METOS: Spotlight on Creativity

Mark your calendar! The SoundTree Institute will be holding another FREE METOS event for its members on Monday, January 16, 2012 from 1:00pm – 4:00pm EST. METOS, which stands for the Music Education & Technology Online Summit, is a completely online conference opportunity that has been very successful in the past. New this year is a special edition of METOS – focusing on fostering creativity in the music classroom. Our Keynote Speaker will be Scott Watson, author of Using Technology To Unlock Musical Creativity – a fantastic resource for any music educator looking to get technology into their classrooms to facilitate creative opportunities for their students.

In addition to Dr. Watson, METOS will spotlight the best practices of four exemplary music educators: Amy Burns from Far Hills Country Day School, Barbara Freedman from Greenwich High School, Richard McCready from River Hill High School and Nick Jaworski from the University of Illinois – Champaign-Urbana.

The schedule of events for METOS: Spotlight on Creativity are as follows:

1:00 – 2:00 – Keynote Presentation – Using Technology To Unlock Musical Creativity by Scott Watson
2:00 – 2:25 – Best Practice: Barbara Freedman
2:30 – 2:55 – Best Practice: Nick Jaworski
3:00 – 3:25 – Best Practice: Richard McCready
3:30 – 3:55 – Best Practice: Amy Burns
3:55 – 4:00 – Closing Comments – Jim Frankel, SoundTree Managing Director

To attend METOS: Spotlight on Creativity you must first be a member of the SoundTree Institute. Enrolling is easy, and an annual membership gets you so much more than just this fabulous event. Once you are a member, simply Enroll in METOS: Spotlight on Creativity on the Upcoming Courses page of the Institute.

METOS will be held in the SoundTree Institute on Monday, October 10th, 2011 from 11:00am until 4:00pm ET. Registration for METOS 2011 is FREE with a paid subscription to the SoundTree Institute. Registration for the SoundTree Institute and METOS will open on Monday, September 12th.

Estimates indicate that some 80% of middle and high school students do not participate in school music performance activities. Combining music technology with creative activities presents a unique opportunity to reach these students through technology-based music classes. The Music, Education & Technology Online Summit (METOS 2011) will offer a wide variety of perspectives, strategies, and practices from notable experts and teachers in the field who have successfully implemented technology-based music classes and programs to reach non-traditional music students (NTMs), those that make up the majority of “The Other 80%”.

Keynote presenters will include Dr. Lucy Green (Professor of Music Education, University of London), author of How Popular Musicians Learn: A Way Ahead For Music Education; Ken Simpson (Director of Jazz Studies and Music Technology, Brookwood High School), one of the pioneering success stories of reaching out to NTMs; and co-presenters and conference organizers David Brian Williams (Emeritus Professor of Music and Arts Technology, Illinois State University) and Richard Dammers (Assistant Professor of Music Education, Rowan University). The Williams and Dammers website, www.musiccreativity.org, offers many resources and in-the-field profiles on this topic.

The METOS conference will also feature showcase presentations by teachers who have implemented innovative programs to reach the “Other 80%,” showcasing programs with a mix of grade levels, school sizes, budgets, and software and hardware solutions. The conference will conclude with online breakout sessions for Q & A time, and guidance on selecting software and hardware resources and seeking funding sources.

The overarching focus of METOS 2011 is to provide music educators with tools to implement successful programs in reaching non-traditional music students–The Other 80%–with curriculum and instructional strategies for technology-based music classes along with examples from practice, research data, and suggestions for next steps. Join us online for an exciting afternoon of mind-expanding, out-of-the-box ideas, experiences, and “evangelism” for using technology to reach the many students untouched by our school music curriculums.

Making Music with iPads, iPhones & iPod Touches
by Dr. Jim Frankel

No doubt that you have heard of the wonderful ways in which people are making music with the iDevices (iPads, iPhones & iPod Touches) from Apple. Musicians everywhere are finding new apps for music making each day – and they keep on coming. Music companies the world over are trying to figure out how to deal with this paradigm shift, and many have already produced both apps and hardware peripheral devices to facilitate some pretty serious music making.
One of the most common questions that I have been asked lately is “How can I incorporate these devices into my music curriculum?” Those of you familiar with my previous writings on this topic know that I still don’t believe they are ready for wide spread adoption in schools yet – mostly due to the limitations of the apps and the lack of control over content. However, I am confident that the day will come when tablet devices like the iPad will be adopted as the primary interface for student computing in the K-12 and higher education environments. There are quite a few improvements that need to be made to make them a completely transparent learning tool – but it is possible. These are exciting times.
This article is an attempt to provide music educators with ideas on how to incorporate the existing (and previous) versions of these devices into the music curriculum, along with some specific recommendations for apps and hardware peripherals as well as resources that will help you find out even more.

Apps for Music Making

Before I start to list an assortment of my personal favorite music making apps, I think it would be helpful to categorize them a bit. For the purposes of this article, I will name those categories: Notation, Sequencing, CAI, Performance, and Music Readers. CAI stands for computer-assisted instruction, but all the other categories should be pretty self explanatory. It is by no means a complete list, but provides an overview of some of the most well known apps. Here we go:

Notation

In my opinion, you’re not going to find ANY notation apps that can hold a candle (or a match) to Finale or Sibelius. The current sized screens on these devices makes it difficult to accurately input notes onto a staff with your finger tips. Using them on an iPhone or iPod Touch is nearly impossible. But that hasn’t stopped app makers from trying.

