TMEA
February 10, 2005
2:00 PM
Real Life Uses
of Music Technology
for Music Educators
Real Life Uses
of
Music Technology
for
Music Educators
Clinician
Herbert
M. Midgley II.
Stephen
F. Austin State University
Do You use Music Technology in your Classroom?
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Do You use Music Technology in your Classroom?
You are if you
use:
CDs and CD Player
Electronic Keyboard
Tape Recorder
Record Player
Video Tapes
Computer
Internet
Overhead
Projector
Slide Shows
At One Time
Paper
The
Pen
The
Pencil
The
Chalk Board
Were
all new Technologies
Would you like to Use More Music Technology in your classroom?
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It is easy to be Overwhelmed by Technology
MIDI
MP3
Digital
Audio
Internet
CAI
Sequencers
Music
Notation
Faster
and Faster Computers
At times do you feel like you can never catch up.
You Do not Have to be an Expert on Everything to
use
Music Technology in your Classroom
It
is simple
Pick
the Technology that will help you while teaching
Avoid
using Technology that will not help you teach efficiently
Use Music Technology that will help your students learn
Technology
is just a Tool
It
is no different than any other Tool
If
it is not used effectively, it will not help anyone learn
Do
not just use technology just to use it
Use
Technology that will help you teach music
Do
not use anything that wont help you teach
Why Should You Use Music Technology in your Classroom
Time
Your
Time
Your
Students Time
Efficiency
Another
Source of Instruction for your students
Some uses of Music Technology for the Music Educator
Accompanying
CAI
(Computer Assisted Instruction)
Composition
Improvisation
Handouts
Test
or Quizzes
Digital Audio
What
is it?
It
records analog sounds in to digital data
1s
and 0s
1s=
On
0s=
Off
101010010101010101010101010101010
How it Works
It
recorder audio
Files
are BIG
Good News
It
sounds almost exactly like what your ear hears
Bad News
It
records all of your mistakes
You can Edit this Data
Audacity
Digital
Audio program
Open
Source
Records
Digital Audio
Edits
Digital Audio
Wav
MP3
Audacity
Uses in the Classroom
Record
rehearsals
Record
individual students
Voice
Solo
Instrument
Audacity
Uses for Performance
Record
the Performance
Using
only a laptop and a microphone
Edit
Bad Parts out
Make
a Medley from more than one song
Use
a MIDI file to make an instrumental
iTunes
What
is it?
Audio
play back program
CD
Ripper
Extracts the song from the CD to a digital format
Can convert Wav
files to MP3
Great to post on your website
Make sure it is public domain or you have the rights
before you do this.
iTunes
It
can also burn CDs
It
can play back internet radio
A
legal way to download music off the web from the iTunes
Store
It
works great with an iPod!
iTunes
Uses in the Classroom
It
can Catalog your Music Library
Students
can listen to rehearsals
Students
can listen to their performances
Students
can listen to your catalog of classical music
With
iTunes you can allow other computers to access you iTunes library on a local network.
iTunes
How
to change the Import option
Edit
Preferences
Importing
Import
Using
ป MP3
ป ACC
ป Wav
ป AIFF
iTunes
I
use 160 or 192 kbps and Variable Bit Rate (VBR) Quality: Medium
This
sounds pretty close to CD to me
I
use 32 kbps to host on my website
Smaller
file
If
you have the space use the max bit rate
320
kbps Variable Bit Rate (VBR) Quality: Medium
I
cant tell the difference between this and a CD most of the time
Variable Bit Rate (VBR)
The
file size can be reduced by keeping bit rates low in non-complex parts of
audio. (Like a single snare drum) The increased quality comes from allowing
high bit rates in more complex segments of audio. (The full orchestra) To have
more bits assign to them.
Not
all MP3 players can use VBR
All
of the new ones should
Sequencers
What
is it?
It
records MIDI data
This
MIDI data tells other equipment to turn on and off musical performance
instruction
Analogy
- 4 Track Tape Recorder
A
Multi-track recorder
It
is Unlimited (16 - 1000+ Tracks)
How it Works
It
recorders performance data not sound
That
is why MIDI files are small
Note
on note off
Note
on C3
Status
Byte
Note
On
Data
Byte
Performance Data
Status
Byte Data
Byte
Note
On C3
A Bad Piano Player
Thats OK!
