Watch That Sound tool, Beta version realized
V2_Lab worked on a software tool for the educational project "Watch That Sound", initiated by Jacques van de Veerdonk. "Watch That Sound" aims to introduce young people to the world of music, sound effects, and film, through workshops in which participants learn to make soundtracks for short films.
The aim of the software tool is to automate the involvement of the workshop leaders; making the Watch That Sound concept accessible to anyone, anywhere. The Watch That Sound tool enables teachers to include the creation of soundtracks in their curricula and individuals to create soundtracks at home, without requiring any additional support.
The beta version of the Watch That Sound tool features a dedicated screen for each of the four stages of a Watch That Sound workshop:
- In the 'Draw that Sound' screen a loaded movie is analyzed and a score is drawn consisting of a great variety of symbols. The screen features a movie window with player controls, an initially empty score, and a library of symbols for use.
- The 'Record that Sound' screen allows users to record their own sounds along with the movie, using the computer's build-in microphone or an external sound source. A movie screen with player controls allows users to record sounds while viewing the movie. Also, users can save and load previously recorded or imported sound files to add these to their soundtracks.
- In the 'Edit that Sound' screen users will be allowed to conduct basic sound editing to manipulate the recorded or imported sound files. The editing tools for use in the software tool will be included in the full version of the tool. The current version features an editing pane and a, currently empty, library of editing tools.
- In the final screen, 'Sync that Sound', users are allowed to move their recorded and edited sound files over time to position them in perfect sync with the events taking place in the movies. The screen features a movie window and a variable number of tracks for audio-visual syncing.
The beta version of the Watch That Sound software tool serves as a demonstration version to uncover the huge potential of such a software tool for music education. The goal is to further develop this beta version into a full version in 2009, which will then be distributed over schools, teachers, and individuals. Future developments aim at creating the editing tools for the edit screen, MIDI compatibility, a build-in sequencer, and support for community aspects.