Symphony ($4.99 on the iTunes App Store) – Probably the most well-known of the available notation apps, this is the basic edition of Symphony. For more features, step up to Pro. Pros: great sounds, multiple staves, accidentals. Cons: MIDI based files, no slurs, text or ties.

Symphony Pro ($12.99 on the iTunes App Store) – This is as close as it gets to “real” notation software on an iDevice. Lots of great features, and the app benefits greatly from the increased screen space on an iPad. Pros: a full-featured notation app for the iPad, improved UI, great sounds, exports files in a wide variety of formats including MusicXML, MIDI, MP3, and PDF. Cons: you need small fingers to use the app effectively. Check out http://www.symphonypro.net/ for more details.

PocketScore ($1.99 on the iTunes App Store) – A great looking and affordable alternative to Symphony. Definitely worth a look. Pros: MusicXML based files, better UI, better accuracy when entering notes, different clefs & time signatures. Cons: pretty mediocre sound set. Check out http://www.electricears.com/prod_tpl2.php?id=67 for more details.

Scorio (FREE on the iTunes App Store) – a FREE notation app for iPad only, Scorio is a pretty decent way to experience notating music on an iPad. It is pretty clunky compared to the apps listed above – but it is FREE. Pros: FREE app for student use, supports multiple staves and lyrics, nice UI. Cons: difficult to change note duration, difficult to be accurate when placing notes on score as well as making menu selections. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scorio-music-notator/id417227998?mt=8 for more details.

Sequencing

Unlike the notation category, there are a lot of terrific apps for sequencing and recording music on the iPad, iPhone, and even the iPod Touch. The only thing to be concerned about when using these types of apps is how much of your memory you use when creating music. One of the downsides to these devices is that they have relatively small amounts of memory available when compared to laptop ad desktop machines. If you are going to do some serious music making, you’re going to want to use a serious machine. The sequencing apps listed below are terrific for capturing ideas, and creating on the go. I know that there are many that are not on the list that are fantastic – but I was going for simplicity here for the most part.

GarageBand ($4.99 on the iTunes App Store) – hands down the best music making app available in my opinion – Pros: Utilizing USB microphones and keyboards for recording, incredible UI, loops, new “Smart” instruments, close to the original program. Cons: exporting songs is difficult (requires syncing), cannot edit MIDI once recorded in, does not work on iPhone or iPod Touch. Check out http://www.apple.com/ipad/from-the-app-store/garageband.html for more details.

Groovemaker (FREE – with options to upgrade) – This is a very different style of sequencer from GarageBand. It is geared more toward building up grooves in a step-sequencer style interface. You won’t be able to plug a USB microphone or keyboard into Groovemaker, but it is a fun way to make some pretty cool sounding music. Pros: great sound set, easy to learn, students will enjoy the vibrant UI. Cons: you only get one song with the free version – need to purchase additional packs at $9.99 each, no USB/MIDI recording. Check out http://www.groovemaker.com/ipad/features/ for more details.

FourTrack ($9.99 on the iTunes App Store) – looking for a simple four track (non MIDI) recorder for your iDevice? This is it. With built-in effects, amp models, and support for USB audio, it is a great old-school sequencer without all of the loops associated with newer sequencers. Pros: easy to use, great effects and amp models, export files to your DAW. Cons: no MIDI support or virtual instruments. Check out http://www.sonomawireworks.com/iphone/fourtrack/ for more details.

Rebirth ($9.99 for iPad/$3.99 for iPhone/iPod Touch). For musicians familiar with Reason, this is a perfect app for you. Using the same style of plug in instruments and drum machines, Rebirth is a powerful music making app. Pros: great sound set, similar to the Reason UI, exports to MP3. Cons: very crowded UI on iPhone and iPod Touch, clunky step sequencer. Check out http://rebirthapp.com/rebirth-for-ipad/ for more details.

CAI

This could be the biggest section by far, so I will try to limit it to five of my personal favorite apps that focus on teaching musical concepts. There are hundreds of apps for specific instruments, including fingering charts, chord diagrams, etc. I urge you to go to the iTunes App Store and browse through the many, many apps in the Music category and find your own favorite!

O-Generator Acoustic ($4.99 on the iTunes App Store) – Now for iPad as well as iPhone and iPod Touch, this is the iDevice version of the popular software from O-Generator, Learn To Compose. While it could fall into the sequencing category as well, the song writing tutorials are terrific. This is truly an app for learning how to create music. Pros: same interface as software version, great sounds, exports as AAC/WAV. Cons: no MIDI instruments or USB audio connectivity. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/o-generator-acoustic-music/id416576435?mt=8 for more details.

The History of Jazz ($9.99 on the iTunes App Store) – This iPad-only app is a fantastic interactive guide to the history of jazz (they also have a new History of Woodstock app out that is very similar) that provides users with an animated timeline that focuses on periods of jazz. Click through to artists and representative YouTube videos Pros: great information, great UI, great organization of media. Cons: somewhat limited artist roster and suggested listening choices. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-history-jazz-interactive/id411521458?mt=8 for more details.

Pitch Primer ($9.99 on the iTunes App Store) – This app has been around for quite some time, but what it does is very useful for musicians. You play an instrument or sing into the app and it tracks your pitch very accurately. It’s a great visualization of how well you play in tune. It also analyzes recordings that you import into it. Pros: has built-in exercises, works on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Cons: it’s kind of a one-trick pony. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pitch-primer/id339022431?mt=8# for more details.

