Music Technology
(PM+ Non-Fiction)

 Books

The way we listen to music has come a long way since the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison in 1877. Today we can enjoy music in many ways – on a tiny minidisc CD player, on the radio or TV, or on the Internet. Radio technology has developed too, from live broadcasts in the 1920s to the modern DJ who uses a computer to search for music tracks. We can play electronic versions of traditional instruments such as piano and drums. The Internet and new devices like the iPod have allowed people to get access to music from all over the world.


Author's Comments

I enjoyed interviewing people, talking to people at the local radio station and watching a young DJ demonstrate a scratching technique. One of my favourite parts of this book was writing the comic strip scenes to show an early radio transmission. I always get a thrill out of seeing what an illustrator has done to make my text even better. The characters in it are fabulous. It reminds me of when I used to write and draw comic strips when I was about 11 or 12 years old.


Reading Activity
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Get a few people together and try out different sounds using whatever you have around the house – pots and pans, water in jars, spoons, shells on strings, and containers of many different shapes and sizes.
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Find out the history of scratching. How was it invented? Try to think of new ways of making unusual sounds to make a new style of music.
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Take classes to learn how to play a new instrument or learn to sing.
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Record your music and upload it onto one of the social networking sites like MySpace or YouTube
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Find other kids who play instruments and someone who can sing, and start your own band. Once you have rehearsed a bit, you can invite family and friends to your first performance.
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Read fictional books about becoming a musician or how-to manuals on using technology to make music.

Born to Rock The DIY Music Manual: How to Record, Promote and Distribute Your Music without a Record Deal
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Music Technology Music Technology
Thomson Learning Australia
(now called Cengage), 2003
ISBN ISBN 9780170099141
Where to buy this book
 
Review Extracts
 
"The PM series is Australia's most successful levelled reading program. There is quality, variety and breadth in more than 1000 accurately levelled fiction and non-fiction titles across the program. The non-fiction topics are designed to spark interest and enthusiasm in reading non-fiction. The PMs focus on topics that are child-centred with clear and logical presentation of facts, superb illustrations and photography."
 
 
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