Scratch Music Projects

In this practical, project-based book, music students, educators, and coders receive the necessary tools to engage with real-world experiences in computation and creativity using the programming language Scratch. Designed to teach students the fundamental concepts of computational thinking through interactive music, sound, and media, projects vary in complexity and encourage readers to make music through playing and creating music.

This book introduces readers to concepts in computational thinking and coding alongside parallel concepts in music, creative sound, and interaction. The book begins with a gentle introduction to the Scratch 3.0 programming environment through hands-on projects using a computer keyboard and mouse to make music and control sounds, creating original sounds, and performing them as an instrument. The next chapters introduce programming musical sequences, melodies, and structures, and assembling them into a virtual band that can be performed live or automated through algorithms. The final chapters explore computational thinking and music in the contexts of making games with sound effects, teaching the computer to generate music using algorithms and rules, interacting with music using live video, finishing with a chapter on musical live coding, where readers will create and manipulate computer code to perform, improvise, and create original music live.

"This book outlines a musical journey through Scratch. Scratch is an approachable computer programming environment that contains a rich set of media features, such as music and sound - both of which are explored here. The book features a series of independent musical projects built in Scratch and guides readers through the processes required to create each project. Readers will encounter coding techniques and algorithmic music processes while completing the exercises. In general, the projects are very interactive and encourage readers to make music through playing and composing with each task"--

Brown and Ruthmann have provided us with powerful tools for expressing music in a highly-accessible form. Students of all ages will enjoy making music and learning computing through this book. -- Mark Guzdial, University of Michigan

Music is an ideal way to learn to code because it is expressive, authentic, and fun. Scratch Music Projects guides beginners through all the concepts they need to explore computational music-making, focusing on a series of hands-on projects outlined in easy-to-follow steps. The book also does an excellent job of connecting these projects to the broader music industry through recreations of historically important hits, interviews with current electronic music practitioners, and advanced projects that introduce experimental computer music practices. -- Jason Freeman, Professor and Chair, Georgia Tech School of Music

Scratch Music Projects is a valuable resource for musicians who have thought about learning to program, but don't know where to begin or what to program. The projects are relevant to the interests of many musicians, and help form an understanding of fundamental concepts that readers can explore more deeply in Scratch or other languages. -- VJ Manzo, Associate Professor of Arts, Communications, and Humanities, Worcester Polytechnic Institute