Creating Pedagogical Etudes for Interactive Instruments

In this paper I discuss the importance of and need for pedagogical materials to support the development of new interfaces and new instruments for electronic music. I describe my method for creating a graduated series of pedagogical etudes composed using Max/MSP. The etudes will help performers and instrument designers learn the most commonly used basic skills necessary to perform with interactive electronic music instruments. My intention is that the final series will guide a beginner from these initial steps through a graduated method, eventually incorporating some of the more advanced techniques regularly used by electronic music composers. I describe the order of the series, and discuss the benefits (both to performers and to composers) of having a logical sequence of skill-based etudes. I also connect the significance of skilled performers to the development of two essential areas that I perceive are still just emerging in this field: the creation of a composed repertoire and an increase in musical expression during performance.