Et Cetera is a leading supplier of Music Technology to schools, colleges and universities.

One of the greatest challenges in modern music teaching is keeping pupils enthused, on task and practicing. The gap between the music that young people are listening to and the music used in traditional music schemes is getting wider by the day. Using technology in and out of music lessons is an effective way of motivating learners by giving them access to a broad range of styles that are more likely to appeal to their musical tastes.

Computers also provide learning experiences that mimic video games (the structure of challenge and reward), which is a format with which most young people will be familiar and will already be a part of their recreation time.

What's more, kids are already enthused about music technology, sharing music with iPods and the internet, and with guitar sales at record levels, music is very much in the spotlight at the moment.

For all that a computer automates when completing tasks like transposition, they allow learners to work in a musically correct framework that encourages musical thought, evaluation and creativity. Songwriting tools like Band-in-a-Box create templates for pieces in hundreds of styles, giving as much or as little support for songwriters as they learn about structure and orchestration.

Dedicated music theory packages can give students a huge leg up from an early age by making notes and rhythms into games.

To really grab the interest, enthusiasm and ongoing attention of learners, it helps to provide learning opportunities that are relevant to their life outside the classroom. Music lessons that chime with popular styles are more likely to stay fresh in the mind, and what's more, go beyond the educational and into the aspirational. What's surprising about the results you can get from less traditional methods is not the interest levels or the extra effort that goes into projects, but the skill and indeed, genuine virtuosity that can appear from the most unexpected directions.

Et Cetera can supply products such as Sibelius, Band-in-A-Box, Music Ace and Earmaster for the notation based student. DJ and Dance music enthusiasts are catered for with the increasingly popular FL Studio ("Fruityloops") range, Sonar sequencing software, Acoustica recording software and the exremely popular Hercules DJ Console MK2.
 

Et Cetera can also provide a range of hardware including the popular Prodikeys qwerty/37 key music keyboard, soundcards from several manufacturers, microphones and other accessories.

For more information, advice or to arrange a demonstration or product evaluation, please call us on 01706 285650 or visit our website at www.etcetera.co.uk