Group items tagged

"This session will explore applications of video games inside and outside of the music classroom. We will explore various games, apps, and websites that allow students to engage with music through video games. Experience with video games is not required as the focus is on the unique musical affordances students can experience when engaging with music video games. Please feel free to bring an instrument, laptop, and/or tablet as we will be exploring a wide variety of uses of video games inside and outside of the music classroom."

"This session will explore potential projects that involve creating music to modern video games. We will also explore how video games can be used to explore technology, music theory, music history, composing, and performing with modern video games. Experience with video games is not required as the focus is on the unique musical affordances students can experience when creating music to video games. Please feel free to bring an instrument as we will experience a mini project that requires everyone to musically contribute to a live video game in the session."

"This session will explore potential projects that involve composing and performing music in the 8-bit aesthetic. We will also explore how the 8-bit aesthetic can be used to explore technology, music theory, and music history through composing and performing with 8-bit video games. Experience with video games is not required as the focus is on the unique musical affordances students can experience when composing and performing music to old school video games. Please feel free to bring a laptop with a way to write music notation as we will create and perform music to a live video game in the session. "

This is a video game where you play as the wind guiding a flower pedal across a landscape. The game has been used to create live music to that puts the player as the conductor and the game as the score.

"Students are highly motivated by video games as they can spend dozens of hours playing each week. What if educators could channel this motivation into composing by allowing students the opportunity to compose to old school video games? This presentation demonstrates a variety of 8-bit musical experiences that integrate technology, theory, history, composition, and performance with 8-bit video games."

Joy Tunes is a music video game for recorder or for piano; however, any instrument can be used with a microphone and a computer to control the characters and play the various levels created. There is a free portion of the game with the option to buy more levels. Some of the levels can develop ear training while others levels develop reading notation.

"The early technological constraints imposed on 8-bit composers can act as project criteria for composing and performing 8-bit music that interacts with live 8-bit video games. This two hour session will begin with an interaction with 8-bit media and then break out into groups to create short musical excerpts and sound effects for a live video game. After all of the groups share what they created, the session concludes with a discussion on musical problems, technological constraints impacting creativity, and future projects. "

This YouTube playlist could be used a source of inspiration for video game music projects. Watch some of the videos and think about what musical aspects students would engage in when working on a project like this.

This video demonstrates a possible project where students could take sound effects from their favorite video games and use them in a video that they created. This video does have some moments not suitable for K-12 students.

"This interactive session begins with a brief experience of making vocal music to an 8-bit video game. I then demonstrate how to create live 8-bit music using Ableton Live and a Launchpad. The session concludes with session attendees coming up and creating live 8-bit music to a live video game performance."

"In the past couple decades, instrumental education has evolved relatively very little in comparison to technology. Understanding how to augment music education through technology is vital to the growth of our field. This presentation provides some suggestions for using technology in instrumental settings to expand possibilities for both performing and teaching."

This video walks you through the steps to install an 8-bit VST into GarageBand. Once you install the VST and select it on a track, your midi notation can begin to sound like 8-bit video games.

This video demonstrates how chiptunes can be performed live using gaming hardware and synthesizers.

A demonstration of a modern video game recreated with 8-bit music. This video also demonstrates pixel art and could be used as an example of an interdisciplinary project.

An example of early 8-bit gameplay. Early 8-bit games were limited by the number of sounds they could produce.

An example of early 8-bit gameplay. Early 8-bit games were limited by the number of sounds they could produce.

This Twitter list is of chiptune/video game music artists. This is a great resource to find people who are active in the 8-bit community.

A tutorial on using Ableton to create music videos with Minecraft video clips and audio samples. This project could be done with any video game sounds as it's essentially a sampling project

This tracker (for windows) allows you to create chiptunes/8-bit music using software that mimics the original software used to write music on old gaming consoles. Although this might be difficult to work with, it could tie into STEM/STEAM projects.

Demonstration of a violinist playing music to Super Mario Brothers.