The Vision

from the President of A tempo Software:

As both a Suzuki violin teacher and owner of a computer-based educational company, I envisioned a software that would maintain all the records that a music teacher or teacher of any performing arts program would need. It would be easy to understand, painless in setting up, and quick to use. So I began in 1998 to personally put together a computer program that would require minimal effort. That meant that nothing should have to be typed more than once, even though it involved the linking of over twenty databases.

If teachers of the performing arts were going to use this, it had to be aesthetically-pleasing. It needed to be intuitive in its design, simple to grasp at first sight, and easy on the eyes. We experimented with fonts, colors, shapes, and dimensions. What we chose in the end seems to meet general approval. Jean (my dear wife and most influential critic) likes it! Our daughter Anji (KinderMusik Coordinator for our studio and inhouse artist) has bestowed her stamp of approval, as well! It was also gratifying to hear the words of appreciation from those gracious musicians and businessmen who viewed the first showcase of the A tempo at the Music For Young Children® International Conference of Music Educators held in Peterborough, Ontario.

We drew upon the experience from our own family music studio in order to include the basic organizational structure and labels of several well-known educational systems for the performing arts, such as Suzuki® violin and Music for Young Children®. That facilitates virtually an immediate understanding and utilization of the software.

I also wanted a software package that would anticipate the user's next move. So I looked for ways to have the software guide the user with friendly messages and clearly-marked buttons that would be unmistakable in their purpose and fully automated in their function.

From our experiences of the past, we learned that the loss of one little scrap of information could lead to hours of search and frustration. So I determined that this dream of a software would hold all those details that so easily get tossed and later are so badly needed. Hence, our section on performances and competitions, where every rating, every piece performed, every source of music, and even the timing of each event, would have safe storage for future reference.

Because the success of most activities depends upon communication, and because it is increasingly difficult to achieve a successful telephone conversation on the first or second or third attempts, I envisioned a computer software that would utilize all the varied means of communication now available. So, we included a powerful system that organizes all the telephone numbers a family might have: home, work, school, cellular, etc., as well as email addresses and even website addresses.

Information is powerful when organized skillfully. Reports can be so helpful to a teacher or the director of a studio, whether they serve as a reminder of a pupil's upcoming birthday or of unpaid fees. The enrollment list of each class, the number of pupils assigned to a particular teacher, or a statement of payments requested by a parent, should not be elusive, time-consuming, or erroneous. Many reports have been pre-planned, available for viewing or printing at the mouse-clicking of one button. Other reports can be created or customized by the user.

The vision that I had many months ago of a software for those who teach the performing arts has become a reality. A tempo really can put us "back to speed!" I'm excited about what it does. I've had a blast working on it, and I have some wild ideas for future enhancements!

Lots of people have contributed suggestions, all of which have been gratefully considered, and many of which have been utilized. I'd love to receive more tips, suggestions or questions. Let me know what you think.