Sky sat up straight when the professor instructor started the class. Er… what? Weren't the the two theories essentially the same? But Sky thought a little harder about it. Wizards could use their magic when they played music, right? So maybe… "Dr. MacNally, could Magical Musical Theory involve learning ways to use ones magic in music making?" That would definitely be a difference from Ordinary Musical Theory. Since muggles didn't have magic and all.

Elise doodled music notes along the margins of her notebook, as she waited for the class to file in. So... This should be fun, right?

Raising her hand, she replied. "Ordinary music theory, which is what Muggles use, is mostly just the basics while Magical Music Theory, is mostly similar, but with a few magical alterations?" she asked, before lowering her hand.

She'd only completed her Muggle music theory, and honestly had to idea that there was a magical kind...

Tay raised her hand, "Ordinary music is without magic involved and is based around what the muggles are feeling or like at that time period and the magical..... would that be the same but based around what the magical world is feeling or liking and have magic involved in it?" Taylor wasn't really sure about her answer but she gave it a shot. She loved music but didn't really study the history or anything but how to play the guitar, piano and to read the sheets to play them with.

Alyssa thought for a while before raising her hand. "Professor like what my fellow class mates have said, Musical Theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods.

As for Magical Musical Theory, could it be almost the same, only in this case, the music used is used as a part of a spell? Like the saying music soothes the savage beast, could magical music be used to do that too. For example, the harp and the flute were used to keep the Fluffy, the three headed dog calm and asleep? "

Laura looked at the Man who's name was Doctor Do-lally or something crazy like that, well anyway onto the Question. "Well normal Music is real, where as Magic music well you make it by using a wand."

Kennedy was...at a road block. He thought strictly hard, but his brain couldn't produce a proper answer for the question Dr. MacNally had asked. He glanced around the room trying to find Aurora, but he didn't see her.

Instead, he readied his quill to begin taking notes on his parchment. He was definitely going to have to start reading about music theory after he was done with O.W.Ls. He didn't like feeling like he didn't know something.

Ella didn't really know the difference between the two but thought she'd give it a stab anyway. She raised her hand, thinking of what she wanted to say. "Dr MacNally, musical theory has to do with music and how it's composed and stuff," Nice Ella, and stuff sounds real scientific... "As for magical musical theory, well maybe that has to do with how magic can enhance or change ones musical experience?" She was grasping at straws with that one but it seemed like a good enough guess.

The difference between magical music theory and regular music theory? Wasn't all music the same except the circumstance. Kurumi had a point when she mentioned the venue or device that was making the music, but in actuality music was a serious of pitches arranged in an coherent order to make a melody. Selina herself played music via the flute so she was pretty dead on when it came to what music was. How could there be a difference in the theory of the two genres of music. She did not see the difference honestly.

The redhead rose her hand and expressed her view, "Dr. MacNally, sir? Honestly, your question confuses me. Music theory is the explanation behind the music, which in reality is just an order of pitches arranged in a specific order. Theory is the explanation of why the pitches are arranged a certain way. I can't see how muggle and magical theory can be all that different besides the instruments or venues where the music is played and who it is performed by, sir."

Xavier’s eyes were sparkling as he answered the students. “These are all fabulous answers! Very intuitive.” he said enthusiastically. “The actual definition of Magical Music Theory is ‘The enhancement of music through magical means.’ This means that we add to muggle theory rather than dispose of it entirely. Muggle Music Theory is how music works - from clefs to cadences and chords and whatnot - but we won’t be talking about that today.” he said. No muggle theory today, he was here to teach them the magical side of things – normal theory they could get from any muggle music teacher. Taking his wand from his inner pocket, Xavier waved it at the chalk board. The duster wiped his name from the board and a piece of chalk began to write.

Text Cut: Blackboard

Muggle Music Theory
How music works.

Magical Music Theory
‘The enhancement of music through magical means.’

“Now that we have established the definition of Magical Theory is the theory surrounding music rather than how it works, can anyone give me an example of the sort of thing you think might be included under this title? How would we use the resources available in the wizarding world to enhance our musical experience?” asked Xavier, putting his wand away again and looking at the crowd of students in front of him. Hmm, they seemed like a fabulous group of children and he was thoroughly enjoying teaching them.

Be realistic; even though guessing is fairly simple - if your character doesn’t play a musical instrument it’s unlikely he/she is going to guess correctly with something really complicated, if your character doesn’t know then just post them taking notes and you will still get the participation mark. Otherwise, be inventive!

Kurumi cocked her head to the side. NOW she was confused. From the man's response to some people, it seemed as though Magical Music Theory was something that could only be applied to music by means of a witch or wizard and not something that happened on its own...like...without the use of incantations and spells. The prefect frowned a bit. If that was the case...she was a little disappointed. His question sort of confused her as well. Enhance their musical experience? Did he mean while listening to it? Playing it? Or...how to increase the power of music? All of the above?

Blinking a few times, Kurumi timidly raised her hand to sort of answer...but more to hide a question within her response for clarification. "Besides the more obvious use of spells and charms on musical instruments...does using magical materials count? For example...while ivory isn't used to make piano keys anymore, making the ivories out of unicorn horn...or highly modified Erumpent horn. Ashwinder or basilisk skin instead of usual snake skin on the sanshin. Guitar picks our of dragon scales, and catgut from mooncalf or wildebeest or something else?"

Sure, animating an object to play on its own was exciting and casting a spell such as Creo Musica somewhat empowering...Kurumi was really more interested in studying magical properties. Picking things apart to see what made them tick. Merlin, with this sort of thinking one would have assumed that she enjoyed Potions - too bad it was the total opposite.

