Auto-tune

Auto-tune has been controversial ever since it became widely used and widely known in popular music back in the late 90s.  This software was designed to alter vocal and instrumental music in order to disguise off-key inaccuracies.  People argue that this is terrible because it gives a false sense of talent for the musicians in pop culture that young adults praise them for and has a negative affect on the production and perception of music.  In my opinion, Auto-tune could be a great thing if used EXTREMELY SPARINGLY.  If a talented musician is recovering from a cold, but they have to finish a recording by the end of the day and they have a few flubs here and there, auto-tune can come in handy.  But for the musicians who expect audio engineers to use it on everything on a daily basis, then it's done too far.  Why are you getting paid to produce and perform if what's being created is actually the product of a computer?  They are the ones that should be paying the computer instead.

Twitter is beneficial?

I just had a class the other day where the guest speaker talked about the fact that he used twitter to learn about new things going on in the field of music education.  I've never been a big fan of twitter because it can't really keep my attention, but this guy had a great point.  He showed us his own twitter and it was literally filled with posts from other music educators talking about blog posts that were helpful in a bunch of various classroom situations.  There were posts about music education seminars, music education clinics, and anything else you could imagine.  After this class I have decided that Twitter isn't pointless but can be beneficial if used the right way.  Musicians have always been a tight knit group and it looks like Twitter is only making us even tighter.  I can't wait to get started :)

Final Assignment

Google Spreadsheet Matrix

The lesson plan I adapted and enriched is a combination history and music lesson.  This lesson discusses the Civil Rights Movement that took place in the United States in the 50s and 60s while including the role that music played in its history.  This section of the lesson is just my introduction to the broader topic of the importance of music throughout history around the world.  In my matrix, each row is a different lesson for different class periods that all amount up to a unit plan.

The first row in my matrix is the introduction for the topic.  I will use the Civil Rights Movement to introduce my class to the idea that music can have an impact on society to such a degree that it can affect the outcome of history.  There is a picture video with music of people congregating and singing together on a bunch of different occasions that I want to show my students so they see exactly how these people would find motivation to stand up for their rights and how the words to these songs had enough power to inspire people to take action.  Such phrases as “We shall overcome,” and, “Let my people go,” and, “I’m on my way to freedom land,” can be heard in these songs.  After listening to and seeing the pictures in this video I will give a lecture about the finer details about the Civil Rights Movement, and hopefully if the students have any prior knowledge to add or opinions to the topic they will jump in and speak.  Because this is just the main introduction to the entire unit, there are not many terribly advanced or new technologies being used.  I will need a computer with internet access to pull up the video on the website (teachersdomain.com).  I will need the projector to show the video on a larger scale so everyone can vividly see the pictures.  I will need a printer to print out a single copy of the lyrics of the many songs in the video, and then a copy machine to make enough copies for all my students so they can read along with the lyrics as they are sung and even continuing reading the lyrics beyond the little segments that are in the video. 

The second row in my matrix is for a research period in my unit plan.  After learning about music’s impact on the Civil Rights movement in the previous lesson, this lesson will be devoted to finding other events in history from anywhere in the world where music has had a huge impact and find specific songs with lyrics that motivated people to stand up and make a change.  This entire period will be free time given to the students to research online and in the library to find such events on their own while I walk around and assist with any problems or questions.  For this lesson the students will all need their own computers with internet access.  I added metrolyrics.com to the technologies I listed in this row of my matrix because I feel it would be a great source for the students to use after finding specific songs in order to understand exactly what they lyrics are saying and compare it to their original interpretation of the lyrics.

The third row of my matrix is a presentation period of the previous lesson.  During this period each student will give a four to five minute presentation in front of the class about the event they researched and the song they found.  They will talk about their original interpretation of the song, what metrolyrics.com said about that sing, and then about what they agree and disagree on with metrolyrics.com.  For this class the technology usage depends on each individual student.  However, I will make a computer with internet access available as well as the projector.  I also included some of the different sites that I will give my students as suggestions to help out with their assignment.

The fourth row of my matrix is a discussion lesson.  After seeing each other’s presentations and interpretations, my hope for this lesson is to inspire a large discussion about their opinions, ideas, critiques, and beliefs on the subject of music’s impact on historical events.  For this lesson I only want to use a computer with internet access and the projector if absolutely necessary.  My plan for this lesson is to play devil’s advocate a little bit and get the students into a debate with each other.  Also, with each student’s permission I will also be handing out copies of each other’s presentations from the previous week to help inspire ideas for the upcoming assignment, which is where the copy machine comes in handy.

