Final Project

Google Matrix

My lesson plan would be used in a music appreciation or "school of rock" type class. It is focused on having students understand the characteristics of a successful Hollywood movie, specifically the music soundtrack, analyze the four musical examples that I provide for them, and then using those musical examples in addition to others that they find on the internet or record themselves to create a skit, movie, or any other form of art. This is validated by NJCCS 1.3.12.B.3 – understanding of how to manipulate the elements of music is a contributing factor to musical artistry.

Row one of my matrix is connected to the "do now" of the lesson plan. It asks to students to write down the characteristics of successful Hollywood movie in their notebooks. To do so, students will need to analyze the form, function, and craftsmanship of movies they have experienced and communicate and collaborate with the class. After five minutes we would respond to the "do now" as a class in the form of group discussion using the smart board. When someone mentions the soundtrack as an important element I plan to hit the ground running and provide an oral presentation leading to the next step of the lesson plan.

Row two of my matrix corresponds with the listening to and analysis of four musical examples that I provide the class with four listen examples to possibly use in their projects. The goal is to let students discuss their own opinion on the music and decide what scenes from a movie might correspond with the music, as it relates to NJCCS 1.4.8.A.4 – abstract ideas may be expressed in works of dance, music, theatre, and visual art using a genre’s stylistic traits. I have provided a graphic organizer to help them organize and analyze their ideas.

Now for the majority of the lesson plan, which will take more than one class period; students are encouraged to work in groups (they may work individually if they choose to do so). They will use computers, audio/video recording devices, the internet, and music creation software to create they own skit, movie, audio recording, whatever they choose. NET-S standard, “Create original works as a means of personal or group expression”, fits perfectly with this project as well as NJCCS 1.1.8.B.2 – compositional techniques used in different styles and genres of music vary according to prescribed sets of rules. The project must emphasize the importance of music to how the audience should feel at a certain point. In my opinion this project gives students the ability to go in so many different directions, all of which are valid choices and that require the use of a great deal of technology.

When everyone has completed their projects we will spend a good amount of time and let each group present theirs to the class. The most important aspect of this entire lesson will be the feedback that students are giving to other groups and the self assessment that they are required to do afterward. I really want my students to reflect on the work that they have done individually and the work that their group has accomplished. Their refection should focus on their use of technology and how efficiently and effectively their use of music impacted the final work. In addition, students will be required to submit their reflections on their blog that corresponds with the class.

Overall, I think I was efficiently able to use my matrix to find appropriate standards, NET-S, teaching strategies, and technologies for my lesson plan. The matrix helped organize my ideas while putting them into chronological order. This lesson plan was greatly improved by adding technology. It increases the depth of the final project as well as the delivery of the necessary information required to do the project. Furthermore, for students going into any visual or performing art degree could easily use this project in their resumes for college. 

Youtube, Spotify, and Grooveshark

There is a lot that goes into becoming a musician. First, finding an instrument you like, then purchasing it, then comes the hours of practicing, then college, and maybe a job in an orchestra after that. This is a very rare career path for people to pick, but much of what goes into developing into a talented musician is listening to music constantly. Our ears and minds need to be discerning and decipher what is enjoyable music for us to hear and more importantly, what isn't. Why don't I like that song, is it the rhythmic aspect, or the harmonic? Maybe its the melody, the instrumentation, the arrangement, or maybe the conductor's interpretation. This goes far beyond the realm of classical music and begins in a much more accessible realm - what the student enjoys listening to now.

There are several resources online to access music within and outside the classroom: Youtube being one of them. This is most popular in a classroom because it's free and has just about anything you'd need to find.

However, I'd like to make an argument for some of these other online musical resources: Spotify and Grooveshark are both free, web-based, and easily accessible. Since the aim is to develop the listening the listening skills in older ensembles, these utilities are ideal because they remove the visual aspect that comes with Youtube.

Georgia Tech's Dancing Robot

This is Travis. He's intelligent, user friendly, and just cute.

