As the popularity of file-sharing programs such as Kazaa and LimeWire attests, advances in the technology of digital music have undeniably had an effect on the music industry.

However, many people do not realize the profound effect computers have had on the making of music itself.

In fact, computer technology has influenced not only the way in which music is shared and stored, but also the way in which it is created.

The ability to store music as a WAV file or an MP3 file is the result of relatively recent advances in music technology.

These types of files differ from Musical Instrument Digital Interface files -- MIDIs -- in that they are sampled music.

Sound itself is made up of pressure waves, which are usually converted to electrical waves for storage.

Sampled music is what results when digital technology takes this saved music and stores its voltage as a number.

It is essentially a "snapshot of a sound wave," said David Salvia, an instructor in electrical engineering and the teacher of a freshman seminar on digital music.

As for MIDI, "it's basically a language," Salvia said.

It is not a method of storing music; it is a set of commands and instructions that actually create sound, as opposed to simply saving it in a digital form.

MIDI files were developed in the early 1980s.

They were created, Salvia said, in order to allow different types of synthesizers to communicate.

While these files have been around for two decades, fairly recent advances in computer technology have made advanced usage of MIDI much more widespread, said Mark Ballora, assistant professor in arts and music and a specialist in music technology.

The development and expansion of MIDI has had a profound effect on the way music itself is created, he said.

It allows composers to present music in unique ways, other than simply through annotated score. This allows for "new levels of complexity," Ballora said.

In addition, it is possible to actually create music in new and unusual ways. A composer can generate material based on mathematical equations.

Equations, images and fractals can all be translated into music through this technology as well.

Exposing music students to these technologies is vital, said Ballora.

With fairly powerful programs becoming more and more accessible to the public, future teachers must understand and be able to work with new equipment.

"You can't go out as a music teacher and not know how to use these programs," Ballora said.

"The whole digital revolution has become an integral part of music, as it has become an integral part of everything else, and we need to recognize that to be able to serve our students."