Music Instruction in Early Childhood - Capstone Research and Implications

Music Training for Young Children:  A Comparison of Early Childhood Music Instruction Programs

As I journey deep into the land of research for my Capstone paper, I am both excited and surprised about my topic.  When I first began preparing to be a music educator, I had my sights set on high school choral music.  I love conducting!  I love singing!  And...I wanted to work with musicians who were capable and prepared.  Then I took my first job - elementary music...including PreK?!?  Okay, I knew exactly what to do with grades 3-5.  I could figure out grades 1 & 2.  Kindergarten...that would be a little more challenging.  And then PreK... Could I really teach them anything?  Could they learn?  Was I prepared?

Honestly, we learned together and the classroom teachers helped me figure out what to do and what was developmentally appropriate.  Sessions at TMEA helped me to figure out these little learners too.  I remember my first Lynn Kleiner TMEA session in 1999.  She opened the door to what was possible.  With my research in full swing for a literature review of early childhood music instruction programs, I've had many opportunities to look at my own teaching and reflect on how it has changed over the last seventeen years.  I've also implemented some new methods into my teaching in the last couple of weeks.

Most importantly - Free play!  Wow, this type-A personality, control-lover had to really take a deep breath and sit on her hands for this one to work.  Over and over, I've read about the importance of free play or exploration time.  Some of the articles are from the late 1990's.  Others are quite recent.  In a couple of the articles, I felt like I was reading about myself.  One article described a teacher who implemented free play and felt "odd" because she wasn't doing anything!  Yes, I felt that too.  But then I began to see the amazing learning and processing going on in my classroom.

One of my favorite observations happened this week in a 3-yr-old class.  After I emptied the "explore box" onto the carpet, one of my little boys took a ball and began letting it drop, using his voice to follow the ball from high to low.  I had done that exercise with them the previous week and only I had had a ball.  This little guy had remembered that exercise and was practicing what he had learned.  Other children mimicked other activities with instruments or improvised their own music.  Dramatic play happened with scarves.  One of my little girls put a scarf on her head and sang about how she was a bride.  Explore time was a success!

In kindergarten, I implemented explore time in centers.  One station had a box of "tappers" (a drum, a woodblock, a triangle, claves, and a tone block), the second station had scarves and recorded music, the third had farm animal puppets the children had previously seen in class, and the last station had a box of age-appropriate books with nursery rhymes and songs.  The children were in groups of 4-5 and spent about three minutes in each station before rotating to the next.  When we were finished, I heard the children saying, "That was fun!"  "Did you see what I did with the scarves?"  "I got to make the horses dance!"  These comments inspired conversation for the last three minutes of class.  Each child told the whole group which activity had been his or her favorite and why.  The responses were wonderful.  The children were using musical terms to describe a lot of what they had been doing.  "I kept a steady beat on the woodblock."  "I made my scarf bounce with the music."  "I made the puppet dance up high when I heard the high music."  "I found a book about the 'Wheels on the Bus' and I know that song!"  Their answers inspired the other children to think of different ways to use the tools.  Center time was a success!

Yes, I felt odd not providing direct instruction, but I learned so much by observing them and asking them questions.  My students were providing me with feedback about their learning through their play.  I look forward to continuing "explore time" and making it a regular part of my classroom.

OneNote for Teachers

OneNote is a free Microsoft product that allows the user to keep materials in one place.  Notes, bookmarks from the web, Word documents, Power Point presentations, copies of emails, and more can be kept together on pages in a notebook.  As a teacher, I see the value of the ability to do this.  Instead of having materials strewn between a desktop, mobile device, emails, bookmarks, and hardcopy, OneNote makes it possible to collect related items into pages or notebooks.  The screenshot below shows an example of how a teacher collected an article, video, and personal notes onto a page.  

One example of using OneNote as a teacher is in lesson planning.  The teacher can collect resources from multiple sites and organize them to create a presentation or worksheet.  OneNote gives teacher the ability to embed voice recording and video recording as well.  All of these features would help in creating flipped lesson plans.  In the screenshot below, the teacher has laid out the tasks of the lesson plan - lecture/introduction, video, and article.  She can then attach a worksheet or other assignment to check for comprehension.  

After watching several tutorials on One Note for Teachers, I definitely see the value and possibilities of OneNote.  I do think the learning curve may be a bit steep as I begin.   There is so much you can do with OneNote, it may be a bit overwhelming at the onset.  I plan to try it out and see how it works for me.   

http://www.onenote.com/

Professional Development and Networking through Technology

Our final chapter for this course focuses on productivity and professional development.  Technology is an incredible asset to both of these topics.  In the last seven weeks, my classmates and I have been challenged and stretched in our knowledge and use of technology as it applies to music education.  Although seven weeks is a relatively short time period, I have learned so much and developed some habits that will help me to further develop my technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). 

