USA, he has been a leading advocate for the integration of technology in music education for seventeen years. Whitmore has served as adjunct faculty at Columbia University Teachers College (1991-95), and as vice president for education at Cablevision Systems Corporation (1999-2002). He is currently on the executive board of the Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME), and is a faculty member for the Gospel Music Workshop of America. Whitmore will be opening the Music Technology Conference Thursday morning and will present hands-on breakout sessions during the day.
 The sixteenth annual Michigan Music Technology Conference returns to DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, where it enjoyed great success as a pre-conference to the first Michigan Music Conference (MMC) in January 2006.
If you have been an attendee of past Music Technology Conferences in Ann Arbor, you'll find the 2007 conference differs in several ways. - The Technology Conference brochure and registration material are incorporated within the MMC brochure. You will find the brochure and secure online registration at the MMC Website.
- The Technology Conference starts and ends an hour later than did the Ann Arbor conferences — it is 9:00 to 5:00 — so as to accommodate the longer commute of many attendees.
- The pre-registration fee for the Technology Conference has been increased to $65. After December 1, 2006, the fee is $95. Lunch at the conference, previously included as part of the registration fee, is now made available for $15.
- The Technology Conference is hosted by DeVos, a major conference center with hotel, restaurant and parking facilities under one roof. And because the Music Tech Conference is in the same venue as MMC, the two conferences are able to share many important resources.
Unchanged from previous years is the commitment to the newest technology for teachers and students of music. Attendees can count on a busy and varied slate of sessions, ranging from the introductory to the exploratory to the cutting edge. The conference will be providing many hands-on sessions with computers (PC and Mac) and electronic instruments. The MusicTech committee now plays a significant role in scheduling technology sessions for MMC. The Friday and Saturday schedules offer music technology sessions almost continuously, including access to the Mac and PC labs. These sessions feature teachnology that teachers have been wanting to see more of, such as teaching computer based composition and recording ensembles affordably. Technology exhibits from national vendors will be accessible Thursday through Saturday. You will want to come to Grand Rapids. These ambitious plans would not be possible without generous industry support. The conference is pleased to continue its association with SoundTree. A leader in providing music technology services for educators, SoundTree has been a long-time and generous supporter. The conference also welcomes back M-Audio as a major sponsor. M-Audio, a part of Avid, provides some of the most innovative technology for teachers and students. Also sponsoring the conference are Apple Computer, MakeMusic and, for the first time, Sibelius. The Michigan Music Technology Conference is the nation's longest-running state conference on music technology education. The 2007 conference features a fascinating keynote and a variety of sessions in a first-rate venue. Please register early and tell your colleagues and friends. The conference is Thursday, January 25, from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. This MMC pre-conference is presented by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) in cooperation with the Michigan Music Educators Association (MMEA) and the Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA). It is sponsored by SoundTree, M-Audio, Apple, MakeMusic and Sibelius. |
