Music and Technology at Delaware: A retrospective

By Larry Peterson

Theory Projects

The first work with new technologies involved two theory faculty: Hofstetter and Arenson. In 1973-75, the GUIDO Ear-Training Lessons on the PLATO System began. GUIDO, by the way, is Graded Units for Interactive Dictation Operations. In 1978-79 the GUIDO Series expanded to include written Music Theory Lessons on the PLATO System. Subsequent conversions moved these lessons to DOS. In 1991-93, a Harmony Coach was added, then an Intelligent Jazz Harmony Program (Arenson). A sight-singing component was also explored by Conrad. More recently, a Web-Based Fundamentals of Music Course "Music Basics Online” was added. The GUIDO programs ceased to be used when WINDOWS platforms became standard. GUIDO lessons were never revised to work within WINDOWS.

The GUIDO components were designed specifically with music majors in mind, but the AtariMusic Series (1983) was conceived by Hofstetter for non-majors, and even children. Using a game format, lessons taught a variety of music fundamentals, e.g., clefs, the staff, key signatures, whole and half step intervals and a module to hear scalar melodies.