A pied piper: computer music to attract students to computer science/engineering

Our multimedia CD-ROM "Computer Music: an Interactive Documentary" was created as a vehicle to attract students, via the concepts of digital music, to pursue studies in computer science and engineering. "Computer Music" explores some of the basic principles of computing. We selected computer music as the central theme because music is popular with today's youth and because it offers an excellent vehicle for illustrating some of the basic principles of computer science and engineering. This CD-ROM for Macintosh and Windows platforms explains how computers "make music": the basics of analog to digital conversion, the effects of sampling rate and resolution, and employs over two hours of video and animation. It also offers detailed descriptions of the processing and flow of digital data in synthesis, sampling and MIDI music production. By investigating how computers are used to create, edit and perform music, students gain an understanding of how computers process and handle information. The CD-ROM pioneers a new medium, the interactive documentary. A new feature called "Connex" allows the user to enter an underground labyrinth where they will find editorial comments that draw together the complex concepts of computer music and where interrelated ideas may be accessed independently.