MUSIC TECHNOLOGY For Primary & SEN Schools Abstract This is a brief outline of the latest developments in Music Technology for schools plus a few old favourites if funding is really tight! Jeff Sawdon tvjsawdon@tvms.org.uk
The Music Teacher s Toolkit The Latest in Music Technology for Primary Schools Overview There are more options than ever now with a variety of platforms to carry apps and software programmes to make and teach music. The latest development is the use of CLOUD based software, which offers multiple licencing at a more affordable price than even a few years ago. In addition, pupils and teachers can access their work anywhere in the world with a computer and internet access. Many professional musicians have used this technology to collaborate on recordings with other artists from the other side of the planet, in some cases without ever meeting them! Here we will explore some of the applications for such technology, both for teaching music in school and engaging children in music making outside of school. Contents Apple ipads & iphones Garageband Cloud Based Software TVMS Interactive MusicFirst Golden Oldies - Windows Platform PC Software Audacity Hardware idock USB Microphones Portable Recorders SEN Applications Soundbeam 5/The Beamz Skoog/Skoog 2 Novation Launchpad Appendix PDF Brochure for www.tvmsinteractive.co.uk 1
ipads & iphones GARAGEBAND, at just 2.99, is one of the most popular apps for ipad, ipod and iphone. You can make music in four ways; a) Arrange the provided APPLE LOOPs. LOOPS are pre-recorded blocks of music that can be combined to create musical structures. They are usually marked to indicate that one will fit with another so you can be fairly sure of a musical outcome. GOOD FOR; teaching structure and how songs, particularly pop songs, are put together. b) Use the SMART INSTRUMENTS to create music from scratch. The app features SMART Strings, Keyboards, Drums and Guitar/Bass. You can audition a variety of CHORDS played in several different ways just by pressing a finger on the graphic as shown below. Then when you have a combination you like you can record it within the app and add further instruments to build up your composition. 2
GOOD FOR; a more creative approach to yield a wider variety of music. c) Compose and play in tunes using the keyboard or guitar/bass fretboard. In this way tunes can be added to the music made using the SMART instruments. GOOD FOR; taking things to another level or providing an extra level of challenge for children who play an instrument already and already have a wider knowledge of music. d) Play in and record using real instruments using a variety of interfaces (see HARDWARE section) GOOD FOR; engaging instrumentalists in the classroom activities. Work is saved automatically as you go and can be shared via email or itunes. The app is easy to use with few behind the scenes windows in which to get lost. You can also use Garageband for remote, in the field sound recording using the built in microphone. For more in-depth support with GARAGEBAND we can provide CPD and/or in-class support and for reference check out; GarageBand for Schools The Complete Teacher & Student Step-By-Step Video Guide to Creating a Song Using GarageBand For The ipad. Phil Heeley & David Ashworth. 7.99 from itunes Store. Play chords 3
TVMS Interactive (www.tvmsinteractive.co.uk) Our own online resource, in partnership with CHARANGA MUSIC, provides a complete music teaching resource for all key stages. It comprises of three sections; Music Coach self-learning with videos, scores, backing tracks and other interactive resources. Musical School the site for Primary & Secondary music teachers Music World the site for children to access resources at home. From the point of view of a school teacher, Musical School is the main focus. This has preset schemes of work from Reception to Y6 and included all planning and assessment documents, music & lyrics, grids, quizzes, word searches and differentiated printable scores for all instruments. This enables children who have instrumental lessons to use their instruments in classroom curriculum lesson activities. In SEN contexts the fact that there are pre-set schemes of work for each year group makes it easy to adapt lesson activities for a whole term to the appropriate level. For more details see the included PDF brochure or call Jeff Sawdon on 01642 603600 or email tvjsawdon@tvms.org.uk. You can also vist the site and sign up or ask for a 30 day free trial login. Cloud Based Programmes. http://www.musicfirst.co.uk/ is home to a new concept in music education software. Instead of selling DVDs or downloads from which you can install the programmes, you can now access them directly from the Cloud and create, save and re-open your work to your personal workspace anywhere in the world, as long as you have Internet connectivity. Choice of programmes is diverse from notation based to loop based to actual virtual recording studios (with the aid of a USB interface or microphone see Hardware section). This has some clear advantages; Little set up to do No ICT tech support needed in school Updates are automatic Anywhere, anytime Online storage of student s work for assessment Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 beyond are all catered for with programmes such as Music Academy, Groovy Music, Music Delta, O-Generator, Noteflight, and Soundation. Licences are available from 149 for these and you can find out more and even try before you buy via the site. 1. Golden Oldies - PC Based Software Although disc-installed software is becoming a little passé now, there are still some useful and very affordable programmes for PC, and if that s all you have. AUDACITY is now a well-established, free and legal programme developed for educational purposes and based on the professional audio editor SoundForge. You 4