Nota ($1.99 on the iTunes App Store) – This is a great app to help students learn how to read music. It has a number of different ways to learn the notes on a staff, chords and scales. It also has a great quiz feature. Pros: great interface, quiz feature is a bonus, has a HD version for iPad. Cons: no way to record quiz grades onto other devices. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nota/id333179169?mt=8 for more details.

Chordmaster ($0.99 on the iTunes App Store) – this is a must-have app for any guitar player. The simple UI allows users to input a chord in any inversion or voicing and the app will display how to play it on guitar. Pros: easy to use, great tool, great sounds. Cons: none! Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chordmaster/id308730617?mt=8 for more details.

Performance

One of the most exciting aspects of the iDevice app genre is the performance tools that are available. Designers are creating both new versions of existing instruments and brand new instruments. Here are some of my favorite apps.

Korg iMS-20 ($15.99 on the iTunes App Store) – OK. I am a bit biased on this one, but I am so proud to work for Korg because of things like this. A perfect recreation of the legendary Korg MS-20, it works with USB MIDI keyboards, and even the MS-20 USB controller. A very serious music making and performance tool. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/korg-ims-20/id401142966?mt=8 for more details. iPad only.

Korg iElectribe & iElectribe Gorillaz ($9.99 each on the iTunes App Store) – Once again, Korg has faithfully recreated on of its legendary hardware devices for iPad – the iElectribe. And now, they let the band Gorillaz mod the app to allow users to remix some of their tunes. An amazing music making device. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/korg-ielectribe/id363714043?mt=8 and http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/korg-ielectribe-gorillaz-edition/id430288460?mt=8 for more details.

Bebot ($1.99 on the iTunes App Store) – one of the most popular music apps, Bebot has been featured in many YouTube videos and is a great way for students to make music with iDevices. It’s an affordable instrument and highly addictive! Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bebot-robot-synth/id300309944?mt=8 for more details.

AmpliTube ($19.99 on the iTunes App Store) – If you are a guitar player and an iPad owner, this is a must-have app. Period. Filled with different amp models, stomp boxes and effects, AmpliTube allows you to plug your guitar into your iPad and play through any amp! All for under $20. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amplitube-for-ipad/id373750924?mt=8 for more details.

MorphWiz ($9.99 on the iTunes App Store) – created by DreamTheater keyboardist extraordinaire Jordan Rudess, MorphWiz is an amazing sounding instrument for your iDevice that will amaze you. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/morphwiz/id377345348?mt=8 for more details.

Music Readers

One of the easiest ways to translate music to an iDevice, specifically the iPad, is using it a music reader. While it is certainly possible to use the iBooks App ads well as apps like GoodReader to import PDF versions of your scores to then read, the following apps have some extra features that are pretty cool.

ForScore ($4.99 on the iTunes App Store) – ForScore is one of the most popular music readers available, with developers who implement user suggestions quickly. Compatible with Bluetooth page turners, ForScore has great annotation and organization features to help you mark up scores, and keep track of them when you’re done. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forscore/id363738376?mt=8 for more details.

Medley ($4.99 on the iTunes App Store) – this is another great PDF music reader for iPad, with annotation and organization tools. Before making a choice between this an ForScore, I would recommend checking out the provided links and reading the reviews. They both do essentially the same thing. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/medley-music-score-reader/id348530524?mt=8 for more details.

MusicNotes (FREE on the iTunes App Store) – Although this app used to have an in-app purchase option to buy sheet music, it has been removed as per request from Apple (I guess they want to sell sheet music too?). A free music reader is a great option for education, and the app doesn’t skip any features. Check out http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-viewer/id369741034?mt=8 for more details.

Aside from these four categories of apps, there are many, many other creative and fun apps for music making. I suggest asking your students what their favorites are and then ask them to play with them. See if you can find some pedagogical uses of their apps. Now on to hardware.

Hardware Peripherals

One of the most exciting ways to expand the music making possibilities of an iDevice is to connect a hardware peripheral such as a USB microphone or a MIDI keyboard controller. The iPhone and iPod Touch do not have as many possibilities as the iPad in terms of connectivity, but there are some interesting options listed below.
In terms of the iPad, the most important first step for any one wanting to make music is to purchase the Apple USB Camera Connection Kit (http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A). At a cost of $29.99, this small device converts the 30 pin connector at the bottom of the iPad to a USB port, allowing you to connect virtually any USB device, including USB headphones, USB microphones (such as the Blue Snowball), and MIDI keyboards – including the very popular Korg nanoKEY2, nanoPAD2 and nanoKONTROL2. Unfortunately, the Apple USB Camera Connection Kit device does not work with the iPhone or iPod Touch yet, but it may in the future. There are many devices out there however that do not require this device. Let’s take a look at a few:

AmpliTube iRig from IK Multimedia
$39.95
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Amplitube-iRig_p_534.html

Paired with AmpliTube (mentioned above) the iRig helps turn your iPhone/iPod/iPad touch into the ultimate mobile guitar and bass multi-effect processor and mobile recording studio. Use the AmpliTube iRig interface adapter to connect your guitar to your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad through the headphone jack. You simply plug the 1/4” patch cable from your guitar into the iRig and you are off and running. Play, practice and record anytime, anywhere with world-class guitar and bass tones right in the palm of your hand. AmpliTube gives you incredibly realistic tones and effects, plus full multitrack recording capabilities in a convenient mobile app, all from the leaders in analog gear modeling software for professional recording studios.