How often do music educators attend teachers’ conferences or professional development seminars that have little or no “take-away” for them?  Furthermore, how often do music teachers find themselves with no way to connect with colleagues who specialize in the same area of music education?  In my own experience, the answer is a resounding, “Too often!”   Bauer (2014) states, “Professional development needs to be relevant to a teacher’s personal interest and needs” (p. 175).  Technology can assist music educators in creating a personal learning network (PLN).    I would like to highlight some of the technological tools I have either been using or recently started using in my own professional development and networking.

Feedly

I have to admit that I have become slightly addicted to Feedly.  https://feedly.com  Seven weeks ago, I had no idea what Feedly or an RSS was.  “RSS, which stands for real simple syndication, is a technology that allows…resources to be tracked through feeds, a technological protocol that provides notifications when new items are published” (Bauer, 2014, p. 175-176).  It is a personalized newsfeed.   Since engaging with Feedly, I have read numerous articles on education and music education.  Through Feedly, I have a better idea of what is currently going on in my field – resources, standards, technology and ideas.  It is an easy way to connect with other professionals and professional organizations. 

Blogs

Before this course, I had not understood the value of blogging.  It has been enlightening  to create my own blog and read others.  Blogs are a wonderful way for people of similar interests or professions to share their ideas, successes, and frustrations.  The ability to comment on one another’s posts is a springboard for discussions and insights.  Of course, with any internet resources, one has to look for credibility and professionalism.  

Social Networking

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/ are user-friendly platforms to connect to music teachers all over the world.  Through Facebook, colleagues can create private groups.  For example, I am a part of a private group for my Orff levels classes.  Our group Facebook page has been a valuable resource when I have questions, need ideas, or want to share.  There are also open group pages that you can “like” to receive information and join in the conversation.  As for Twitter, I am a new user due to this course.  It has been a helpful link to articles and discussion forums as well.

Online Learning/Distance Education

I am so thankful for the possibility of distance education!  I have been in the online Master of Music in Music Education graduate program at Kent State University (KSU) for a little over a year.   http://musicedmasters.kent.edu/  When I first thought of the possibility of obtaining a music education graduate degree online, I was not sure what that would look like.  I have been extremely pleased with the program offered by KSU.  Bauer (2014) lists several advantages of an online course.  I found myself nodding along as I read the text.  Two of the main advantages I have experienced that Bauer (2014) lists are the “ability to remain employed while in graduate school” and “immediately applying what is learned in coursework” (p. 182).  It has been motivating to connect with other music educators all over the United States as well as some overseas colleagues.  As a teacher, wife, and mom, I appreciate the flexibility of the courses as well.  I can work on my own time.   Although I do not meet my classmates and professors in person, tools like Blackboard Learn and Collaborate create the feel of a classroom and make communication easy.  Ironically, my husband wrote his Master’s Thesis on distance learning back in 2007.  It has been interesting to see how the possibilities and structures have changed and how things are different or the same as what he projected. 

Good luck to my classmates as we end this course and move on to the next.  It has been a pleasure to connect and share.

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford.

Creating a Tutorial

Another challenge for this week was to create a video tutorial and post it to You Tube.   I chose to create a tutorial on improvising in pentatonic.

I am truly thankful that my husband is a camera and video nerd!  He had fun setting up a little studio for me so I could record my tutorial.  It was also fun to sit down with him and learn how to use Pinnacle studio software.  Teamwork!

Creating an Original Song

This week's challenge was to compose an original song.  It is a complicated process.  I frequently arrange songs or write melodies for existing text.  I am quite comfortable with that aspect of composition.  During this process, I realized that I do not have much if any experience as a lyricist.  When I began my composition, I started with a children’s book.  Children’s books are often where I draw my inspiration and this particular book has been on my shelf for several years.  The book has no words, just pictures.   I looked at the visual storyline, jotted down some ideas for lyrics, and made some marks for vocal contour.  From there, the composition process took a different direction. 

I started working on melody the way I teach my students.  I came up with a simple melodic line and created a set of elemental phrases.   I tend to be a visual learner so I used Noteflight in this part of the process.  My phrases automatically centered on the I, IV, and V chords since that is where I spend most of my time teaching.  After I had my A section, I created a contrasting B section of the same length.   I now had thirty-two measures of melody but no accompaniment. 

After accompanying myself on my guitar, I decided to experiment with garage band and see what I could do there with multiple instruments.  In a way, it felt like cheating to have the app play my music for me, but it also seemed like the smartest way to approach making an mp3 for the purposes of the assignment.  It was fun to play with the smart guitar and smart drums.  I found a guitar groove and percussion timbres that seemed to work well together and enhanced the guitar part. 

Lyrics.  That is where I got stuck.  I am a vocalist and have always used words to convey music.  Ironically, when it came time for me to use my own words, I could not find them.   The book I had chosen as inspiration was not inspiring me.  I could not find the right words to match the melodic line.  As a vocalist, I knew what vowels I wanted for certain notes, but the story didn’t fit where the song was leading.  I decided to forgo my original book inspiration and go with the vowels and the words that kept coming to my head for the chorus.  This change of theme worked as a springboard in the writing process.  My melody and lyrics led into what could be classified as a ballad.  There is room for several verses to tell the story of a maiden and her lost love, but the audience will hear the abridged version in my recording.

