Using Technology in Music Education Spring 2009 Newsletter

It is hard to believe that the end of the school year is fast approaching! The end of the year is a great time to reflect on the past year, and to start planning for next year. In this newsletter we have lots of exciting ideas to help you plan for using computers in teaching music, along with some interesting new products that can save you time.

We are here to help - if you have questions about music and computers - we have answers! However, please don't reply to this e-mail, instead e-mail sales@kellysmusicandcomputers.com, or call us at 1-888-562-8822 in Canada or 1-800-510-4385 in the US. We've answered over 30,000 questions about music & computers - why not ask us yours!

We only send this newsletter two or three times a year. Be sure to join our monthly newsletter to find out about the latest new products, special offers, clearance sales and more! For example, this month's find out about the new Band in a Box for Mac!

In this issue:

• Sibelius 6
• New Audio & MIDI hardware for schools - great features, easy to use, and inexpensive!
• Music Ace Maestro on Sale!
• Notion Conducting for teaching conducting
• Teaching piano on-line, electronic blackboard for music
• Digital portfolios & assessment
• Video tutorials for Finale, Sibelius, Cubase, Sonar and more
• Deals - buy 1, get 1 free IK Multimedia, instant rebate on eMedia Piano Bundle...

Sibelius 6

Sibelius 6 is now available! If you already own Sibelius, there are some very exciting features that make it worth the upgrade, and if you don't already have Sibelius, the new features will definitely tempt you!

There are more new features that we can cover in this newsletter, so for the complete list, you can skip right to our Sibelius 6 page for the details or the Sibelius 6 Upgrade to buy the upgrade. Here are our favorite new features for teachers:

• Classroom control: this is brilliant! If you use Sibelius in a lab, you can now control all of the computers running Sibelius. This means you can send a starting worksheet or file to every computer, freeze computers to get students' attention (this one is my favorite feature!), send messages to students, or even gather everyone's work into a single folder at the end of the class.
• Integration with recording software: by adding support for the Rewire protocol, you can now sync Sibelius with recording software such as Pro Tools, Cubase or Sonar! Scan an accompaniment into Sibelius, make some changes, and then record student performances into Pro Tools - it will now all work together: no need to import/export MIDI files!
• Sing to input: AudioScore Lite is now included to allow you to make a monophonic recording and convert to notation, however, as with Photoscore Lite, the full AudioScore is more accurate, has more features, and is well worth buying if you plan on using this feature.
• Conduct your performance: tap and Sibelius will follow! You can adjust the tempo and have control over fermatas, etc. and Sibelius will not only follow you, but record your tempo changes. This is a great tool for making playing along CDs for students, or when you want to conduct an ensemble that will follow your every nuance and never misbehave :-)
• On-screen keyboards and fretboards: I always recommend using a MIDI keyboard with Sibelius, but if you can't afford to buy enough for your lab, or don't have room, the new on-screen keyboards will make it easier to enter notation
• Report on student progress with versions: this feature allows you to see and report on what changes students have made to their scores. Students can add their own comments, and you can add comments as well with virtual sticky notes.

If you already own Sibelius, you can purchase the upgrade now - please enter your serial number in the comments section of your order.

- Sibelius 6 Information
- Sibelius 6 Upgrade

MIDITECH Audio & MIDI Interfaces

We've finally found the perfect USB audio and MIDI interfaces designed specifically for the needs of school labs! Two criteria defined our search - we wanted hardware that is easy to set up and that fits your budget without sacrificing features. We finally found what were looking for from the German company MidiTech.

The MidiTech series of USB sound cards and MIDI interfaces are simple to set up. They are class compliant, which means you do not have to download, install or configure drivers - instead, just plug in the device and it will start working immediately! This is especially important for schools where it can be difficult to obtain permission to install new hardware because of driver issues and potential conflicts. As well, all of our MidiTech products are compatible with both Windows Vista 32 and 64 bit.

The MidiTech GuitarFace, AudioLink and AudioLink Pro USB audio interfaces are affordable, but still offer the ability to record from virtually anything. All three can record from mics, guitars or line level devices and include mic pre-amps and phantom power. Many entry level audio interfaces leave out pre-amps and phantom power, making it difficult to record from condenser mics. The entry level GuitarFace can record from any type of mic, includes Samplitude SE for recording and is under $75 US!

If you need something a bit more professional the AudioLink PRO is a professional audio interface capable of 24 bit, 96khz recording and playback. With 2 XLR inputs with mic pre-amps and switchable phantom power, you can connect dynamic or condenser microphones for high quality recording. Use the Hi-Z connection for a guitar or bass, and both the mic and guitar inputs have gain level dials, making it easy to control your levels without having to use your mouse! The adjustable headphone out is perfect for monitoring your mix and includes a direct monitoring switch for no-latency monitoring of your recording.