You
can play as fast or as slow as you want
Then
you can put the tempo back to actual speed
You
can play one hand at a time
Then
you can combine them together
You
can also use other midi controllers
Guitar
Wind
Percussion
Quantization your Best MIDI friend
Quantization
can help you if you can not play at a steady tempo
It
is hard to play (Straight) Like a computer
Quantization
can help you to (Line up your sequence)
Quantization
pulls your recording so that you are on the beat (or a beat)
Sequencing Software
Cubase
Performer
Protools
Master
Traks
Vision
Cakewalk
How to use Sequencers in your Music Classroom
Accompanying
CAI
(Computer Assisted Instruction)
Composition
Sequencers & Accompanying
Music
Programs
Rehearsals
Download
MIDI Files of a song
Record
it yourself
Sequencers vs. CDs
You
can Cut out Parts
You
can Change Tempo
You
can Transpose
You
can Change Instruments
You
can add or take out sections of music
You
can make your own music
Sequencers & CAI
(Computer Assisted Instruction)
You
can teach Form and Genre
Scales
Aural
Skills
Music
games
Sequencers & Composition
You
can teach Improvisation
Drum
and Percussion Composition
MIDI Files and GM
(General MIDI)
The
Internet has 1000s and 1000s of Midi files for you to download
Many
of these files are Classical and Folk Tunes
Most
of these Midi files are GM (General MIDI)
GM
(General MIDI) means that the sounds are standardized
Midi files vs. MP3
or WAV or AIFF Files
Midi
files are small
One
minute of Audio
(CD WAV or AIFF) = 10 Megabytes
One
minute of MP3 = 1 Megabyte
One
minute of a Midi
file = 2 kilobytes
Because MIDI is small it can run on older computers
A
10 year old computer can run a sequencer as easily as a brand new one
You
can not play MP3 files on a 10 year old computer
The Difference Between a Sequencer and Notation Software
Sequencer
Records
so that an Audience Hears a Performance
Notation
Produces a Musical Score so that someone with a
pulse can play it
Music Notation
What
is it?
A
program to produce a Musical Score
Notation Software
NotePad
Print
Music
Finale
Sibelius
Encore
MusicTime
Overture
How it Works
You
input information to produce a Musical Score
Three Ways to Enter Notes
Point
and Click
With
a Mouse and a Palettes
Step
-Time
Using
the Typing Keyboard and the MIDI Keyboard
Recording
in Real -Time
Using
a MIDI Keyboard to play notes Live into the computer
How to use Music Notation software in your Music Classroom
Accompanying
CAI
(Computer Assisted Instruction)
Composition
Notation Software & Accompanying
It
is visual
Music
Programs
Rehearsals
Download
MIDI Files of a song
Record
it yourself
Notation Software & CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction)
Note
reading
Rhythm
reading
Key
signatures
Time
signatures
Instrument
instruction
Music
handouts
Notation Software & Composition
Recording
in Real -Time
You
can teach Improvisation
Drum
and Percussion Composition
Notepad
What
is it?
Finales
free cousin
A
free Music Notation Program from the company that makes Finale
It
does not import or export midi files
It can not use a
midi keyboard to input music
It can read
Finale and Print Music files
Notepad
Uses in the Classroom
Students
can compose their own music
Then
Print it out!
Students
can input a difficult musical passage and the computer will play it back
Students
could study scores
They
can view the score
And
hear it played back at the same time
Notepad
Uses in the Classroom
Teachers
can make practice sheets
Scales
Difficult
passages from a composition you are performing
Exams
Warm
ups
Notepad
How to Use it
Use
the Notepad Entry Exercise
It
will teach you how to use this program
You
may not even miss the MIDI Keyboard
Other Software
Firefox (The Best Web browser, no Spyware,
no Active X)
Mozilla Suite (A free html editor in this Suite)
Open Office (A
free Office Suite)
Picasa (Photo Software)
Google Toolbar
(Blocks Popups in IE)
Music Studio Producer (Free MIDI
sequencer)
Other Software
Virus software
AVG Soft
Spyware Software
Adware
Spybot Kill and Destroy
Microsoftฎ
Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)
How to get Free Computers!
Your local
College or University has surplus computers
The School
Public Schools
Charities
Prisons
China
Land field
What a Waste!!
How to get Free Computers!
Computers
Monitors
Mice
Keyboards
Printers
Cables
Computer
Parts
Put a Small Computer Lab
For Next to Nothing
Put
the free software that I talked about today into a small lab
(1-5 computer stations.)
Notepad
iTunes
Audacity
Your Students Would Love It!
If
you dont have the technology skills
Ask
you IT support
Band,
Choir or Orchestra Boosters
Someone
is a tech nerd or geek
Get
some more training
Get
some Professional Development that you can use!
Thank You!
I
hope that you learn some information that you can use in your classroom
Contact Information
Herbert
M. Midgley II
Music Software Links
Audacity
iTunes
Notepad
Music Software Links
Places
to get free, shareware and demos
Shareware
Music Machine
Harmony
Central
Music Software Links
Midi
File Links
Other Software
Firefox (The Best Web browser, no Spyware,
no Active X)
Mozilla Suite (A free html editor in this Suite)
Open Office (A
free Office Suite)
Picasa (Photo Software)
Google Toolbar
(Blocks Popups in IE)
Music Studio Producer (Free MIDI
sequencer)
Other Software
Virus software
AVG Soft
Spyware Software
Adware
Spybot Kill and Destroy
Microsoftฎ
Windows AntiSpyware (Beta)
Good Luck!!!