IK Multimedia iRig Microphone
$59.95
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/IK-Multimedia-iRig-Microphone_p_541.html

The iRig Microphone is the first handheld, quality condenser microphone for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad designed for all of your mobile sound needs. Now you can make professional audio and vocal recordings anywhere on your iOS device. It comes with an app called VocaLive that allows you to add effects to your vocals and to record them. It is a perfect addition to the GarageBand app – allowing you to make high quality recordings of vocals and acoustic instruments.

iKlip from IK Multimedia
$39.95
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/IK-Multimedia-iKlip_p_535.html

The new iKlip for iPad (with a new iKlip for iPad 2 on its way) makes it easy for you to use your iPad in any live setting — on stage, in the studio, at school or in the boardroom. With its multi-angle adjustable design, you can now securely position your iPad for optimal viewing and accessibility, while all controls, buttons and connection ports remain free from obstruction.

Alesis iODock Pro
$199.95
Coming soon!

The iODock (also called the StudioDock Pro) from Alesis transforms your iPad 1 or 2 into a full audio recording studio. Just get your iPad in place, and get ready to start making great recordings. The Alesis iODock offers two XLR/TRS inputs, each with gain, phantom power, and guitar-direct modes. This is a unique product and provides music teachers with the only way to get so many inputs to your iPad for music making. However you use it, the Alesis iODock offers full recording, performing, and playback with virtually all audio/video apps in the App Store.

Akai SynthStation 25
$89.95
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Akai-SynthStation25_p_483.html

The Akai SynthStation25 transforms your iPhone or iPod Touch into a portable music production studio for mobile music creation. This MIDI keyboard controller gives your handheld device a two-octave set of piano keys and professional audio outputs, and it works with the Akai Professional SynthStation app, as well as other select third party apps. The SynthStation25 is powerful enough for professional musicians, yet virtually anyone can use is to easily create music.

Akai SynthStation 49
@ $199.99
Coming soon!

One of the most anticipated products of the year, the Akai SynthStation49 is a music controller designed specifically for use with the iPad or iPad 2 and the first true iPad performance tool for musicians. SynthStation49 provides unparalleled music creation capabilities, including direct in-app MIDI recording from its velocity-sensitive keyboard, nine MPC-style drum pads and array of transport controls. In addition to its integration with the SynthStation app, SynthStation49 is also completely iOS CoreMIDI compatible, making it instantly compatible with dozens of music apps already in the App Store and hundreds more on the way.

Line 6 MIDI Mobilizer
$69.99
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Line-6-Midi-Mobilizer_p_473.html

The only MIDI interface for Apple iPhone and iPod touch. Together with an Apple iPhone or iPod touch, and the free MIDI Memo Recorder app, MIDI Mobilizer can play, record, and backup MIDI information any time, any place. Whether you want to capture a quick musical idea or back up the settings of all your MIDI gear, MIDI Mobilizer is the most simple and compact solution for everything MIDI. MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with all models of iPhone and iPod touch.

In addition to these products, the following devices are perfect add-ons that can be used with the Apple USB Camera Connection Kit. While it is possible to use USB keyboard controllers and microphones that require more power than an iPad or iPhone/iPod Touch can supply using a powered USB hub, the devices listed do not require any additional power to work with iDevices.

Korg nanoKEY 2
$49.99
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Korg-nanoKEY2_p_537.html

The Korg nanoKEY2 features an advanced and up-to-date design. By combining the great-feeling “touch” that Korg has developed for its professional MIDI keyboards and the low-profile “thinness” of recent computer keyboard innovations, the nanoKEY2 provides a superior keyboard response for its class and size. It’s designed with ample key width and plenty of space between the keys, reducing the chances of a wrong note. The touch and velocity response have been carefully tuned, as only a manufacturer with Korg’s track record and know-how can, ensuring that your expressive performance will be conveyed accurately to your software. Just plug it in to your Apple USB Camera Connection Kit and you are ready to go!

Korg nanoPAD2
$59.99
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Korg-nanoPAD2_p_559.html

Like all Korg nanoSERIES2 controllers, the nanoPAD2 had to be compact, lightweight and sized to work well with any laptop or desktop computer. In addition, the nanoPAD2 also had to pack in 16 great-feeling and dynamic-sensing pads – as well as leaving room for the X-Y touchpad! The Korg nanoPAD2 does all this and more. In fact, there are four banks of pad assignments, providing a total of 64 pad assignments.

Korg nanoKONTROL2
$59.99
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Korg-nanoKONTROL2_p_557.html

In a body proportioned to fit perfectly in front of your laptop computer, the Korg nanoKONTROL2 provides eight channels of the controllers you need to control your music software. The nanoKONTROL2 also features a dedicated transport control section. The buttons have been carefully selected to be useful with your software, ensuring simple and intuitive control. Many software titles – including major DAW programs – are supported, dramatically reducing the need to make complicated connection settings. Works great with the GarageBand app!

Blue Snowball
$99.99
Available at http://store.soundtree.com/Blue-Snowball_p_61.html

Finally, a USB mic that’s not only easy to use, but sounds as good on your desktop as it does in a professional recording studio. Meet the Snowball; the world’s first professional USB mic. Whether you’re recording a guitar at your kitchen table or a complete band in the studio, the Snowball can capture it with detail unheard of before in a USB mic. The Snowball works perfectly with the GarageBand app, and the iPad provides enough power to power the capsule. Terrific!