If you need to connect MIDI devices, the MidiFace II Thru is a USB-powered MIDI interface which supports MIDI In, MIDI Out and MIDI Thru. Like the rest of the MidiTech products, you can just plug it in using the included USB and MIDI cables and you are ready to go! I really like the design of the MidiFace II, since the cables easily disconnect. If a student accidentally bumps or moves a keyboard without disconnecting the cables, the MidiFace II is less likely to suffer damage than a molded cable design where the cables can't disconnect!

Music Ace Maestro On Sale!

It doesn't happen very often, so we are very excited to tell you that Music Ace Maestro Lab and Network licenses are on sale! I love Music Ace Maestro, and if you haven't tried it yet, I definitely recommend downloading the demo from our site - just click on the "Downloads" tab to try it out.

Music Ace Maestro includes 48 lessons on pitch & rhythm, and starts right at the beginning with with lines and spaces and beat and tempo. It uses the sign before sound approach, which means students are learning to hear, listen and understand music - not just name the notes or count rhythms. Some of my favorite lessons include dotted quarter notes, syncopation, rests, and pitch matching. Each lesson is followed by a game - and kids love it!

If you already own Music Ace 1 or 2 and want to upgrade to Music Ace Maestro, please contact us.

The sale expires in September, and you can view the sale and regular prices on-line by clicking on the "Academic Available" link. You can buy a license for as many or as few computers as you wish - you don't have to buy the standard configurations on our website. Just call us at 1-888-562-8822 or e-mail sales@kellysmusicandcomputers.com with the number of computers you need a license for and we can give you a quote.

More details on Music Ace Maestro

Notion Conducting

I really enjoyed my university conducting courses, but practicing at home by conducting recordings didn't really prepare me for real life!

Notion Conducting is the solution! Complete with a curriculum and videos, Notion Conducting also includes software that allows students to conduct a virtual orchestra made up of fellow students, each controlling a portion of the orchestra in response to the conductor's gestures, to provide immediate aural feedback. Notion Conducting includes the sounds of the entire London Symphony Orchestra and covers both symphonic and band works!

For a homework assignment (or in self-study) a student can add, delete, or change tempo, dynamic, and articulation marks in the score to create different musical effects that will be heard in playback. Students can also learn to hear wrong notes and other deviations from the original score. A teacher can make alterations for students to detect.

One of the most exciting additions to the newest release is an entire series of video lessons of Conducting basics and performances of all the scores and exercises in the workbook.

More details on Notion Conducting, 2nd Edition

Teaching piano on-line, electronic blackboard for music...

Have you thought about teaching piano on-line? Need a way to transmit what you play in real time over the Internet? Internet MIDI does just what you expect - it transmits what you play on a MIDI keyboard, to any other computer over a local network or the internet.

Perhaps you just need an electronic blackboard for music instrument. Classroom Maestro allows you to display single notes, intervals, chords, scales and more on-screen. Perfect for use with a projector, Classroom Maestro can even include optional analysis.

You can download a demo of both Internet MIDI and Classroom Maestro from our website, and the two programs can be used together.

Digital Portfolio's and Assessment

Many schools are moving towards portfolio assessment, and that sometimes poses challenges for the music teacher. We've had lots of teachers contact us about this, and we've been able to offer some suggestions that make this form of assessment a valuable tool for student learning, documenting progress and interacting with parents. We are preparing an article for our next newsletter, but in the meantime, feel free to call or e-mail for advice.

One of the most helpful tools for many teachers has been using portable digital recorders for recording student performances. You can find a complete list of portable digital recorders on-line, or contact us for recommendations specific to your situation. (Remember, don't reply to this e-mail - please e-mail sales@kellysmusicandcomputers.com and we would be happy to assist!)

Video Tutorials

As a music teacher myself, I enjoy helping other teachers learn to make the most out of technology in their classrooms. I am available for on-site and on-line training, and I always focus on helping you "learn to learn" and "learn to apply." My "learn to learn" approach ensures that you can continue to learn how to use your music software after I'm gone, and "learn to apply" ensures that you can start using technology in your classroom right away.

One of the comments I often make is that none of us are born with the innate ability to use technology - it has to be learned! In addition to on-line and on-site training, we have a number of videos and books available. You can find a complete list on our website.

Deals!

• Buy One, Get One Free! From May 1st to June 30th, when you purchase one IK Multimedia Virtual Instrument (SampleTank 2 XL, Miroslav Philharmonik, SampleMoog, SampleTron or Sonik Synth 2) you will receive another one of equal or lesser value free from IK Multimedia! (The free software will be available for download from your user area on the IK Multimedia site after you register.) The sale applies to academic versions, which have just been reduced in price, making it an even better deal!
• Instant Rebate on Learn to Play Piano Bundle! For slightly more than the cost of a MIDI keyboard, you receive a USB MIDI keyboard, plus eMedia's popular Piano & Keyboard Method software - a great deal, and schools can take advantage of the instant rebate since there is not limit or forms to fill out!

Questions?

Remember, if you have a question you would like answered, please e-mail sales@KellysMusicAndComputers.com or give us a call!

Kelly Demoline
Kelly's Music & Computers - http://kellysmusic.net
USA: 1-800-510-3485
Canada: 1-888-562-8822
International: 1-204-753-5280