Cardinal Points

Issue date: 10/5/07 Section: FUSE

Associate Music Professor Richard Davies agrees that this type of site is not accurate in teaching students about music composition and feels that it is useful in teaching students what to avoid in composing.

"It is good for putting quick and dirty music pieces together for someone that

isn't trained in music," Davies said. "The disadvantage is that you are limited to certain

figures and styles. After a while, everything will sound the same. There are already better software packages out there."

Jamstudio.com is one in many sites that have emerged providing users with free online access to music software for basic music construction.

Sites such as Jamstudio are not intended or designed for professional musicians, but provide basic tools that allow users to play with various loops and music sounds. They cannot provide students with the proper music composition skills taught in a collegiate program.

"It is very limited and it doesn't really develop skills that need to be learned in a college music program," Davies said. "I think it is aimed more at an untrained hobbyist. It basically provides various preset material in a limited number of styles."

For students looking to experiment with different instrumental music sounds and styles, Jamstudio provides free access software that allows them to do so.

But in the professional music world, it is seen as a means of creating quick jam sessions as a hobby rather than a proper instructional tool for music construction.

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