Ideas for Curriculum Integration

The best way to find ways to integrate iDevices into the music curriculum is to actually try it out for yourself through a process of trial and error. The easiest way to integrate an iPod Touch or iPod into the music curriculum is to use it to organize your music library for easy and fast retrieval during lessons. That is probably the way that most teachers use these devices when they first start bringing them into the classroom, but there are so many more ways to use them.

Make recordings of your students and performances – you can use apps like GarageBand and VocaLive to make recordings onto your iPad. There are also plenty of apps for iPhone and iPod Touches that do the same thing.

Learn songs - I have seen quite a few instances of teachers who have their students access videos on YouTube to learn songs. If you search “How To Play _______” you are sure to find plenty of videos posted.

Tuner/Metronome – there are plenty of free and paid apps that allow you to use your iDevice as a tuner and metronome.

Presentation Device - if you own an iPad or iPad 2, you do have the option of connecting your device directly to an LCD projector. The iPad 1 only has limited apps that will project (iWork apps like Keynote work great). The iPad 2 has built in HDMI support allows you you to project anything that you see on your screen to the LCD projector. You will need to purchase this adapter at http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC953ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY. I would strongly recommend upgrading to an iPad 2 just for this feature if you plan on using an iPad for presentations. If you have an iPad 1, you can use a document camera (ie an ELMO) to project your screen so that your students can see what you are doing.

Music reader - it is possible that the textbook of the future will be a tablet computer. If so, no doubt the students will carry their music to school and rehearsals on their devices. Music readers apps will be mandatory. I recently heard from a music teacher who scanned all of his music that his band was playing at a festival onto his iPad in case anyone lost their music.

Alternative performance ensembles - there are more and more iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch bands showing up on YouTube, and in schools. With the music performance apps listed above, it is possible to make some serious music with these devices. I am confident that these types of ensembles will become more and more common in schools in the future.

Music creation devices – iDevices are an affordable alternative to purchasing laptops or desktop computers for your classroom. While they are not a replacement for computers yet, using apps like GarageBand, students can create music with these devices.

Resources

At the time of this writing, there are no books available that deal specifically with integrating iDevices in to the music curriculum. You’ll have to look online to see what the early adopters have been doing. These trailblazers are really pushing the envelope to see what works and what doesn’t with iDevices in a school setting. There are quite a few issues that need to be solved (using cellphones in school, who buys the apps for the students, how to control the content on the devices, etc) before there is widespread adoption in schools, and we have those folks trying it now to thank. The following online resources are a great place to start if you are thinking of bringing iDevices into your classroom.

www.musicpln.org – The MusicPLN site is an amazing place to start looking for iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch resources. I would strongly recommend joining this free site and simply posting questions about how others are using iDevices in their classrooms. You can be very confident that you will get quite a few responses, complete with links to further resources.

www.mustech.net – Dr. Joseph Pisano’s incredible music technology blog has quite a few reviews of iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch apps with music education specifically in mind. You’ll find quite a bit of other amazing resources there as well.

http://mustechalley.com/ – the home of Richard McCready’s music technology program at River Hill HS in Clarksville, MD, Richard is doing amazing things with iDevices in his classroom. I would strongly recommend checking out this site and getting in touch with him. He is truly a trailblazer on this front.

www.musicedtech.com – this is the homepage of Barbara Freedman, a fantastic music educator in Greenwich, CT who is also doing great things with iDevices and her high school students. A great resource all around!

http://ipadmusiced.wordpress.com/ – another great blog by music educator Paul Shimmons. Lots of entries on music apps. Perhaps the most iPad-centered music blog I can find.

http://ipadeducators.ning.com/ – a Ning on iPads in Education. While not music-centric, it is a great resource on how other subject areas are using iPads in their classrooms. Lots to be learned here.

There was one other site located at www.ipmep.org (the iPad in Music Education Project) that was fantastic, but it seems that it has been taken down for one reason or another. I am sure that more online resources will be available in the future. Please let me know if you have suggestions to add to this list of resources. I can always be reached at jimf@soundtree.com. It is my sincere hope that this overview is useful to you, and has given you some ideas for incorporating iDevices into your music curriculum.

SoundTree is pleased to announce that the Second Edition of Tom Rudolph’s book,
Sibelius: A Comprehensive Guide to Sibelius Music Notation Software, is now shipping.

The new edition includes dozens of new graphics, text and examples of how to use features introduced in Sibelius 5 and 6 including:

· Using the Ideas Window for composing and arranging

· Entering and editing chords and notation with the onscreen keyboard and fretboard.

· Using Magnetic Layout to save time formatting parts and scores

· Inputting a Live Tempo, so the score tempo follows the one you play in real time

· Working with Sibelius Sounds for enhanced playback of your scores

· Synching Sibelius with Pro Tools and other DAW software to work with notation and audio simultaneously.

The book, co-authored with Vince Leonard, is designed for beginning and experienced Sibelius users. The book is the result of teaching Sibelius in workshops over the past six summers. The unique aspect of the book is that each chapter features a complete musical example that the user enters.

Each chapter gets more and more complicated covering virtually all of the basic and not- so-basic Sibelius features. There is a complete index and the book covers a wide range of examples from single staves to a full score with video. Several users of the first edition tell us that they use the book as their general index to Sibelius because the index is complete and comprehensive.

