It’s Psalms Project Time!

Those of you who have been around here for a while know that every spring in my studio we complete a composition effort called The Psalms Project.

At the beginning of the semester I give students a worksheet with a step-by-step process that walks them through selecting a verse, setting it to music, and eventually notating it on the computer.

Even though it is a bit time-consuming, I find that the students learn so much as they work through this process. Plus, they love getting to use the computer for their notation input!

Alyssa uses the Setup Wizard in the Finale notation software to prepare her document for input.

After writing out her notation by hand (I always require my students to do this because of the valuable theory knowledge they take away from the process!), Alyssa is ready to input it into the computer using a midi hookup with a small keyboard. This is great for reinforcing the necessity of a consistent pulse and sticking to the established tempo!

At the end of the year every student receives a printed and bound compilation of everyone’s songs that they can play and sing. Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of doing this annually is that the students can look back over the years and see how they have grown musically in their composing abilities. It’s also not uncommon for me to have various tunes and lyrics drifting through my head after a day of helping them work on their songs – an added perk for me!

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