Enjoy the experience of a hom cinema


 

Mix in Music

"Music is the art of thinking with sound."home video game equivalent of the silent
Jules  CobarieThe  Continuing  Serenadefilm:  "Pong." Pong offered a limited visual
Music is the rhythmic accompaniment to ourpresence, and more importantly, an auditory
lives.  People  are  born  to  music,  studysignal  that  consisted  of  only  a  single
to music, drive, eat, sleep, and dream to"pong" as the electronic ball bounced from
music.  People  spend  more  money  on musicside to side.Home video games progressed from
this  simple  beginning,  becoming  more
than on books, and music stars become our
idols and companions.We expect to hear aninteractive and visually stimulating, while
auditory signal and will usually supply onelargely  ignoring  the auditory signal. Like
when  none  exists.
silent films, home video games didn't
Some people will talk to avoid silence.emanate  warmth. And also like silent films,
Others  will  leave  a TV or radio on in the
the bottom fell out of the home video game
background, or provide their own music bymarket.  By  1984  American  stores  were
singing,  humming,  rapping  or  whistling.
refusing to carry video games.And then in
An extreme example is person who whistles1985 something revolutionary happened.
while  walking  through  a  graveyard.Nintendo  introduced  gamers
Their auditory signal adds comfort andto the Super Mario Brothers. By 1990, Mario
warmth  to  the  cold  and  forebodingthe  Italian  plumber  was  recognized  by
environment.The auditory signal is criticalmore American children than Mickey
to success in live training. Imagine trainingMouse!Super Mario Brothers succeeded because
devoid  ofit  was  a  complete  package,  offering
audio (no laughter, no conversation and nostriking visuals and, more importantly,
lecture)  and  you  see  the point. Audio isauditory  coherence.  Lead  designer Shigeru
present in training. What that auditoryMiyamoto in describing the game's design
presentation lacks is variety, especiallystated,  "The  state  of  mind of a kid when
where
he enters a cave alone must be realized in
music is concerned.Composer George Burt oncethe  game.  Going  in, he must feel the cold
commented, "When we see pictures and hear
music  atair around him. Not just the experiences but
the  feelings  connected  with  those
the same time we invariably make a
connection, if only on an unconscious level."events were essential to make the game
meaningful."  The  game's  music  was
When music is combined with informationinstrumental in connecting those
powerful  brain  connections  occur.feelings.Mix  In  Music
Anyone who learned their ABCs by singing aFortunately for live training, it already
song,  learned  to  say  words  by  watchinghas  an  audio  signal:  the  trainer.
Sesame Street, or remembers the song thatUnfortunately, listening to that one
was  playing  on the radio during a criticalauditory signal all day makes for really
boring
moment in their life knows first hand the
power of auditory signals.There is ampletraining. It's not an accident that we refer
evidence of the effectiveness of music into it as "death by lecture."Film composer
aiding  learning.  A  wealth  ofGeorge Burt once observed, "When placed
together  (video  and  audio)
studies from the education, musicology and
health  care  fields  demonstrate  theto achieve a common goal, a great deal more
is  expressed  than  would  be  possible
effectiveness of music in increasing
learning,  healing  and  self-esteem.by means of either medium alone." Music,
when  properly  inserted  into  the training
History also proves the point. Twice in the
past,  audio  and  video  were  separate andenvironment can lift some of the cold,
lifeless quality that often typifies
then combined. The result wastraining.Among other usages, music can
electrifying.Sound  Winsprovide cover for silent activities and small
group
The first silent films were short scenes
lasting  only  a  minute  or  two. They werediscussions, announce the beginning and
ending  of  breaks,  reflect the emotions of
immediate, but short lived sensations.
Absolute  silence, the total absence of boththe learning and enhance activities.Twice in
history an audio-visual medium faced a
voice and musical sound proved to be acrossroads.  In  both  cases,  success
deadly  combination.  Viewing  a silent film
resulted when the auditory and the visual
was described as "cold and bare, ghostly,signals  were  integrated.  Trainers  who,
lifeless and colorless."Fortunately for the
theater owners, musicians were already onwith history as their guide, integrate the
their  payroll.  Theauditory  component  will  gain  a  huge
theater owners told the musicians to playadvantage over the competition. They will
something,  anything.  They  did,  and  itnever  hear  complaints  about  "death  by
worked. Music became so effective at solvinglecture."Visit  Lenn  on  line  at
these  problems  that  film  critics  of the
Blog with Lenn at Millbower, BM, MA, the
era called music the "flame which broughtLearnertainment(R) Trainer is an expert in
life  and  warmth"  to  the  experience.applying
Live music accompaniment continued out ofshow biz techniques to learning. He is the
necessity  until  The  Warner  Brother'sauthor  of  the  ASTD  Info-Line, Music as a
"talking" picture "The Jazz Singer" came outTraining Tool, focused on the practical
in  1927.  Within  one  year,  silent  filmsapplication  of  music to learning; Show Biz
were extinct! Silent film stars, directors,Training, the definitive book on the
musicians,  and non-talkie theater locationsapplication  of  entertainment  industry
went silent themselves. The public hadtechniques to training; Cartoons for
spoken for sound.Several years later radioTrainers, a popular collection of 75 cartoons
found itself threatened by television. Radiofor
networks  feared
learning; Game Show Themes for Trainers, a
that the combined audio and video signals ofbest-selling  CD  of  original  learning
TV  would  put  them  out  of  business.
game music; and Training with a Beat: The
There were some dislocations, but radio didTeaching  Power  of  Music,  the  foremost
not die.The comparison between silent films
and  radio is instructive. When people had abook on the application of music to
learning. Lenn is an in-demand speaker, with
choice between a solitary auditory signal
(radio)  or an auditory signal combined withsuccessful presentations at ASTD 1999-2005
and  SHRM  2006;  a  creative  and
a visual signal they favored the
combination, but still patronized the audiodynamic instructional designer and
signal.facilitator formally with the Disney
University
Conversely, when people had a choice between
a  solely  visual  signal  (silent films) orand Disney Institute; an accomplished
arranger-composer  skilled  in  the
one combined with audio, they, by
acclimation,  chose  the combined signal. TVpsychological application of music to
learning;  a  popular comedian, magician and
AFFECTED radio. Talkies DESTROYED silent
film.  Sound  won.Sound  Wins  Againmusician; and the president of Offbeat
Training(R),  infusing  entertainment-based
Home video games had been around since the
late  1970s  when  Atari  introduced  thetechniques into learning to keep 'em awake!



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