Jesús Tejada Software Tactus
Tactus is a software for initial musical rhythm training (perception, production and representation) at conservatories, music schools and universities.Tactus was designed as a tool to reinforce procedural content related to rhythm. The main goal of this program was to allow users to perceive and produce rhythm patterns in meters of 2 and 3 beats in simple and compound beat division using the computer keyboard and afterward undertake symbolic activities related to the use of both conventional Western notation and non-conventional notation. Tactus was designed according to the categories: content, progressions, activities, evaluation of student performance and didactic resources. Content was divided into 12 work units, each containing several training activities comprised of different exercises that require users to put several rhythm skills into practice. Two types of rhythmic content, one in binary and the other in ternary division, were included in the exercises in each activity. Activities were grouped in two blocks: Activities of Experimentation (perception and production of rhythm patterns) and Activities of Symbolization (reading and writing patterns, first in non-conventional notation and later in conventional notation.Granted by: Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. (SEJ2007-60405/EDUC).
Main reference: Tejada, J., Pérez-Gil, M. y Pérez, R. (2011) Tactus: Didactic Design and Implementation of a Pedagogically Sound Based Rhythm-Training Computer Program. Journal of Music, Technology and Education, 3: 2+3, pp. 155–165. doi: 10.1386/jmte.3.2-3.155_1.
Click here to download Tactus. Tactus needs no installation (drag and drop). Simply, unrar it at the desired location. Please, follow the instructions in the "read before" file.
Software Cantus
The development of musical intonation, that is the ability to sing or to play a series of sounds, is one of the most critical tasks of music training. Cantus is a new software program expressly designed for the online training and assessment of vocal musical intonation at the initial stages of music education. It has been designed to serve as a tool for teachers evaluating and diagnosing issues related to the intonation of tonal patterns, embodying in its programming the latest research on the use of immediate feedback, both real-time and delayed. The tonal patterns included are composed of up to eight sounds and are designed according to different theories of music learning. Execution speed is programmable and includes pitch but not rhythms. Cantus program allows the teacher customize music training by means of recording patterns and embedding them into the program. The evaluation system makes tracking progress possible by means of individual statistics and can also perform an assessment of the ability to read music without imitation of sounds. Granted by: Bankia, Federació de Societats Musicals de la Comunitat Valenciana and Generalitat Valenciana (Culturarts).
Main reference: Pérez-Gil, M., Tejada, J., Morant, R. y Pérez, A. (2016) Cantus. Construction and evaluation of a software for real-time vocal music training and musical intonation assessment for music education. Journal of Music, Technology and Education 9:2. 125-144. doi: 10.1386/jmte.9.2.125_1
Click here to go to Cantus.
