Sibelius+Instruments

=Citation and General Information=
 * Sibelius Instruments
 * Publisher: Sibelius USA, Inc.
 * [|http://www.sibelius.com/]
 * Copyright 2004
 * Runs on both Wintel and Macintosh Computers
 * Requires no peripherals
 * This software is recommended for all ages, primary school and beyond, but could be most useful at the middle school age.
 * Likely be used in a General Music class.

=Teacher Support=
 * One can find materials from the Sibelius Instruments instruction manual as well as some from the Internet.
 * Provides lesson plans and ideas for student assignments. It also contains recommended listening for the students.
 * These plans and assignments have sample screens on them.

=Instructional Content=
 * Sibelius Instruments gives the user a comprehensive overview of over fifty different instruments and over twenty different ensembles. The software also teaches about certain specialty techniques, such as glissandos and multiphonics. There are sample recordings of all of these.
 * National Standards that could be addressed:
 * Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

=Instructional Design and Pedagogical Soundness=
 * Appropriate for more mature students because it does not grasp one's attention in ways that would interest younger students.
 * There are many things going on at a time on a certain screen, but all of these functions are clearly marked and easy to navigate.
 * Since this software is very similar to an online database or encyclopedia, it will not be as interesting for younger students. Many of the terms will not mean anything to them, but this could be a good way to introduce them with active exploration and many examples.
 * Graphics provide excellent and pertinent information to the user.
 * User has control of movement within the program and can move at whatever rate he or she wishes.
 * Program Structure
 * Discovery
 * Inquiry into database
 * Sequence of Materials: Good
 * Pace of Instruction: Excellent
 * Quality of Interaction: Excellent
 * Motivation for Students: Good

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=Overall Evaluation=
 * Sibelius Instruments does not seem to be the most thrilling program in the world, but once one actually takes the opportunity to explore its features it becomes far more interesting. The audio examples within each page allow the user to hear examples of each instrument, including range, technical capabilities, and typical passages it would play. The audio examples also demonstrate instrumental usages from previous musical eras. The text is very informative, and one can learn a lot about each instrument or ensemble by studying it. One of the other interesting features is the introduction to special techniques that instruments can perform, such as multiphonics and glissandos. It gives many different examples of these on many different instruments. Sibelius Instruments is an excellent program for students to explore, and if an instructor uses is properly in class, it can be immensely helpful.
 * **Rating - *** * * *

John Blasko (04/11/2006) Updated by John Eldridge (10/25/2009) Updated by: Maxine Schindler 06/16/2010