Last month I listed the benefits of adding a lab to your lesson and provided a general overview of lab ideas. This month I will list and describe specific pedagogical software (programs designed specifically for student learning of musical concepts) that I use throughout the year.

Generally, software can become an immediate favorite with me and my students, seem to date itself quite quickly, or seem useful but with limitations. Most of the programs I own fall into the following categories:

Can I Play It Again? (Games that Teach)

Piano Wizard

http://www.pianowizard.com/ This unique game is reminiscent of Guitar Hero but provides excellent sequential steps to reading from the grand staff, hands alone and hands together. The success of the program lies in how well it disguises learning with graphics, animation and action. Students with NO prior piano experience can easily play this game–it is loved by students of all levels.

Groovy Shapes (ages 5-7), Groovy Jungle (ages 7-9) and Groovy City (ages9-11)

www.sibelius.com/products/groovy/shapes.html The set of three programs offers lessons in music notation and terminology and then provides unique ways to create and compose with the material covered in each lesson. The graphics captivate students and the inspirational format for making original compositions lures them into the world of musical creativity. These programs allow input from a MIDI keyboard for further creative options.

Do I Have To? (Lessons that Teach)

Children’s Music Journey Vols 1-3

http://www.adventus.com/store/childrens-music-journey/ This series is a marvelous teaching program for elementary pianists (preschool to 8?). The curriculum is designed with diligently- sequenced steps to learning and applying reading and composition skills. Students enjoy meeting their various on-screen “teachers”  (famous composers) and listening to their famous compositions while learning the rudimentary basics.

Alfred’s Essentials of Music

http://www.alfred.com/Products/Essentials-of-Music-Theory-Software-Version-20-CD-ROM-Student-Version-Complete-Volume–00-18833.aspx Even though students may consider these a little dry, the lessons cover essentials and are great tools. If a new concept is being taught during a lesson, I will assign lessons from this software to reinforce what was taught–never hurts for students to hear explanations from a different “teacher”. More…

An assignment given to me as a grad student was to visit various successful piano teachers in the area. One studio that particularly inspired me offered a computer session with each lesson. Upon graduating I embraced the technology of the 20th century and since then have attracted many students because of the “Lab” (computer session) with the “Lesson”.

In the 21st century, most households have succumbed to the technology and expect others to do so as well. At this point, why not capitalize on the countless options provided by the virtual world? WHY NOT set up lab time for your students and hire your computer?

Why?

• More Students–show that you care and attract students by meeting them where they are–online, on the phone, xbox, iTunes…
• More Time–spend 30 minutes teaching your student and then increase his/her learning time by a 30-minute lab
• More Income–charge for the lesson and add a lab fee as well (about one-third of your lesson fee)
• More Learning Tools–with more income you are able to purchase more equipment, music, software, etc that provide a variety of options for all learning styles

When?

• Schedule two students each hour, one works with you for 30 minutes while one works on the lab assignment for 30 minutes, then switch
• Consider this schedule for students in preschool, 1st-8th graders and beyond

How?

• Create Lab Folders for each student that lists the assignment to be covered for the day
• Choose software, or activities that provide tutorials, ear training, note name drills, YOU decide
• Create a unit and choose games, drills and tutorials focused on that concept

Why Not?

• Do not attempt to add a Lab if you are NOT  interested in computers, software, internet…
• If you are NOT able to multi-task, reconsider the Lab. You must be prepared to teach one student and expect interruptions from the other working on the computer
• If you are NOT willing to spend time determining lab assignments (however, great resources like www.keystoimagination.com are available to lift this burden!)
• If you are NOT interested in learning about, acquiring and installing software More…

Need curriculum for teaching the creative stuff?       Have favorite resources to share?

• Over the next few months, I’d love your help in compiling a list of  resources for teaching music creativity. My own experience has been that it is difficult to find adequate materials in the areas of  improvisation and composition curricula, and I would love to know about  resources you use to inspire your students in their music creativity!  I will share some of my favorites. As you can see, many of them are my own, developed for use in my own teaching and then published for others. They have been successful!  But, I would really value your suggestions as well! Please add your favorites by comment, and I will amend the list as we go!

Here’s just a start…as I am on vacation as I write this, so I may be able to add more upon returning to my studio after the New Year!

Resources for Music Creativity –

Places to Start, and Were to Find Them

Imagery and Stories

Child’s Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson (all levels) – Amazon

Crazy Staves by C. Schumann (beg/int) – Piacere Music

Flip for Improvisation “Jr” and “Original” (beg/int) by C. Schumann – Piacere Music
More…

daily observations “classical music insights” Charles Noble is the Assistant principal violist of the Oregon Symphony.  He blogs about his experiences with the orchestra, as well as his deep love of good coffee.  Follow Charles on Twitter.

