Tuesday, July 29, 2008

2nd Music Education Software Review

2nd Software Review. Free 10-day demo of Recorder Teacher 98. There are a bunch of sound buttons in this program, but Jing did not pick up any of the actual sounds. When a student answers correctly, a polite "bark" can be heard. An incorrect answer earns a more aggressive "bark". There are listening examples of an expert and examples of every concept taught.

The ability to demonstrate a program or give instructions in the form of a movie could be a terrific time-saver. We as teachers repeat ourselves a lot. I think I will use this program to demonstrate usage and methods that I use over and over each year. It would also be good as a digital review document.

http://screencast.com/t/uZi73EZH

Video with Pictures and Music

A video with still pictures, music and narration can be very helpful in a music class. The video below can be used in any marching band class. It has still pictures of our actual opening drill and is matched to the music that will be played, too.


Sunday, July 27, 2008

Below is a Finale file of the Golden Eagle Band's 2008 show closer. Eagle Mountain Adventure, Part 3, is written by Luke McMillan and is used by permission. In the "Podcasts and Other Cool Stuff" section, there is a MIDI file of this score. Feel free to look and listen, but DON'T COPY!

Not only could these files (the graphics below and the accompanying MIDI file) be used in a band class, they WILL be used in mine. These two files are a big part of my curriculum for this fall.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Technology-Assisted Learning Software Evaulation

Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory, Volume 1. Also listen to the podcast in the right column.

Read this document on Scribd: Technology Evaluation


Using Smart Compostition Software in Music Class

Looping software can be so much fun! It is such a great way to get kids (and adults) excited about music composition before they can read music! Results are instantaneous and changes are easy if you can drag and drop. I plan to use this software in my Applied Music class in the technology and recording unit. The students will create their own composition, save it as a .wav file and burn it to an original class CD. We will also explore the MIDI capabilities of a lot of the software and add in some .mid files as well as some digital recordings of live performances. What a wonderful way to get the kids involved in not only performance and practice, but actual music production! The beauty of this family of programs (ACID, Ableton, Super Duper Music Looper and Band-In-A-Box to name a few) is that the students' compositions can be done quite simply or in a very complex and involved manner. Thus, it is an appropriate activity for the very young learner to the accomplished musician.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Original Graphic in a .pdf File

The following is an example of how an original graphic might be used in a document. The link below is to a .pdf file of Goldthwaite High School's nearly complete Marching Band Techniques Handbook. The handbook itself is a detailed description of body positions and movement techniques that the Golden Eagle Band uses along with teaching tips for the student leadership.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/4019653/MarchingTechiques

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Original Graphic


When a completely new graphic is created electronically, like this one, it can be used on webpages, in emails, in letters and on concert programs without the worry of copyright infringement or a nasty lawsuit. Just remember to make sure any clipart is freeware or that you have paid any necessary fees or gotten the appropriate permissions.