By SARAH DEASON

smd025@latech.edu

 

Music theory students came to the rescue of the Center for Performing Arts by resolving last-minute production problems for “D’Arc Comedy.”

Dr. Joe Alexander, an assistant professor of music, said he got a message from Paul Crook, director of “D’Arc Comedy,” calling on the music department to address some issues in the sheet music.

He responded by assigning his Music Theory 203 class to transcribe it with Finale, a software program designed to notate music.

“Paul Crook gave me the music on Tuesday, October 18,” Alexander said. “We turned it in a week later, a day before the opening performance [Oct. 26].”

Junior music majors Jess Skinner, a trumpet player, Adrian Alba, a percussionist, and Leroy Hawthorne, a tuba player, are the only students enrolled in Alexander’s Music Theory 203 class.

Alexander said he is extremely proud of his students’ results on what he called a week-long ear training test.

“Students collaborated on three songs, working out rhythms, how chords should be played and notating the piano part,” Alexander said. “They deserve at least 70 percent credit for the final production of [the songs] ‘La Pucelle, ‘The Saints’ and ‘Victory March.’”

The assignment gave the students a basic understanding of the world-wide standard for notation software they will use for the rest of their careers, Alexander said.

“You could work on Finale for six months and still not know everything [about the program], so it was an intense crash course; they worked on it in class and during their free time,” Alexander said. “The work gave them real-world experience as well as practical application [of what they’ve learned in class].”

Skinner said this experience is a crucial benefit to his education.

“The opportunity to practically apply what I’ve learned is the greatest benefit I could ever ask for,” Skinner said. “It affirms my education is worthwhile and my degree is worth something.”

Alba believes the assignment will definitely influence his professional career.

“I had never used Finale, so this was a big learning experience,” Alba said. “The best part was working with friends and musicians who could help me if I needed it.”

Skinner and Hawthorne were able to build from each other’s musical knowledge during the assignment.

“Each one of us had something to add,” Alba said. “If I had problems with hearing chords, the other guys helped me, and I helped them if they had problems with rhythm.”

Alba said it especially trained his musical ear because they were transcribing music from the way it sounded on a compact disc.

“I definitely have a better sense of hearing now,” he said. “It feels really good to see the end result and hear what we did just by listening.”

Alba said he can listen to any kind of music now and know what is happening theoretically.

Although the process was tedious because he did not prefer the music, Alba said it was worth it.

“I have a sense of accomplishment when I hear it,” he said. “It is hard to believe [we] did it just by listening.”