Dial “M” for Musicology “Music, Musicology, and Related Matters.”   “This is a musicology group blog that features the prose stylings of Jonathan Bellman (University of Northern Colorado) and Phil Ford (Indiana University Jacobs School of Music). It is a place for us to work ideas out publicly in what is still, for our field, a somewhat new medium. We are members of the American Musicological Society, but our views are entirely our own and should not be taken as representative of the AMS or any other academic organization. “Dial ‘M’ for Musicology” is an academic blog, but it wants to be friends with everyone. Welcome to all critics, musicians, bedroom air-guitarists, louche aesthetes, prickly autodidacts, and random passers-by!”  There are also several new contributors who have joined the fold.  Often thought-provoking and always interesting, this is a great place to find things to think about.  4-8 posts monthly.

dramma per musica “My name is Bob Kingston. I’m a librarian, free-lance musicologist, lapsed bass-baritone, and self-professed opera fanatic living in Portland, Oregon.  I give all of the pre-performance talks for the Portland Opera, and I also lead music history classes for the company’s Studio Artists. I love collecting historic vocal recordings, and I often use examples of these in my classes and presentations. So, don’t be surprised if I post a clip of some obscure Russian tenor or Italian baritone from time to time.”  4-12 posts monthly.  I enjoy Bob’s tweets immensely.  Follow Bob on Twitter. More…

I’d like to share some ideas that work well as ice breakers or to brush up on rhythm skills in group lessons and workshops. I’ve even used them to kick off my teacher workshops, and they inspired very enthusiastic participation from all!

The Rhythm Ring

1)  Prior to class, set out a group of rhythm instruments in the middle of a circle of chairs or rug area where the students will be sitting. As they enter, explain that you will be passing the instruments out to those who are waiting patiently when class begins. (This will help with chaos control!)

2)  Ask the students to think of a rhythmic pattern in 4/4 time, and to be prepared to play it repeatedly, once they have been asked to join in the rhythm ring. More…

Are you looking for?

• A few ideas for a fresh new way to start off a lesson?
• A few quick improv games to use in a group setting?
• A reward activity for a student’s hard work on an assignment?
• Starter ideas for the next composition:

In each part of this series, to be continued over the next few months, we’ll explore one or two approaches to fun and easy improvisations. This will be an opportunity for us to get a collection of activities for beginning or continuing to bring creativity into our music studios. I’m saying “we” because I’m hoping that as I share my ideas, you will reciprocate!  Try these things out, and let us know how they work and how you adapted things for your particular teaching situation. Add other improv ideas that have been successful with your music students. More…

OH! The HOLIDAYS!

As teachers, we’re not the only ones with ever increasing lists of “To-Do’s”. With extra performances, programs and parties it can become overwhelming, can’t it? Our students and their families also have their busy holiday schedules, and, as most of you can agree, the focus can just go completely out the window! So, how do we keep the lessons productive and fun throughout these seasons? Whether it be Christmas and Hanukkah, birthdays, Ground Hog Day, or summer vacation, the list can go on and on! More…

The minor pentatonic scale, often referred to as the “Relative Minor Pentatonic Scale” is a scale that has only 5 scale tones in a natural minor scale: 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7. It is called the “Relative Minor Pentatonic Scale” as the notes in the scale can be played with a song in the major key as well as the relative minor key. This common scale is found in the opening bars of “My Girl” by The Temptations. More…

I don’t mean to advertise for a specific product here but thought I’d share info with you about a new mp3 player that has surprised me. It suits me better than any mp3 player I’ve tried, and hopefully this will spark your thoughts to investigate this and other possibilities for keeping your own music in mind and sharing it with students.

For a year, I had an mp3 player which was good but then the video screen failed. It was going to cost almost as much to fix it as to get a new one, and I had hesitations about replacing it because I really didn’t use it very much.

I soon found out why I didn’t use the old one much, when I got my new one for $50–a Creative Zen Stone Plus.

[Here's a link if you're interested: Stone Plus player]

The big difference for me was that it has a tiny speaker in it, and the sound is pretty good, too. I discovered that I never liked using earphones. With this player, I can play it any time, anywhere, for any length of time. I can play a tune for a student, or let it play in my shirt pocket at the airport so I have my own favorite background music following me around instead of whatever background music the airport consultants think I ought to be hearing. A few times people have More…

Have you checked out About.com online? It has lots of “neighborhoods” featuring information about all sorts of interests, and one of them is music education. Started in 1996, About.com has been run since 2005 by the New York Times company.

The music education site presents information and resources on music theory, history of music, profiles of musicians and composers, online music games, and lesson plans. Every week a newletter is emailed to those who sign up, with links to their articles about specific topics within each of these areas–spotlights on certain performers or composers from various musical genres, lesson plans, a free music resource of the week involving songs, links and downloads; timely series built around, for example, Women’s History Month, Jazz Appreciation Month, and Black History Month. There are ideas about practicing, buying instruments, history timelines, etc.

Apart from the music education site, the larger site, about.com also has “neighborhoods” devoted specifically to folk music, classical, guitar, top 40/pop music, and children’s music. You can also sign up to receive weekly emails with highlights and links for any of these topics.