can get the latest version as a download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/ and there is also a video clip that gives you a brief tour of the features. E-Jay For Schools a LOOP based programme dating back to the late 1990s. Now in a content-vetted for schools version, the programme is installed from a DVD while the actual sound samples stay on the disc to save space. As such, in my experience it has been less successful on networks. Can be found on Amazon for around 10 per copy and add on loop discs are available or its 335 for a site licence. You can download a free version to try from www.ejay.com. Music Ace Deluxe Theory Training Software in which a Professor cartoon character guides pupils through a series of interactive lessons and tests. Works as an ICT suite activity or a whole class lesson. Costs around 54.99 from Amazon. 5
MAGIX Music Maker is a fairly complex programme that lets you combine LOOPs, virtual instruments and images or video clips to make multimedia compositions & presentations. Once again a disc based product that requires a copy for each PC but at prices from 12 on Amazon it is a powerful programme for the price. Definitely for the more technical though. The MAGIX Music Maker main screen. Drag loops onto TRACKS Hardware ipad Docks. If you want the option to use the ipad linked up to a PA system or school Hi-Fi system for sharing in class or in the hall etc, an ipad Dock is a good solution. Its professional connections allow top quality microphones, guitars or keyboards to be connected and play in while proper output sockets are a huge improvement over the flimsy 3.5 mm mini-jack provided with the unit. Given the multi-track capability of Garageband this also gives you a portable recording studio to record anything from whole class instrumental sessions to the school choir. Two main types on the market are the Alesis io-dock at 129 and Focusrite i-track Dock at 149. Both are available from online outlets such as Dawsons, Thomann and of course Amazon. Focusrite i-track Alesis IO-Dock 6
ZOOM H2 This small, portable microphone/recorder is very useful for all basic single track recording applications if you don t have access to ipads or iphones etc. The recording goes straight to an internal SD card which can then be easily transferred to a PC for editing with AUDACITY or other such programmes. This can also be used as a USB mic to record direct to AUDACITY or Garageband etc. The Zoom H2 USB Microphones If you are using AUDACITY on laptop or PC you will benefit greatly from a USB microphone. These are instantly recognised by the computer with little to set up and give very high quality results so you can keep good recordings of activities in class and, along with videos, track progression. These range in price from the Logic Quill Pen style to really good condenser microphones. Pen style mics can be found very cheaply on E-Bay or Maplins while the more professional type ranges from 50 for the SUB-ZERO (above) to the AKG P120USB at 129. Unless you plan to record the school choir to CD quality the former gives good results in a classroom context. Soundbeam 5 This was designed especially for SEN contexts and has been refined considerably over the years. The latest 5 version comes with a booklet containing lessons plans to go with pre-set sound samples and themes. Sounds are made in two ways; by interrupting the beams (pulses like Sonar, generated by one or more sensors that then convert into musical notes. Which note is played depends on where the beam is interrupted like an invisible keyboard. The keyboard can be so small that the slightest movement can play a scale or set so wide that wheelchairs can be driven through it to play notes. For this reason the unit is effective in SLD and PMLD contexts and several case studies exist on www.soundbeam.co.uk. TVMS has a 7
Soundbeam 5 Unit for hire or for TVMS led sessions. A new and slightly different version called Beamz is now on the market www.thebeamz.com. Skoog/Skoog 2 This is a soft cube shaped object with inbuilt sensors so that pressing in different areas and with different force can trigger sound samples on a computer. Linked by USB it can be used with its own software or in conjunction with Garageband and other software to create and record music. Version two is now available with wireless capability. Skoog costs over 300 from the Apple store but is the subject of a campaign to reduce cost for educational use. Novation Launchpad This uses pads to trigger pre-recorder sound samples and loops as well as create a light show. By connecting the unit to a computer via USB you can link the unit to other software such as Ableton Live for increased functionality and recording. Costs 129 from Amazon. If you would like any further information, help or training in any of the items mentioned here, please contact Jeff Sawdon on 01642 603600 or email tvjsawdon@tvms.org.uk. 8
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