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by Joseph Tiraco We live during a universal mind expansion beyond the wildest imagination of any Tibetan guru, instigated by the Internet. In a tangle of phone lines, satellite links, T1s, and network servers, ideas circle the earth at the speed of light, and at a cost of pennies. The human mind is shaking out cobwebs accumulated during eons of incubational isolation; the masses are waking up, and seeing the world for the first time, gleamy eyed and full of new notions. If Mozart were a teenager today, he would probably use a computer to compose music; in Internet parlance, he would be, a Tracker. The name is derived from a computer program used to place patterns of synthesized sounds in scrolling tables called, tracks. Mods (short for, Music Modules) are the finished work, in the form of computer files. It is interesting that the Germanic speaking countries have become the center of the new Music Mod culture, though Australia, Canada and America have robust movements. Since Mods are a nascent technology less then ten years old (still a bit buggy) both conceived and engineered by young musicians, many in their teens, one might easily ascribe the phenomenon to enlightened educational systems in Northern Europe. In search of the magic formula that turned teens into 100,000 line machine language programmers, (as much coding as flew Apollo to the moon) to track the trackers to their roots, I sent 35 email inquiries around the world asking accomplished Mod musicians and tracker programmers, if their school experience had influenced their proficiency with either computers or music? Twenty men (there is a striking paucity of female Mod composers) from America, Germany, England, Sweden, France, Japan, and Australia sent back answers to my questions. In addition, educators from a local High School, Franklin K. Lane, invited me to observe computer classes. Geoff Nicholson (www.hitsquad.com) a computer musician from Australia, writes in his email, “ . . . schooling did introduce me to computers and playing music in bands. I play drums and have recently moved into making my own music using a range of computer software. . . .school never encouraged me to play drums or use computers. I just used the facilities. The teachers were indifferent to anything that most students did.” Kim Kraft, (www.castlex.com) from New Jersey, aka Mr. X from a music group called Shattered Fixtures, met the members of his group via the Internet, and as with many young musicians today, the group can readily be called a music programming team, which forms, works and publishes on the Internet; the group’s members may never actually meet in person. Kim writes in his email: “I was first introduced to a computer, an Apple IIc, at my Elementary School. Love at first sight. . . .school systems as a whole simply use computers to teach typing and basic computer skills, in order to prepare kids for the job market. I don’t think that they have caught on to the fact that a computer is an excellent creative outlet as well.” Ralf Beckers (www.hasiland.com/bexxx) of Germany, answered the question: Was your introduction to computers & Mods a school experience? “No. In my 11th school-class I brought a so called demo (a Mod) into school to show it to the teacher. He doesn’t understand the reasons for programing it and the whole scene. I would say, this is a common case in at least German schools (but I guess also in the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium.”) Not a single Tracker of the twenty respondents from around the globe credited school experience as an important factor in learning computers or music; apparently, traditional education was not the impetus for hybridizing two disciplines and creating the Music Mod culture. Most Trackers named the Internet as an indispensable tool in their self motivated, self taught endeavors to shape the new art form. Paul Pedota, principal of Franklin K. Lane High School ( 4,000 students) estimates half of his student body comes from non English speaking households. “These kids need a strong father figure,” said Paul. “I try to fill that role.” He runs a tight ship. I had to pass through a metal detector to enter the school, a capacious granite building on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven, well maintained and kept neat as a pin. The walls are covered with student art, some of it inspired. The emphasis on art seems to warm and humanize this large institution. The environment was pleasant overall. Lane’s assistant principal, Jerry Stein, head of five departments, Art, Music, Computers, Math, and Science (an interesting grouping of subjects) confirmed what the Trackers had said in their emails, computers in the schools were mainly used to teach business skills. However, to my surprise, Jerry was planning to push past the systemic cast, purchase some Mac computers (Macs are renowned as artist tools) and extend the computer curriculum into his art departments. The plan is modest to be sure, only four Macs are being considered, but the implications are broad and exciting. Milguis Flores is the student president of Franklin K. Lane’s Virtual Enterprise, a computer simulated business run by students. Amid a large room equipped with up to date computers, networked and linked to the Internet by a dedicated high speed data line, Milguis talked about the class trip to Europe for the International Virtual Enterprise festival. The world of business is her first love. She does not have a computer at home, but hopes to get one soon. Milguis is ambitious and bright, a senior on her way to college, which is already selected. The educators of Lane have prepared her for this rite of passage into college and ultimately, the business community. She is a success story in the making. Andre Melendez is vice president of the class Virtual Enterprise, also a senior, ambitious and bright. But he is torn between two loves. His collage has not yet been selected. Will it be business or computers. . .? Computers or business. . .? Andre is very much the cosmic student; like his precocious high school counterparts all throughout the developed world, he owns and programs his own PC in C++ (a professional programming language) which he picked up from books and on the Internet. Intensely curious, Andre is, above all, an explorer, traveling the globe in mouse clicks, committed to conquering this confounding machine. Will he become the next Bill Gates? Or the next Lee Iaccoca? Or, might we someday ask, who will be the next Andre Melendez? Andre has unlimited potential. Corporations do not come to New York City for cheap labor (which they can buy for ten cents an hour overseas) but for the vast pool of high quality employees to run their most important functions, like corporate headquarters. New York City’s public education has been turning out an exceptional work force decade after decade, which has been the foundation of this great metropolis. We ignore at serious peril, new trends in technology and their corresponding challenges in public education. At the threshold of the new millennia, teens the world over are restive, seeking knowledge outside traditional education. We must recognize this fact and act accordingly! Raise a new standard that teenagers can rally around. Issue every student a computer along with text books. Public schools are already wired with T1 data links; its just one small step to dial up networking, and to provide every student with Internet facilities through their local school. Give every student unlimited email support, not just for technical questions related to the curricular, but to answer all their questions on any subject. Teach the teachers to teach by computer, and offer more diversity. Let students dial into their favorite courses, taught by their favorite instructors; offer the arts by computer, in all its human incarnations; offer business and finance to the level headed; offer the sciences by computer - which is after all, its native milieu - and help steady this wobbly planet on its meandering course. |