There is a companion website designed to be used with the book at www.sibeliusbook.com which is being updated with the new files for the chapters. From the site home page, you can download the complete table of contents and a sample chapter (Chapter 2). The website includes many files that can be useful when teaching courses on Sibelius, such as partially completed files for most chapters.

To purchase your copy, visit the SoundTree Online Store today.

Recently, a new publication was released in the form of an eMagazine titled Leading Notes. It is co-authored and edited by two exceptionally intelligent and motivated gradate-level music education majors, Justine Dolorfino and Nick Jaworski. The premiere issue asked a very simple question: What is the State of Music Education? The responses came from a diverse population of music education thinkers, bloggers, teachers, students, advocates, and practitioners. They are well worth a read.

What I find remarkable about this new publication is both the quality and level of discourse and the “proof of concept”. The contributing authors for the first edition have written some thought-provoking articles, worthy of scholarly publication. Their insights are razor sharp and the discussion surrounding the music education profession is brutally honest. Technology is a major theme that runs throughout as well as the concept of “The Other 80%”. To me, it is encouraging to read articles that see technology as a means of meeting the needs of the wider school population – something that I have been talking about for years. I urge you to take the time to read each and every one.

By “proof of concept” I mean for the first time (in my recollection) two industrious music educators have created a well thought out publication, produced, edited and distributed entirely online at virtually no cost. Amazing. Hats off to Justine and Nick for truly creating something new. It is my hope that Leading Notes becomes a regular resource, and causes music educators everywhere to take time to think about what they actually do on a daily basis.

Your comments are welcome.

SoundTree is proud to offer the incredible products from JamHub – a revolutionary way for students to practice together with electronic instruments.

Private and public music educators around the world are incorporating popular music as a new path for music education, but there are difficulties with making these programs coexist with traditional programs. Now, with JamHub silent rehearsal studios, there is a simple and affordable solution to creating silent rehearsal studios within your music rooms, allowing you to teach rock while you teach rock instrumentation and music, while you teach traditional band music and instruments.

How it works: With a JamHub you can setup a band nearly anywhere and it’s easy to use. Simply pick a color section for each musician and plug in their instruments, microphones and headphones — one section per musician. JamHubs are simple to use, if your students can plug in a cable and turn a knob, they can run a JamHub. Since each musician can create and control his or her own individual mix, musicians will hear themselves like never before, with amazing clarity, which means their playing will improve faster. Because each musician is listening to their individual mix through headphones there are no volume escalation wars in your room.

The JamHub Tour Bus

Start your modern music program today: JamHubs come in three different models so you can start at a size and budget that is right for you and grow your program as more and more students come to play. You’ll attract students who love playing rock band with their friends and keep them excited as they explore more music and musical styles. You will show your school how offering music lessons in rock, pop, and hip-hop, will increase your program’s enrollment and students’ enrichment. And as your program achieves success, you can add additional JamHubs at a pace that’s right for your program and budget. JamHubs are also the PERFECT solution for creating iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Ensembles. Simply plug each device into the JamHub and you’re off!

JamHubs open the door to more music making: It used to be cost prohibitive to teach rock music instrumentation at school. You needed sound insulation or more rooms to quiet down disruptive drums, loud guitar amps and microphone feedback ridden PA systems. Those problems are solved with a JamHub studio setup in your music room.

JamHubs are laptop size and can be setup anywhere and operated easily. The only ones who hear the band are those who are connected to their JamHub, so with multiple JamHubs, multiple bands can rehearse in the same room. Your program can setup a modern music studio — including all the instruments you need for a rock quartet — for less money than a mid-range trombone or two JamHub studios and instruments for less than the cost of a single sousaphone.

For more information about JamHub and how you can create the perfect solution for your music program, contact a SoundTree Account Manager today by call 1 (800) 963-8733 or by emailing us at info@soundtree.com.

Always wanted to get a group piano lab program started at your school or private studio, but haven’t been able to afford it? Take advantage of this incredible limited offer only from SoundTree.

Korg SP-170 5-Station Piano Lab – ONLY $2,699.99*

SoundTree is proud to offer our most affordable piano lab package ever. Now through March 20, 2011 you can take advantage of this amazing offer. Our Korg SP-170 5-Station Piano Lab includes the following:

* 5 Korg SP-170 Digital Pianos (Black or White) – complete with the optional stand
* 5 On Stage Piano Benches
* 5 Sennheiser HD-201 Stereo Headphones
* 5 Complete Sets of Alfred Basic Piano Library Group Piano Course Levels 1 – 4
* 1 Teachers Edition of the complete Alfred Basic Piano Library Group Piano Course
* FREE one-hour training webinar
* FREE lifetime technical support

At an unbelievable price of $2,699.99, the Korg SP-170 5-Station Piano Lab is the perfect way to get a group piano lab started, or to expand your current lab.

To order your Korg SP-170 5-Station Piano Lab, or for more information, please call 1 (800) 963-8733, email us, or contact your local SoundTree Account Manager today.

*Price does not include shipping or applicable taxes. Installation and training services are available at an additional cost. The Korg SP-170 5-Station Piano Lab does not include the Korg GEC3 or Student Interface Boxes. There is no limit on how many packages can be purchased. For more information about SoundTree Piano Labs, contact us at info@soundtree.com.

