The focus this week was on the performance and how students use technology that can help them become better musicians. A piece of software that was used as a great example this week was Smart Music. This program allows the user to practice their instrument using a microphone as software records and tracks the performance of the student. This is very beneficial to the student and to the teacher. The student will know when they are not with the rhythm because the notes will be in red and the correctly played notes will be green. There was a discussion about smart music and students tone this was a focus of the discussion with many different types of educators. The teacher cannot rely on Smart Music as the only way to teach an instrument. Smart Music does create an advantage by giving the teacher more time to focus on tone during lesson or class. The teacher can also critique the students and also have the student self-critique by using Smart Music.
YouTube is the wealth of knowledge and anyone can find variety performances on the website. It also allows others to show their skills on their specific instruments. This can help the students learn about their own instrument. This helps the student advance with tone, technique, and other pedagogy areas then the students uses YouTube as a practice aid. This also gives the students an excellent way to listen to their own instrument and gain an aura appreciation about their own instrument. They can also record themselves and put themselves on YouTube for others to critique their performance. They can also take lessons from famous musicians who have posted videos on YouTube.
This week with Lynda.com the class continued with the digital audio principal chapters. The first topic covered microphones this is an important topic for a teacher to know when recording their ensembles. The videos discussed three specific types of microphones that could be used in many different situations depending on the ensemble. The next topic covered audio input and output are bridges to soundboards or computer. These devices can be used in conjuncture with the next topic mixer. Mixers can be used in many different situations outside of the recording studio. Using a mixer can allow the performers to have a better sound for their audience.
Computers and audio have been vital to recording and producing music. They also have a major influence in music technology. This combined with the correct software can give modern musician more tools when working with music technology. After editing music has been complete using music technological advances the musician can now publish their own work. When choosing a format there are many options depending on what the recording is used for. Formatting music will take audio compression tools that can make the recording in a common format for the average listener.
This week the class used a program called Audacity, this program is a file share and free for use. Along with the download, you also have install the correct audio file compression software. This allows you have an MP3 of the edited music. Audacity shut down many times during my use of the program, which made it difficult at times to complete the assignments. This could be a positive teaching tool if the teacher could devote time to the program. Overall it did show how the process of editing and creating music in digital audio files.
When looking back at this week's topics there are many important questions to ask about their use in classrooms or lessons. What do the students gain from the use Smart Music? Where does Youtube fit into the teachers lesson plans? Why is it important to use these tool when thinking about to goal of performance? What kind of software can we use to teach students get their personal recording to the public?
Theses questions are not simple to answer and they take the time to complete and put into practice during the lessons. If the student starts to use these tool in small projects then they can become like second nature and make the students musical experience better.
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