Sibelius+Compass

**CITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION**

 * Title: Sibelius Compass http://www.sibelius.com/products/compass/index.html
 * Author: Michael Avery, Hans Lindetorp, Ivan Patterson and Daniel Spreadbury
 * Publisher: Sibelius Software Ltd.http://www.sibelius.com/shop/educational.html
 * Copyright: 2003
 * Platform: Macintosh, Wintel
 * Peripherals: Speakers
 * Grade/Age: Secondary/High School, University/College
 * Type of Class: General Music, Theory and Composition

**TEACHER SUPPORT**
Sibelius Compass provides a highly detailed user’s guide. In this guide clear aims and objectives are outlined through eight core learning pathways in the materials section. Goals, core work and relevant information and tasks are listed within each learning pathway of the teacher’s materials. Additionally, extension learning pathways are included to explain essential information on the building blocks of music in relation to each learning pathway. Recommended listening assignments and student composition projects are also provided in the teacher’s guide. Each learning pathway is designed to provide the student with experience in composing new forms of music. The Sibelius compass website includes helpful information on structured projects and teaching materials. Sibelius Compass has a large collection of additional teaching material available online at http://www.sibelius.com/products/compass/compass_manual.html

**INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT**
Sibelius Compass provides music educators with helpful tools to introduce composition to students in middle school through college. Within each core learning pathway, specific scales, pitch shapes, rhythm, melody, chords, harmony, timbre and texture are introduced with relevance to the specific compositional topics being discussed (i.e. jazz and blues). As students guide their way through each pathway, authentic instrumental recordings can be heard performing musical passages. This program provides written notation, as well as an aural palette whereupon composition skills can be built. At the end of each unit, students can take a short quiz to review and solidify their understanding of the music topics discussed. Composing projects gives students a complete compositional challenge, based on practical styles or forms. These are completed in the tracker, Compass' built-in sequencer designed specifically for education.

__Sibelius Compass addresses the following National Standards:__ 3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. 5. Reading and notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7. Evaluating music and music performances.

**INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND PEDAGOGICAL SOUNDNESS**
I found this program to be a little advanced for middle school students. However, I do believe that it would be very appropriate for a high school music theory or music appreciation class. The authentic listening examples are wonderful and the program seeks to cover a lot of musical ground while deconstructing the building blocks of musical learning and the compositional process. I did not find the graphics to be particularly distracting to the learner and was appreciative of both the written and aural listening examples provided to reinforce musical knowledge. I would be eager to hear student compositions produced through the student projects assigned using this program.
 * Sequence of materials: Very Good
 * Pace of instruction: Very Good
 * Quality of interaction: Excellent
 * Motivation for students: Very Good

**RECORD KEEPING**
Students can use the Compass Tracker program to create, arrange, explore and save their musical ideas. This sequencing program provides tracks and MIDI channels where students can create their own unique composition based on the learning goals assigned. Additionally, students can take quizzes at the end of each section to record their progress on the program. Students can save and change their compositions at anytime, as well as import and export through MIDI files.

**OVERALL EVALUATION**
Overall, I thought this was a great resource for exploring composition in the high school classroom. The instruction manual was generally very accessible to the educator, and many musical concepts are addressed through this program. Sibelius Compass could be an extremely useful program for teaching students composition, arranging, music theory, and music history. I also feel that this program could be used as a supplement for band or choir with teaching the very basic building blocks of musicality. Sibelius Compass provides all of the basic musical theory necessary for students to learn and successfully pass the built-in quizzes.

Rating - 3/4 star rating

Reviewed by: Lindsay Carlson, 4-1-8 Updated by: Zheng Tang 10/27/08