I came across this video on a friend's Facebook page; this wonderful piece of technology would best have a home in the General Music classroom to get students to think about what rhythm is and how it affects the songs they hear on a daily basis.

Ipad in the classroom

I've been doing a lot of thinking recently; the music classroom has changed so much since I've gone through it. The technology available to us as students and educators has progressed so vastly in the past few years that its definitely hard for us to imagine how to properly integrate it. I stumbled upon a blog by Dr. Christopher Russel called Technology in Music Education and his experiences utilizing iPhones, iPods, iPads, and other technologies into the music classroom. I've found many of his posts interesting, informative, and though-provoking about how I could use any, all, or none of these in my classroom.

Recently, I've found myself seeing YouTube as a very hit-or-miss addition to a lesson. If the lesson has a video thrown in to "fulfill a technology requirement", they're often lacking in content and doing just that - fulfilling a requirement. I came across this post from Dr. Russel and was completely blown away. Here's why:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tt6oc1frNsQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My primary instrument is French horn. This video, while only 1 minute long, is inspiring and I'm going to go practice. Now.

Max MSP

I've started to develop some curiosity about integrating Max MSP and many of its wonderful manifestations into the classroom and into homework assignments (assuming the school system has blackboard or some sort of digital classroom interface).
Since most of us have taking Music Technology at this point in our degree programs, I'm wondering how we all feel about the program. VJ Manzo had a lot of great programs for teaching music theory, which otherwise could be more than a little bit boring and tedious for students to learn.

Interactivity #5

For this interactivity, I interviewed a band director for the Northern Valley Regional High Schools (I am not stating which school this teacher is in as it will reveal his identity). He directs three ensembles, the Symphonic Band (the freshman band), the Wind Symphony (the sophomore - senior band), and the String Orchestra (all grades).

I contacted him on April 1st asking if he would be willing to participate in this survey and he was happy to assist in my development as a future educator. I sent then him the PDF files in the next email I sent along with the following questions, which I modeled after the suggested survey on the directions:

1. Have you heard of NETS?
2. Has the department or district begun to implement any of these standards? (Since this is only one of the high schools in the district, anything that is implemented in one school must also be implemented in the other).
3. Do you follow any of these standards on your own accord?

His response was not surprising. He had not heard of NETS before I had sent him the document, to which he replied:

I have never heard of these standards before, and quite honestly I do not see how this could be utilized in the music classroom over a long period of time. There are instances where using the technology in the classroom is necessary for the lesson, such as using the projector for a brief lesson on a composer or the recording equipment to playback a previous rehearsal. However engaging anywhere from 45 - 90 students in using any kind of technology in the rehearsal is more or less impossible to control.

He continued to say that he was working on a separate project that would integrate technology into the curriculum, but it would be based around practicing (homework for musicians). There is a program called SmartMusic that he is trying to have the district purchase for each student which has students play along with their computer and it grades them on accuracy of pitch, rhythm, and intonation. This program would replace his former method of grading homework, which was having students come in twice a week during their free periods and practice in the band room while he was there.

I intend on teaching in a high school setting when I begin my career and I can say that the only technology that could effectively be placed in the band and orchestra setting would be the previously noted SmartMusic.   This is efficient to the rehearsal, as it forces students to practice at home in their own time and allows the ensemble to work on focusing on the NJCCS for performing and the creative process.

Google Spreadsheet

Other ways for Sibelius & Finale

I've been thinking recently a lot about other ways to incorporate composition programs into the band or choral classroom without necessarily having students compose. I remembered that there is a feature within Sibelius and Finale that allow a score to be scanned in; this gives us the ability to isolate individual sections in the score.

This capability allows the creation of .mp3 files of one section (i.e. flutes, violins, trombones, etc) for solo practicing as well as creating a file with the entire ensemble minus a selected section. This is excellent to help the student learn how to listen to the rest of the ensemble outside of the classroom.

I know that many choirs have and use practice recordings for at home practice and being an instrumentalist, I believe that this could be very effective for younger ensembles but I'd love some input on this.