Creating Young Musicians Through Technology

Technology can be used in many ways in the music classroom, but I believe technology most enhances a student’s ability to learn music composition. In the days of Bach, music was hand written and the composer needed to be able to hear what the composition would sound like with all of the instruments. This is a valuable skill, but not accessible for most young musicians. With the use of technology, students will be much more successful at creating their own music.

 

Electroacoustic sounds give students a realistic version of their music. Students can hear how their composition would sound if it were performed live and can make adjustments to their piece based on what they hear. They may find that certain instruments do not sound well together or that the instruments they chose do not represent the emotion that want to audience to experience. Music Sparkles is an app that includes sounds from common and many uncommon instruments. This app can be used to help students experience the sounds of different instruments and learn instrument families. Toca Band is another app that lets kids pick from more than 15 musical characters and "play" them on stage by dragging and dropping them into the spotlights. Scape is another app that lets kids generate ambient music as they combine shapes, colors, and textures onto a blank palette. They can learn that music has different "moods" and explore the tranquil sounds. Garage Band is one of the most popular music composition technologies used by young students. This software allows students to sequence loops with different instruments to create rock songs

 

Smart Board in Music Class

Using a Smart Board in effectively music class can be challenging, but if used correctly, can enhance student learning. Many music classes that I have observed do not use Smart Boards even when they are given one. Even the most basic functions of the Smart Board can be used by those with little technology experience. At Johnson School of Excellence, we use the Smart Board to play videos with movements for the students to do as a class. This gives the students a "brain break" while also uses movement to emphasize style and steady beat. Students can also view youtube clips of live music performances and talk about the instruments they heard. Click HERE for an example of hour to use a Smart Board in music class.

Smart Boards can be used to promote literacy in the music classroom. Many music teachers teach by rote or out of books with tiny text. A Smart Board allows for this text to be displayed in larger font and can include images and activities to support student learning. Students will be singing the words while also looking at how they are spelled. The instructor can then focus on complex words that use unusual vowel patterns to improve literacy skills. For example, when teaching quarter notes and eighth notes to 3rd graders, a teacher might start by displaying the text and use iconic notation to represent the notes. The students will talk about a complex word in the piece and then sing the song using that word. Smart Boards can present iconic notation that is not normally represented in traditional sheet music. Students can use the touch screen function on the Smart Board to rearrange the iconic notation to form new compositions. The touch screen function makes music class more exciting and engaging for students. More resources on how to use a Smart Board in music class can be found HERE.

Piano Lab

One of the most valuable technologies to have in a music classroom is a piano lab. Piano labs provide several ways to teach large groups of students the fundamentals of music and piano technique. At Johnson School of Excellence, we have 32 electronic keyboards equipped with headphones and microphones. Each keyboard is linked to each other through a complex network of cables and electronic equipment. The instructor has complete control over what each student can hear through their headsets. The student may only be able to hear themselves, the instructor, or a partner they are working with. With this is in mind, the instructor has several options for teaching a lesson. At first, students can play on their own and listen to only their keyboard. The instructor can then channel in to their keyboard and monitor individual progress. Students can then be put into pairs to make a joint project. Students can only hear their partner or the instructor. The instructor can then have individuals or groups do a solo performance. While in solo mode, students cannot hear their own piano making it easier to keep students attention. As a final step, the instructor can link all keyboards for a class performance. Each student can hear every keyboard and practice large group performances. More information how to install and use a piano lab can be found HERE.

While this technology is great for a music classroom, it also takes up allot of space and money. The keyboard lab at Johnson takes up an entire classroom. Especially in urban schools, finding a place to host a lab may be difficult. In addition, piano labs are very costly. Each students needs a keyboard and headset along with thousands of feet of cable to link each piano. The main controllers that each keyboard connects to is also very pricey. Maintaining equipment can also become expensive as electrical and hardware issues are common.

While it may seem that a piano lab is more trouble than it’s worth, the true value of this technology shows when students become more engaged and excited to learn. At Johnson, we are able to use the lab as a behavior management tool as a well as an educational resources. Many of our keyboards were donated or acquired through grants. Click HERE to view several resources for music technology grants. With enough resources, most music classrooms should have access to at least a small computer lab.