A few months back, I wrote about my first impressions of the iPad in music education and education in general. I am a proud iPad owner now, and love the feel of the device. As I wrote back then, I think that as a consumer product, the iPad is one of the most amazing devices ever created. However, I don’t feel that they are quite ready for prime time. As an educator, I think that there are some improvements that need to be made in order for it to replace the current model of desktop and laptop computers in the classroom. The following is my vision of the radical change that iPads and other PC tablets will hopefully bring to both our pedagogical approach, and the possibilities for exciting learning opportunities in our classrooms. While certainly a bit pie-in-the-sky, it hopefully illustrates the many different ways that iPads might be used in a music classroom.

Two years in the future….

A middle school general/instrumental music teacher steps out of car ready for a long day of lessons, rehearsals, and classes. Over her shoulder is a small bag containing an iPad, her keys, her lunch, sunglasses, and a baton. She does not have to drag in a milk-crate on wheels filled with materials, papers, tuners, student work that she has graded the night before, a handheld recorder, and a plethora of other teacher tools. Her only tools are a baton and an iPad. She smiles as she enters the building, looking forward to another day with her students. Although she has been teaching 22 years, she still looks forward to coming to school and the many exciting projects that she is working on with her students.

As the opening bell rings, the students start entering the building. They too have small bags slung over their shoulders. No massive book bags filled with textbooks. Just their lunches, some typical kids things, and an iPad. When the first period bell rings, the music teacher pulls out her iPad, and asks all of the students in her room to pull out their iPads as well. Her 6th grade general music class will start as soon as some housekeeping tasks are complete. A piece of attendance software on the music teachers iPad automatically detects which students are in the room, which are in the building and on their way, and which are simply not in school that day. The task of taking attendance is a simple as clicking submit. The record is sent to the school’s attendance software. After the students are logged into their machines, the daily announcements are automatically downloaded via an RSS feed, along with other useful articles from various school-focused blogs and news outlets on the web. There is no longer a need for homeroom. The students are expected to stay on top of the various things happening at school. Within two minutes, her general music class begins.

Today, she is teaching her students about Scott Joplin. She opens up a Keynote presentation that she prepared the night before. She points her iPad toward her class and pushes her presentation to the students. Their iPads download her presentation and within 30 seconds, using iPad Remote Desktop, she goes through the presentation on her iPad, with all the students iPads synced up so that they can only see what she is presenting. On the fourth slide of her presentation, she has embedded an MP3 of the Maple Leaf Rag. The students hear the music through their own iPads which is synced to the teachers machine to avoid any type of latency. After listening to the piece, the students are asked to open up Pages, and add an entry about Maple Leaf Rag to their listening blogs. The teacher has an RSS feed for each student, and using Google Reader, can easily access and assess the students work anywhere, at any time. After ten minutes, the teacher continues her presentation. A few slides later, she brings the students to the Smithsonian Jazz site, and an article about Scott Joplin. They are encouraged to look around the site, and find a few interesting facts about his life. The presentation continues, and the students are guided through some more music and even some videos about Joplin’s life. At the end of the presentation, the teacher announces that the students will be composing their own rags, based on the harmonization of the Maple Leaf Rag. She asks the students to open their notation software, and she pushes a file that she has prepared to the students to download. The class is almost over, so she explains the assignment: using their notation programs, the students are to create an 8 measure melody in the right hand, using the left hand part from Maple Leaf Rag. The assignment will be due the following week. Between this class and then, the students will post their compositions on the class wiki for comments and feedback. They will use their school-issued nanoKEYs to enter notation at home. The bell rings, and the students pick up their iPads and move to their next class.

Second period is another section of 6th grade general music. This class is a little behind the previous one, but the use of technology facilitates differentiated instruction, and she is not worried about them not being in the same place. She would rather her students have meaningful and substantive learning experiences than follow some artificial timeline for when certain material should be covered. Using student blogs, the class wiki, and iPads, the teacher can create individualized group learning environments that focus on the needs of her students. Those students who are ahead can participate in virtual activities online that keep them interested and learning. Those who are lagging behind can get extra help from their teacher using the tools that Web 2.0 provides.

After her third period prep (where she works on scheduling her electronic music ensemble rehearsals in preparation for their performance at the state MEA conference in February), she welcomes her band students to their rehearsal. The students walk in with their iPads and their instruments. After setting up their instruments, they sit down in their places, and attach their iPads to the stands that have been specially designed to attach securely to their iPads. The teachers asks them to open their warm up exercises on their iPads. Before the warm up exercises, she tunes each section chair with a tuner app from the iTunes App Store. The rest of the band tunes as well. After they warm up, the teacher introduces a new piece by opening up the score on her iPad and pushing it to the students. Each student only receives their respective part. The teacher talks through the piece with the students, and using the highlight feature of her iPad, highlights certain melodic and rhythmic motives for the students. After playing through the opening section a few times, she notices that they are having difficulty counting the dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythm that is prevalent throughout. To help them learn it, she takes control of their iPads (again using iPad Remote Desktop) and brings them to www.musictheory.net where she has them complete the relevant exercise on that rhythm. Because the iPads now have Flash compatibility, they can finally utilize interactive Flash-based websites like MusicTheory.net. The students complete the trainer exercise and their scores are automatically sent to the teachers iPad using an RSS feed. Once she is satisfied that they understand the rhythm has them rehearse it a few times using the metronome app from the iTunes App Store. The teacher also assigns the piece as homework using SmartMusic. The rehearsal continues with a few pieces that they have already worked on, and the teacher records the rehearsal on to her iPad for archival purposes.