Janice is freaked out. The professor kept on smiling and sparkling his eyes she thought he was faking it. She had read somewhere that vampires are shiny *coughedwardcullencoughcough*, but this guy couldn't be one. She blinked twice to ease the thought out of her brain while searching for an answer.

"Uhh, charming musical instruments so they can make sounds without anyone playing them?" she said. Wait--sounds? "I mean, notes, that goes along with the note in front of them. Except the first one. Yeah."

Ella was puzzled with the next question. How exactly did the resources in the wizarding world enhance a musical experience. It's not like we didn't hear it the same way, right? "Dr. MacNally, can the resources in the magical world make it easier to-to showcase music to all people. I mean maybe with magic wizards can make music more accessible to different types of people with disabilities and such." Maybe magic could enhance the musical experience of people who were sick or blind or even deaf? Ella wasn't sure.

Hmmm...Auggie had never really thought about the magical means behind the music he had heard in his times in the Magical world. He had heard a bit from a Wizarding Wireless set a few times here at school and a bit in a shop in Diagon Alley here and there but never sat down and listened. What would make music be more than just music for wizards.

"Sir, could you use spells like Muffliato or sonorus to make notes sharper or softer? Like quicker cut-off's than a human hand could make?" He hoped the man understood what he meant. He didn't doubt his expertise just if the Gryffindor had explained it with actual sense-making sentences.

Silvia didn't really know what magical music theory was about. She had never played a real music instrument, though she hoped to learn one soon. So she sat quietly, quill in hand, and prepared to take notes on some of the answers the other, more musically experienced students gave.

Alyssa thought for long moment. She was about to raise her hand to answer when Kurumi and Janice answered before her and gave the answers that she had thought of as well. So she sat down and took notes while thinking of other ways. Then a thought popped into her head and she decided to hazard a guess. So she raised her hand."Uh....would casting a spell on the music itself help enhance our listening pleasure and improve our health at the same time while hearing it? Like normally music would gradually help calm one's nerves, as one listens to it? Could casting a spell on it produce an immediate effect and make the feeling last longer?"

Amelia really wanted to contribute to this question, but she honestly wasn't all that sure she had a good answer to give. She decided to just take out her notebook and started taking notes.

Laura looked at the Professor and raised her hand. "Well you could use your wand to make your voice heard without using a microphone or better still use it to make a show of different colours." That would be best Laura smiled

Minerva wasn't sure of the answer she didn't know much about music other then the music she dances to. So she just wrote on her parchment other answers.

Sky had no idea how that was done, so she listened closely to what her classmates were saying. While she was listening, she jotted down some notes, as well as the responses that seemed to make the most sense.

Taylor raised her hand, "Other than enchanting the instruments to play on their own, couldn't you use spells to change the pitches, tempos, and sounds of the notes or perhaps even add more notes to the range of notes?" She wasn't too sure... Tay never actually paid too much attention in this department when her mother taught her how to play.

Enhancing instruments to play by themselves? Were people crazy. Cove raised her hand. "Sir, by enhancing music, don't you think you are taking away the feeling?" she asked. "And if you mean enhancing music theory, do you mean that you can bend the rules of... let's say....four-part writing?" she was very courious. Cove knew it didn't answer his questions, but she wanted to know.

Kennedy kept jotting down notes and listened to what everyone had to say. It was actually really interesting that music could be different in the Muggle and Wizard world. He'd always imagined that they were the same.

At the next question though, his hand shot up into the air. He sort of knew this one because he's seen his girlfriend play. "We can use unicorn hair as a resource to enhance music. For example, instead of using a horse hair bow you can use a unicorn hair bow," he said. That sounded a bit right, right? Yeah. He was a great listener after all. Hehe.

“Brilliant! I think we’ve got enough to be going on with. This is, after all, only the basics.” said Xavier. “Magical Music Theory can also encompass things like Mermaid and Siren song but we won’t be looking into that today. By the way, if you have any questions on anything we don’t talk about feel free to owl me or speak to me after the lesson.” he added quickly, letting the chalk add the students suggestions, Mermaids and Sirens to the blackboard. He had often been criticised for missing bits out of his lessons that certain students had been dying to know so he had decided to answer relatively small questions free of charge by owl.

Xavier crossed to the long mahogany chest and, with a tap of his wand, opened the clasp. From inside the chest he took two long, thin boxes and a violin case before closing the lid again. “Now, for this part of the lesson we will be talking about how magical materials can affect music.” He carefully opened the first box and produced a violin bow. The wooden part of the bow – other than being immaculately looked after – was no different to any other. The hairs, however, were a gleaming white, glistening slightly with silver. He opened the other box to reveal a second bow. The hairs on this bow were a bright yellow – almost blonde – and are strangely attractive, drawing your eyes. “These bows have been strung with very special hairs. This one,” He held up the yellow haired one, “Is classified and registered with the ministry.” he said. “Does anyone know, or can anyone guess, what the two types of hairs are and why they are used in bows?”

Kennedy beamed. He had gotten an answer right. Listening carefully, he raised his hand after the next question was asked. He'd already said, but since he had a hunch he was right, he was going to volunteer his answer. "Is it unicorn hair?" he asked. "Is the other one...Veela hair?" he asked. It was quite captivating.

Yes, it was from his previous answer, BUT the hair looked like it. LOOKIT! P

Sky's eyes were drawn to one of the bows that had been pulled out. She wondered how one would keep from being distracted while playing the violin with it. It kept her attention so fully that she almost missed the question! Clearing her throat and shaking her head slightly to clear it, Sky answered, "Is one veela hair and the other unicorn hair?" Because that was the only material that she remember capturing people's attention like that…