Hw d I use SmartMusic in my everyday classrm instructin? This is certainly a questin I am ften asked by ther music educatrs. I can remember ging t the MEA clinics abut SmartMusic and thinking hw cl the prgram seemed t be, but I really wanted t knw hw I culd use the prgram effectively during my large grup instructin. The fllwing is a list f ways I ften use SmartMusic t enhance my instructin during class. This in n way replaces the teacher, it simply makes sme aspects f ur teaching much simpler. I am nt even ging t mentin the ways that I use Gradebk s this wuld wrk fr anyne wh simply has SmartMusic in class, even if yu dn t have any r many kids with it at hme (Which is the best way t use this effectively) My setup: Prmethian Bard (similar t a Smart Bard) - in my classrm, but a nrmal vide prjectr hked up t yur cmputer prjecting nt yur whitebard wuld wrk t! (Check with yur librarian. Many times they have a prjectr in the library that simply cllects dust all year. Vlunteer t stre it in yur rm and use it. If smene else needs it, the librarian knws where t find it) The cst f a new prjectr is als very reasnable nw t! Laptp (r desktp wuld wrk t) - that is internet cnnected in my rm with an active SmartMusic subscriptin laded nt the cmputer. Sund system - t be able t play the audi ver the band while they perfrm. Wireless headset - One nice, but nt necessary thing I ften use. It is hked t my sund system. I use this fr tw reasns. My vice isn t tired by the end f the day & I can cmmunicate w/ the kids while they play. Useful Keybard Shrtcuts: Space bar starts and stps a take Up arrw bumps temp up ne bpm everytime yu press the key. If yu hld it dwn, it mves up quickly Dwn arrw - bumps temp dwn ne bpm everytime yu press the key. If yu hld it dwn, it mves dwn quickly Crtl t pps the tuner n the screen frm any pint in the prgram Ctrl m pps the metrnme n the screen frm any pint in the prgram P gives yu the starting pitch f any tune in the range f the instrument yu have displayed n the screen Crtl shift c turns click n and ff during perfrmance Crtl shift G turns curser n and ff during perfrmance. A plays cncert A B plays cncert Bb
Many f the kids we teach are visual learners and music is very visible, especially when we prject it nt the bard in the frnt f the rm fr all t see! Nw many f the early music reading skills are easier t shw the kids and less time cnsuming. Here are sme examples: Music tracking is ften a tugh cncept fr beginning musicians. Nw, I simply prject the first line in my methd bk n the screen.. I usually set it up with the click n, My part n and the Accmpaniment ff and hit Start take and tell the kids t watch the screen. I dn t tell them what t watch. At the end f the take, I ask them sme questins: What were yu lking at when the music was playing? Did the music stp at the end f a bar line? Did the music stp at a rest?, etc. Yu get the idea! Music is nw very visual prjected nt the bard & in real life. The first time yu get t a tw line sng, simply prject the image n the screen, turn the click n, my part n and the accmpaniment ff. Have them watch. Questins: What happened when the music gt t the end f line ne? Did it stp r did it cntinue? Why didn t it stp? What is the stp sign in music?, etc. The first duet prject it nt the bard. It is easy t see that the ntes are different fr part A and part B. Great chance t visually shw what harmny lks like.
I usually apprach a new line in 3-4 different ways depending n hw far alng I am with the students. Cunting and clapping - Prject the music (any instrument part will wrk since we are starting with nly wrrying abut rhythm) (Dn t frget t change the instrument part (by hvering ver the dwn arrw next t the instrument name in tp left) ften during class s that everyne feels their instrument is imprtant) n the screen. I usually chse vice cuntff (yu can find this by hvering yur muse ver the dwn arrw attached t the wrk click), turn the click n, my part n and accmpaniment ff. Sing the music n tah r slfege. (same setup as abve) Tizzle and air stick the music (same set up as abve, except I might turn n the accmpaniment. Nte: nly the kids wh play the instrument displayed n the screen can use the screen at this pint. Everyne else will simply use their methd bks n their stands. Play Same set up as abve, except with my part ff and accmpaniment turned n. Writing in the Cunting prject any line nt yur Prmethian Bard, Smart Bard r White bard and use the crrect writing implement t have any student cme t the frnt and write in the cunting fr any line f music yu prject. R 2-3 4 1 2 3 4 1 R R 4 1 2 3-4, etc.
Teaching repeats has never been easier prject any line with a repeat nt the bard, turn n the click, turn n my part and turn ff accmpaniment. When yu hit start take simply have them watch. Yu will hear their light bulbs ging ff! Questins: What happened when yu gt t the end f the line the first time? Secnd time? Etc. New Rhythm Cncepts a breeze: Prject a new cncept in the bk. N mre slppy handwritten examples n the bard. Nw it is easy t shw new cncepts in a prfessinal manner. Yu can als use the my part and click features t reinfrce what the student shuld feel/hear as they tap their te and play a new line. New musical cncepts: Reinfrce new musical cncepts with ease, bth visually and aurally. First and Secnd Endings and DC and DS Easy t teach this cncept nw since it is s visual.
Using Exercises in class: Hw t get there: 1. Frm yur hme screen chse Find Music: 2. Chse Exercises
3. Nw it lks like this: Exercise ideas: Chse State Scales: I usually use MN, MBDA 2 Octave Majr fr my kids. MN, MBDA 1 Octave Majr will cme up as the default. T get t 2 ctave scales, click n drp dwn arrw t the right, then arrw t the right beside MN, then MBDA 2 Octave Majr Yu have several ptins t use Mst f the exercises have multiple accmpaniments t chse. Hver ver arrw t the right f accmpaniment and the chices will shw up.