For the fifth and final row in my matrix, I have decided to create a project that will get my students thinking creatively.  For this project the students will compose a simple piece of music to go along with the lyrics they found from their previous research.  I want them to take the original music into account and create something of a similar mood or if they don’t agree with the mood set by the original music then they can compose whatever they want for these lyrics.  The point of this assignment is to really connect with how certain music makes you feel and how adding the lyrics to music can really motivate and inspire.  They have to explain their reasons for the music they created. 

This unit plan was created with the assumption that the class will meet every day, five days a week, for a 45 minute period.  The unit will take approximately two weeks to complete.

The Guide We've All Been Searching For

Dr. Christopher J. Russell has given us the answer to the question us music educators will always be asking: How can I use more technology in my classroom?  His book, Practical Technology for Music Education, was written specifically with the music classroom in mind.  He states that this book was meant to be an "ideal manual" for teachers.  Although it discusses various forms of technologies, its main focus is on iOS devices, particularly the use of iPads.  Dr. Russell has experience as a high school music teacher so I feel confident that this book would be a great help to both new and experienced music teachers alike.  Check it out!

A different direction

In trying to think about the next topic I wanted to talk about on here, I couldn't get the idea of acoustic v. electric instruments out of my head (electric being new technology).  There are certain instances where electric can be beneficial, but overall I think there are some situations that this technology hurts more than it helps.  For example, you can't have an orchestra of electric violins, violas, cellos, and basses.  That would be way too many amps to set up, and it'd be harder to blend sounds and the volume would be almost uncontrollable.  And I would hate to think of what an electric clarinet or flute would sound like.  This makes me think of how bad electric keyboards are at imitating the sounds of wind instruments.  The one instance in which electric instruments and amps come in handy would be for the bass player in a jazz ensemble.  You can either use an acoustic bass with an amp or electric bass with an amp and it would be a great improvement from not having the bass player amplified.

Interactivity #5

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Apw3zxbJNbnmdF9jMmhNd3M3LVhfY3phUVc5d3AzdlE

I interviewed a music teacher at West Milford High School, NJ.  This includes grades 9-12.  When I initially emailed him a little over a week ago, he was unfamiliar with both the NETS-S and the NETS-T.  I decided that sending him the links to the ISTE website would be a much easier and faster way for him to understand what I would be asking him about rather than to try and explain what they are myself.  After reading up on these standards, he wasn't at all surprised that his district was seemingly unaware of them, himself included.  He claims that, "West Milford's school district seems to be stuck in the Dark Ages when it comes to technology."  He continued by saying the most advanced piece of technology they utilize is the Honeywell Instant Alert system which automatically notifies parents when buses are running late, school is cancelled or delayed, or if there is an emergency.  Other than that I was told that the only technologies being used within the music department are audio systems, projectors, and electric keyboards; and some of the other schools don't even have projectors or keyboards.  Outside the music department, there is also a shortage of technological advancement.  In the high school there are few classes devoted to computers and similar technologies, and there is only a media center with desktop computers.  Also, there are usually only those portable old school projectors that require those sheets of plastic that can be written on.  He describes all this with frustration and sadness.  When I asked him what his ideal classroom in the music department would hold he just went on and on about all these different devices.  Laptops with Garage Band, Sibelius, Audacity, and multiple digital recorders were just some of the things he listed.

After concluding this interview through several emails, I wasn't really surprised about his responses.  I am a graduate of West Milford High School and I know it is a district that never tends to change.  Everything he described was exactly how it was from the time I started middle school in 7th grade all the way through graduating from high school.  Now that I'm aware of the NETS-S and NETS-T all I want to do is go to an open Board of Education meeting back in my hometown district and stress the importance of technology.  Even if they deny that funding is available to make a district-wide change in every classroom, I still would like to try and convince the Board to at least add a class requirement to the high school that teaches them about the most recent technologies and how they can be used.  Not only are these technologies important for future educators, but they benefit all other occupations as well.

If I come across the same problems in whatever district I will be teaching in after graduation I will definitely make my voice heard about this situation.  Technology can only improve a district, not cause it to regress.

At the press of a button

http://www.musictechmag.co.uk/

I literally just spent and hour and a half browsing this website.  It has everything you could ever need to know about what the best music technology out there is.  It keeps you up to date on new releases and updates and gives reviews on EVERYTHING.