I've always loved writing music. When I was little, I used to play around on the piano until I found a tune that I liked. Then I would add a left hand to it and tape record it so that I could remember it, but until my music teacher introduced the MIDI program at our school, I had no real way of writing it down. The MIDI program is a program that allows students to use MusicTime and Sibelius software programs to write down the music that they have already composed or make up new pieces, then have the songs played back to them. The Vermont MIDI program also allows young composers to share their music with other teachers and students through a protected website.

I started using MIDI in first or second grade, at first just putting in the notes for my simple songs with the piano as the instrument. But after a while I got used to the programs so that I could extend my songs and make them more complex. The computer let me hear changes without making them permanent and experiment with instruments.

Joie de Vie started when I was in fourth grade as an assignment to write several motifs. A motif is a musical sentence that is played, and then repeated in a different key. I chose one of my motifs and then extended it until I had the melody (roughly) finished. Then I wrote a harmony and changed the instruments to violin, viola, and cello. With the computer I was able to experiment with harmonies that I couldn't play on the piano, not having three hands. I could also get suggestions from music teachers and students at other schools who could listen to my music on their computers. It is really great to be able to write songs, hear them played on the school computer, produce musical scores, share them with other people, and even hear my songs performed live by real musicians.

My mom says, "The music technology program at school has allowed Christina to take her natural interest in creating music and develop it into a real talent which gives her great joy."

I agree!