Yu can als put the music in any key. Click n the arrw t the right f the wrd key. Yu can als vary the articulatin. Click n the arrw t the right f the wrd articulatin Yu als have several lp ptins. Click n the arrw t the right f the wrd lp Once we have learned several scales, I use this during the warm-up time f class. I chse the starting key, turn n the vice cuntff, turn the click n, chse my accmpaniment, chse tngue all frm the articulatin menu, the chse Up perfect 4 th frm the lp menu. Away we g. Class time saver: Once yu have learned a significant number f scales (7 scales in SC fr All-State auditins, fr instance) run thrugh all f the learned scales during yur warm-up with the lp feature. Nte: My scale sheet is in the rder that we will eventually d this exercise s they simply read the sheet frm tp t bttm. Yu dn t have t be up in frnt f them (they aren t watching n scales anyway) s yu can be walking arund the rm, checking psture, hand psitin, etc. r checking thery hmewrk that is laid ut behind their chairs fr cmpletin. Again, anther time saver. Killing tw birds with ne stne.
Use the Play By Ear Exercises fr large grup ear training. Frm yur My Hme screen, chse Find music, then chse Exercises, then chse Play By Ear. Chse the level f difficulty by clicking n the arrw t the right f Play By Ear Grup 1, Pattern 1, then chse yur grup (difficulty), then chse the specific pattern. Nw yur screen lks like this The first time yu d this in class, demnstrate fr them. In the first measure, yu will listen, in the secnd measure yu will play back what yu heard in the first measure. Nte: the first pitch f each measure is given in the Play measure, but it will nly wrk fr the kids wh play that instrument. N wrries, just train them t use their ears.
Fur ideas fr hw t utilize this in class 1. Have the class sing the music back n a syllable like tah 2. Have the class use scale degrees as they sing it back n pitch 3. Have the class sing using slfege 4. Have the class sing using slfege and the hand signs. Class starting idea: Are yur kids ever squirrely when they enter class and yu feel like yu lse several minutes f instructinal time every day? Try this. Once yu have taught them the Play by Ear in class, start the class with this idea the next day. Prep them by saying, When yu cme in tmrrw, please lk at the bard. It will give yu the fllwing instructins. 1. Please enter quietly and g t yur instrument strage area. 2. Get yur instrument and bring it t yur seat. 3. Get instrument ut. 4. Jin in with the Play By Ear exercise when yu are ready. 5. Key f Bb, first tw pitches Yu will be amazed at hw yur class will begin. The students will be thinking musically frm the mment they enter yur rm. Set the exercise t simply lp ver and ver. Once the first student starts playing, the thers will get the clue. Once a majrity are playing, allw it t play the exercise ne time with the full ensemble. They are all settled, thinking musically, and very little instructinal time was wasted. Add a twist, nce yu have played it in the riginal key, change the key and see hw they d.
Using the Band & Orchestra Music fr part preparatin I will ften chse my music fr a cncert based upn the titles already in SmartMusic. Many f my kids already have at hme subscriptins and that makes it easier. Preparing fr cncerts, perfrmances, and festival is much mre prductive using SmartMusic. In class In class I wuld pen a piece we are ding and have the kids whse part is n the screen use the screen and the thers use their music. I might use the temp changing abilities f the sftware t slw dwn hard sectins and shw them hw t use the sftware t practice at hme. Anther get them in their seats idea I use ften is t put ne f the tunes we are ding n lp befre they enter class. When they enter class I simply ask them t read the directins n the bard. 1. Please enter quietly and g t yur instrument strage area. 2. Get yur instrument and bring it t yur seat. 3. Get instrument ut. 4. Please pen yur music t (insert title here) and tizzle yur part with the recrding. At hme The kids can pen their part t the cncert music at hme and practice with a prfessinal ensemble. Nw they can wrk n balance, blend, intnatin, etc. with the recrding. They can recrd themselves playing with the recrding t see hw they are ding n these musical aspects. They can als make sme musical judgements abut the relative imprtance f their part t the whle since they can hear the recrding. They can hear what happens during their three bars f rest, etc. They can prepare the pitches and rhythms s that in class, we can wrk n musical aspects that smetimes get left t chance because we are trying t wrk ut pitches and rhythms. Neat idea fr sightreading a cncert tune: Tell the students that yu will be sightreading such and such a piece next week. Ask them t g hme and pen that title n their cmputers and practice their parts. When yu sightread the tune the fllwing week, even if nly half did what yu asked, yu will be amazed at hw different the sightreading experience is in class. Yu will already be 2-3 weeks int the learning prcess simply because sme students did the wdshedding at hme instead f yu ding it fr them in class.
Tune yu are planning t play nt in the SmartMusic library? N wrries. Yu have tw ptins. Optin 1 Enter the music int Finale and turn it int a SmartMusic file (.smp) Blue bx belw Optin 2 Imprt any recrding yu have int SmartMusic and use the temp changing aspects f the sftware n any recrding. red bx belw. This has certainly nw been an exhaustive list, but simply sme fd fr thught hw yu can use this pwerful tl in yur classrm. I didn t even tuch n the Gradebk functin at all r really t much abut the students having the sftware at hme. I hpe this helps yu t see sme ways yu might be able t incrprate SmartMusic int yur daily teaching rutine. Dn t frget t visit www.smartmusic.cm t find vides yu can play fr yur students, parents r administratrs, watch quick start vides abut hw t d sme f these things, suggest music titles fr incrpratin int SmartMusic, visit the SmartMusic blg and educatr frums, etc.