So unfortunately, due to a family emergency I was not able to attend my final exam in which we were conducting oral interviews. Some of the questions included...
How will you incorporate technology into your classroom?
The way I look at it is this. If in this day and age we are not including at least some for of technology into our classrooms, we are doing our children a disservice. Depending on the class, I would use different tools. For a general music class, I would love to be able to implement the use of iPads to create different songs either individually if the availability of iPads is there or in collaborative groups where each person is able to contribute to the final product. Through the use of apps such as Garage Band, the students can have little to no musical experience with instruments or voice and produce multi-faceted pieces of music. I remember the first time that I was able to use the software, I wasn't sure at first how to use it. After playing around with it for a few minutes and realizing what tools did what, I was able to work with my group and create a song with a rhythm section, a harmony voice, a bass voice, as well as incorporate a recorded vocal track.
A tool like this can be a wonderful way to expand each student's understanding of musical genres in a general music classroom. By defining certain criteria, we as educators are able to first explain what a style of music is (like bossa nova, swing, romantic period classical, etc.) and then give our students the opportunity to learn in groups by creating their own piece of music in the style of the teacher's choice.
With a concert band, it can be a little more interesting in implementing technology. Sure there is the use of youtube and recordings that the band can listen to, but how can we get them more involved with other technology? A few ways are that they can use the program called Smart Music to assist them in their practice routines. By using this, they are able to track their progress as well as work at their own pace and see in realtime the accuracy of their playing. Other technology uses can come from collaborative groups. For example, a teacher can assign groups to create their own piece of music. By providing the students with a few boundaries, (like the style, meter, and THEME) the groups are able to compose their own music. Part of the project can be that implementation of music writing software like Sibelius, Finale, or the new iPad app called NotateMe. In this way, the students are gaining real life composing experience, collaborating, evaluating, producing, and performing.
What is your favorite concept to teach?
I think that my favorite concept to teach is the use of balance and blend to create different "personalities" throughout the ensemble.
Just by adjusting the volumes of different instruments in a certain chord, a piece of music can take on a whole new character. I think it is important for my students to understand this concept because with the right blend, a piece can bring a individual to tears because of the emotion that it brings out. On the other hand, with the wrong balance, the listener could be confused as to what is happening. Take Adagio for Strings, for example, if the piece is played with a "heavy bass voice" balance where the deep, dark, resonant tones are brought out, the piece can take on a much fuller and richer character that is somber yet full of depth. On the other hand, you can offset that same balance by bringing out the higher voices and creating a much brighter texture.
By understanding the way that different voices sound in a certain context, the students are able to make much more thoughtful and intelligent musical choices that will make them much more mature musicians in the long run.
Please feel free to comment on what you think of this.
I apologize that I could not make it to class today.
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