iLove iPod for teaching music theory

This is something I have been thinking about for awhile. I don't know if other teachers feel the same way, but the iPod has transformed my use of audio examples in orchestra and music theory. No longer do I have to go searching through my CD collection to find the Beethoven symphony or Coltrane tune that I want to play for class. No longer do I have to put off listening to an excerpt of a piece that comes up in class because I do not happen to have it with me that day. Now, thanks to my iPod and a stereo, I have my entire music library at my fingertips to share with my class as needed. This is incredibly convenient, simple, and expedient. I also love that my students can bring in their own mp3 players and share their music with the class. It really has transformed music listening in class by making it more accessible. Now, iLove the whole process!

100 Music Ed Bloggers

So, musictechnology.net is on a mission! They are trying to link up to 100 Music Education blogs by the end of the year, in an effort to extend the conversation about music, education, and technology. I think this is a terrific idea. It is great to have a source to read up on the latest developments in our field and a place to get inspiration from other bloggers, teachers and advocates.

Check out the ME blog campaign today!

Plan Ahead! That is my new mantra!

Well, I am so excited by what I have been learning about Flash, Dreamweaver, ActionScript, etc. this semester! But, one thing that really sticks out to me is that I have to plan ahead!!! After spending hours of time working with tables revising and revamping on the go, I began to realize that it might be better to plan the layout first. It seems like that would be obvious - but it took me awhile. Once I decided to plan the layout of a page ahead of time and designate which cells would merge and which would expand, it became easier to negotiate the size and placement of images. I found that life was much easier. Being a web designer has a lot to do with visualization. Perhaps it is like being an "architect" of cyberspace. It's all in the planning!

Technology Challenges in Music Education: Moving Forward

As we try to incorporate more and more technology into the classroom, better preparing our students for the world today, we still meet with resistance from a variety of sources. One of the main sources of resistance comes from teachers who are unwilling to try to new things. 

When the high school I work for was splitting into two campuses a few years ago, the administration wanted to offer certain classes on one campus and use long-distance learning technology to teach the same class concurrently on the other campus. Businesses teleconference with each other all the time, why not do the same in schools? However, the teachers at my high school were very upset about this turn of events! Perhaps they feared this was one step closer to their jobs being irrelevant? They fought and overturned the proposed long-distance learning project before anyone knew if it could work.

Last year the music theory class in my high school had the chance to move music theory from a regular classroom into a computer lab. The teacher declined because she was afraid of having to incorporate computers into the curriculum! And yet, there are so many terrific music theory training websites and software programs that could help the students improve their understanding of music theory. I am frustrated by this 'fear' of change in schools. But, how do we change this kind of thinking?

I am not sure, but I do think that we have to encourage our students to love learning and embrace change. We have to help our students understand that flexibility and adaptability are imperative in the 21st century! Jobs are changing at a more rapid rate than they ever have in history and if we don't equip students for this, they will likely experience much frustration. Hopefully over time this mindset of resistance can be transformed into a mindset of openness!

American Idol Songwriting Contest: Real Deal or Rigged?

Okay, so is the American Idol Songwriting Contest the real deal? For just a $10 entry fee, you too can have a chance to have your song sung by the next American Idol! Of course, last year they apparently received 200,000+ entries, (which means they made a lot of money) and I wonder who listened to all of those songs? Did they really get a fair hearing by industry professionals? It seems doubtful. Almost all of the final twenty songs just happened to be written by people with industry connections! And, P.S., most of them were not great. Did you hear the winning song, "This is My Now?" It got airplay for about a day after Jordin Sparks won and then it fizzled! Because it was a horrible rambling song with no good hook. How does this happen? I'm sure that there were good songs in that 200,000+, but no political connections meant they had no chance. It really is sad. I was hoping that idol would give songwriters the same chance they gave aspiring vocalists all over the country. I guess we will have to see if they come up with a good song this year or another dud. My advice - take the time to listen to the real folks who submitted - you might find a real gem!