Let's face it, in this day and age if you don't have a computer in your Music Classroom, not only are you missing out on an invaluable teaching tool, you are actually doing your students a disservice. Today every trained musician should have at least some working knowledge of digital music technology.

A digital audio workstation with a powerful sequencer such as Cubase at its heart will not only make the things you already do easier, it will expand your teaching toolbox as far as your skills and imagination will allow.

Here is a partial list of things you can do with Cubase in the classroom. And remember that you can throw into the mix any of Steinberg's VST instruments, synthesizers, and sample players, for even more possibilities.

Composition - At the most basic level, Cubase is a multi-track Audio and MIDI sequencer. Your Viola student can compose and record a quartet piece, or even a full orchestral arrangement, either by recording his or her instrument as Audio (some or all of which can be transposed later, and automatically, in Cubase), or as MIDI tracks, or as a combination of the two. Cubase can produce fully editable, professional-grade scores from a MIDI track, which is great for demonstrating instrument voicings, clefs, key signatures, and other basic-to-advanced notation concepts.

Also, unique to Cubase, is the "Play Order Track" arrangement tool , which allows you to break up your piece into any number of sections and rearrange them in real time without having to change the original recording. You can hear how your bridge would sound as an intro in about 4 mouse clicks. "How would it sound if we modulated up one whole step on the outro?" No need to re-record a new outro - Cubase can transpose individual and multiple Audio and MIDI tracks, or parts thereof, instantly.

Critique and Analysis - You can download individual MIDI files, or entire pieces, and have the piece in its raw form - with each instrument or voice separated track by track, ready for all sorts of tweaking, tempo changes, modulations, soloing, etc. Download a big band piece and play it in its entirety, then solo just the trumpet and drum tracks, and slow them down 20, 30, 40 bpms, to help the students really nail their specific parts.

Performance - Record your students individually or in groups and play back their performances instantly for analysis. The old saying "the tape doesn't lie" holds truer than ever, except now the tape is digital, extremely editable, is virtually free, can be exchanged on a CD or any other storage device, and can be easily distributed to every member of a class or ensemble to take home.

Demonstration - Create accompaniment tracks in seconds, literally. Lay down a piano track and loop it to play under the Oboe part you are demonstrating. Or call up a MIDI drum loop from your MIDI file library to demonstrate odd meter, then slow it down or speed it up with one mouse click depending on your students' skill level.

If you would like to add a World Music segment to your curriculum, you will find that sample libraries can bring every instrument known to man, woman, or child into your classroom, and they will always be on-hand - just create a track in Cubase, import the desired sample, and hit play. From Sitars to Charangos, Didgeridoos to full Gamelan orchestras, blowing a student's mind has never been easier.

Assignments - with Steinberg's educational pricing, every student in your class can have a copy of Cubase for less than the price of their History textbook. Assignments can be completed at home and brought in to class for critique and assessment, students can exchange their projects, and collaborate on pieces.

Recording and Production - Let's not forget that Cubase is a world-class music production suite, used by professional engineers and producers around the globe every day. Concepts such as setting up microphones, recording single or multiple tracks, using compressors and processors, EQ and effects, editing, mixing, and mastering can all be demonstrated and practiced with Cubase. This is also a great way to get everyone in the class involved - a student who expresses no interest in playing the clarinet may jump at the opportunity to be class engineer.

Did we mention that Cubase and all of Steinberg's VST plug-ins are completely Mac and Windows compatible? Not only does this eliminate the need to re-tool your music lab to accommodate a particular platform, neither you nor your students will need to learn a new operating system or purchase new hardware to stay in the game. If the band breaks up, it certainly wont be over platform incompatibility.

Steinberg feels that a quality Musical Education should be available to all students of all ages and backgrounds. It also recognizes the difficulties that faculty and administrators face everyday in funding and building their music programs. This is why Steinberg offers special Educational pricing, for their entire line of software, to all Students, Educators, and Educational institutions on individual copies as well as multi-user classroom packs. For complete pricing information please go to www.SteinbergUpgrades.com, or call sales at 877 253-3900.