After a period of lunch duty, the electronic music ensemble arrives at the music room excited about their upcoming performance. Using a few of the music apps available on the iTunes App Store, the students have composed several pieces of music and are working collaboratively on incorporating video into the performance. She loves this period the most because the students themselves are in charge of the music making experience. Some of them are advanced enough to have written their own apps using the iPhone SDK (which they are registered for). The sale of these apps, along with several popular recordings that they have sale on the iTunes Music Store (using TuneCore.com to upload their albums), help to support the music program. The students also have their own loop selling business, but they do this on their own. Instead of paper routes, they are working musicians selling loops to help them pay for college. The ensemble takes out some of the hardware devices that the teacher purchased, and use applications such as Max/MSP and Ableton LIVE, along with some controllers to work on their latest piece. As there is no available repertoire for a group like this (yet), they are responsible for composing all of their music. Sadly, the bell rings, and the fun has to stop. The students pack up their iPads, put the controllers away, and head out the door for their next class.

The end of the school day is approaching, but first she has two sections of 8th grade general music. She loves teaching these classes because they are currently working on creating a film about the Renaissance. Using iMovie, GarageBand, notation software, USB microphones and keyboards, as well as the built-in video cameras on their iPads, the students have been charged with creating a Ken Burns-styled documentary about various aspects of music, history and culture of Europe during the Renaissance. This project has been under way for the past month, and students are working in collaborative groups both during class and outside of the school day, using wikis and Google Docs to create the script and storyboard, as well as grabbing various images and sound files from teacher-approved websites. Once the projects are complete, the finished products will be posted on the music programs’ dedicated, private YouTube Channel. Students will be invited to write critiques of each others’ work once posted. The built-in wifi on the iPads means that the students can be anywhere when they complete assignments. They can also send the entire school their finished projects using the RSS feed from their YouTube channel, so when the students open their iPads one morning, they will have a link to these projects automatically appear in the news reader.

The maintenance of these machines was a pretty big fear for the school district’s IT department, but when they did a cost analysis of annual old fashioned textbook purchases and adoptions, they found that the $699/wifi enabled iPad price tag was actually less expensive. With digitized textbooks loaded on to their machines on the first day of school each year, students are assured of the most up to date texts available. Once the school district adopted the iPads as their primary method of information dissemination and assessment, they hired certified technicians to keep everything up and running. Students in Kindergarten are given iPads which are specially designed to absorb some of the wear and tear they might expect to receive, and the students keep them until the end of 2nd Grade. In 3rd grade, they are given a new iPad and keep those through the end of 5th grade. Middle school means another iPad, and one final iPad for high school. In total, 4 iPads in 12 years. The students are allowed to personalize their machines in any way they wish, and at the end of their use, they are donated to students in third world countries – many of whom they have been collaborating with using the OLPC XO machines.

But the music teacher doesn’t really care about any of this. She only knows that she gets a new iPad every 3 years. At the end of the day, she updates her class wikis and blogs with assignments and discussion questions before heading home. She puts her iPad into her bag and heads home. Once there, she sticks her iPad into her docking station and monitors what her students are doing in the various online environments she has created for them. It never ceases to amaze her how much her students communicate with each other about her assignments at home. She occasionally interacts with some of the student discussions that are going on in the evening. She also checks for the SmartMusic assignments that come in fairly frequently – she is encouraged that they are picking up on the dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythms. Maybe tomorrow’s rehearsal will be even better. As she goes to sleep, she looks forward to the many exciting things her students will do.

What do you think? Wishful thinking? Possible? Good for education? Bad? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Noteflight Classroom is an online service designed expressly for music educators. It is based on the Noteflight Score Editor, a full-featured notation tool that displays, edits, prints and plays back music notation in any standard web browser on Mac, Windows or Linux, using Adobe Flash Player™. Noteflight Classroom comes complete with its own administrative tools, and requires no integration whatsoever with any other software!

As a teacher, you can purchase Noteflight Classroom from SoundTree on our webstore, and
immediately create your own, private teaching community at the push of a button. You also gain access to a library of ready-made, teacher-tested learning activities produced by the Vermont MIDI Project.

Here are some of the things teachers are doing with Noteflight Classroom:

Share Music Examples

Noteflight is great for examples; embed a short piece directly in a page, or just include a hyperlink to a longer work. Students can play back all of a score or just a few measures, and can even listen to individual parts and notes. A moving cursor follows the score during playback.

Create Online Assignments

When you create an assignment template, each student automatically receives his/her own copy of the assignment to work on. Later you can review individual students’ work and provide your feedback online, directly in a student’s document. You can look at how a student’s work has directly progressed over time by looking at previously saved versions.

Foster a Musical Community

Noteflight Classroom provides a private, secure space for all the materials created by you and your students. This space is separate from those of other communities and from the public Noteflight.com website. Noteflight Classroom comes with easy-to-use administrative tools that allow you to add your students effortlessly.

We at SoundTree strongly believe that the new Noteflight Classroom is the perfect add-on to your notation software purchase. It works seemlessly with either Finale or Sibelius. You can have your students work in class on either title and then have them complete assignments and projects at home so that their creative efforts don’t have to stop between classes. Students can easily open their work in Noteflight Classroom using Finale or Sibelius, work in class, and then open their work at home in their secure account. It is the perfect way to expand your classroom in the Web 2.0 world.

For more information about Noteflight Classroom, call your local SoundTree Account Manager today at 1 (800) 963-8733.