Remi Castonguay and Dan Harrison
Apr 12 (12:30 p.m.) at SML

Professor Dan Harrison

Variations is a digital music library system, providing authenticated access to streaming audio and scanned score images. Variations also includes sophisticated analysis and annotation tools for teaching, learning, and research. With Variations, libraries, faculty, and students can work together to discover innovative scholarly ways of looking at digitized music materials. In this presentation, Remi Castonguay (Public Services Librarian at the Gilmore Music Library) will discuss Yale’s implementation of Variations and its future. Professor Daniel Harrison (Allen Forte Professor of Music Theory and Chair of the Department of Music) will demonstrate the software’s main features including the timeline application and the score annotation tools.

Summary:
Approximately 15 to 20% of Yale students participate in music-related activities whether they are classes or extracurricular pursuits. That accounts for over 1,000 students. Previously, access to music was constrained by technological and physical limitations included the quantities of CDs and lack of software that facilitates streaming of audio and interacting with it. In spring and summer of 2011, Remi Castonguay of the Gilmore Music Library spearheaded the use of software called Variations which allows students to access music more easily through the Internet and work with the music. Along with Daniel Harrison, Allen Forte Professor of Music Theory and Chair of the Department of Music, Castonguay introduced the Variations software into 10 courses by spring 2013, reaching about 150 students. Variations can import new music and score which gives the software great flexibility in making available whatever music is needed for a particular course. The software also includes robust analytical tools that allows users to annotate and delve into the technical aspects of music. Castonguay and Harrison plan to continue expansion of Variations use at Yale by integrating Variations with more courses and including support for video.

Trip Kirkpatrick

For full coverage of this session, please click the video below.