23.7. 1993 Vitoria-Gasteiz / Spain - World Federation of Music Therapy

may involve everyday sounds from the world around us
in the process of music making. Indeed, the stimulus of
having the sound space (apparently) transformed into
the interior of a vast cavern has proved to be highly
motivating to even the most timid of vocalists.
Control
Computers excel at controlling complexity and are
therefore highly suited to the task of managing the
subtleties and nuances of music. Linked to a musical
instrument the computer can, by using appropriate MIDI
software, capture all the shades of expression in a
pefformance. More importantly, the software gives the
musician the ability to edit and manipulate his music in
the same way that a writer uses a word processor. For
those lacking in performance skills, the computer
affords the opportunity to create a piece of music away
851
from the constraints of "real time" by the typing in of
instructions or even graphic "drawing" of musical events
on the screen.
Interfaces
Having established the usefulness of the computer in
managing musical situations the problem which
remains is whether or not the user can control the
computer. This problem can be regarded as twofold -
the accessibility of the software (ie how the liser
instructs the system) and the feedback which the user
receives from the system. The usual methods of
controlling a computer are via a QWERTY keyboard
and a desktop mouse. There are, however, many
different interfaces which enable even the most
severely physically disabled to access and control every
aspect of the cornputers operation, Trackerballs,