Garage Band for iPad was frustrating when I could not figure out how to see the entire song.  After searching a number of tutorials and not finding the “puzzle piece” icon on my version of Garage Band for iPad, I decided to rerecord the song as a complete unit of 45 measures one track at a time.  I was concerned about some of the pickup notes in the vocals not being precise.   After recording the three tracks – guitar, percussion, and voice, I played with the reverberation and echo effects.  I decided to add a little reverb as it fit the seashore setting of the song.  I also added an introduction, interlude, and coda. 

Finally, I needed to create some images for my audience to see as they listened to my song.  My eleven–year–old gave me some helpful hints about creating an iMovie and how to import music and images.  I will say that the most frustrating part of using technology is when it does not cooperate.  I had issues in the uploading stage.  It is a very stressful feeling to have finished product that is locked in a device and will not come out. 

I feel I learned a lot from this process, both as a musician and as a tech user.  The tech tools we have been learning about for the last few weeks were put to good use in the creation of this project.  As for application in my classroom, song creation would be a good experience in bringing multiple skills together in one project. 

The Maiden’s Love by Karin Schatte

A maiden walked alone by the edge of the shore

Thinking of her lover gone to war

She came to the place where they’d made their last vow

La loo la loo la lay

O why, Love, why did you go

And leave this pain in my heart to grow?

O why, Love, why did you go

And leave me here all alone?

The maiden walked along with the wind in her hair

Along to the churchyard to pray for him there

One single rose she placed upon his grave

La loo la loo la lay

O why, Love, why did you go

And leave this pain in my heart to grow?

O why, Love, why did you go

And leave me here all alone?

You left me here all alone.

La loo la loo la lay

Active Listening: Music maps, Movement, and Video

Today in first grade, we were studying the Finale from the William Tell Overture.  I don’t think the students realized just how many times they heard the same piece (at least four!) because they were actively listening to it.  Our first listening occurred during our last class period together.  I projected a listening map on the interactive whiteboard and pointed to the various icons for the different sections as the music played.  Today, I asked a student to come up and point to the map while the students followed along.  My listening map depicts a horse race.

As the listened, they patted the beat for the A and B section, and “jumped” with their hands for the C section.  During the D section, they “cantered” using alternating patting.  The coda includes a smattering of body percussion.  It was fun to see them following along and anticipating the changes.   After a movement activity with the parachute and an “orchestra” activity with small percussion sections (fromArtie Almeida's Parachutes, Ribbons, and Scarves, Oh My!), I showed a video clip of the Italian rhythmic gymnastics team performing at the 2012 World Cup. Video Clip (go to 21:40)  The students were amazed an inspired by what they saw.  And…they recognized the music!!! We’ll be creating our own ribbon, hoop, and ball movement for the piece next week.

This week’s chapter on responding to music (Bauer, 2014) made me think more about how I approach listening in my classroom and just how much technology is involved.  I am very thankful for tools like the interactive whiteboard and iPad that allow me to store what previously would have been on a paper charts(…if I could find the right one…) and on CD.    I have also been thinking about the use of video.  I was trained to believe that video was something used for a day when a substitute had to be called in or maybe on one of those days when you just need to fill time.  I have had to reteach myself that including video in lessons is very powerful.  The key is to find appropriate video of appropriate length.   Short video samples of specific pieces or cultures is far more engaging and educational that me lecturing to my students about it. 

With today’s technology capabilities, students can hear authentic samples from music around the world.  One of my favorite examples of this idea happened with my fourth graders this fall.  In Texas, the fourth grade social studies class is Texas history.  (I know that may be strange to people outside of Texas.  I grew up in the upper Midwest.  We didn't devote an entire year of study to North Dakota or Minnesota.)  As my students were studying the Native American tribes of Texas, we were beginning our recorder studies in music class.  I showed them a shortened version of Songkeepers (Songkeepers Promotional Video), a video I had watched for the course, “America’s Music.”  The video inspired a wonderful discussion about nature, culture, and improvisation.  My students were inspired to try more improvisation.  The knowledge about recorders made their learning about Native American people more relevant and exciting. 

There are so many wonderful technology tools for teachers.  When used appropriately and wisely, they will only enhance our teaching. 

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding           to music. New York, NY: Oxford.

Assessment and Instructional Design

Assessment

I believe one of the most difficult things to do in elementary music classes is to assess.  Scratch that.  I feel that while I constantly assess my students (formative assessment), the quarterly grades I give to do not accurately provide feedback about students’ growth in music.  Assessment seems to be a blinking red light on my radar throughout this graduate program.  At least three final projects I have completed have to do with assessment.  Although I am very pro-assessment, I do feel that elementary music should be all about exploration.  I ask three things of my students: cooperate, participate, and respect.  If they are doing these things to the best of their individual ability, they will receive an “E” (excellent) or “G” (good).  This does not mean I let my students slack through my classes.  I have very high expectations and I hold them accountable.  I also realize that we all have different levels of skill and there are many skill areas within the realm of music. 

One of my conclusions has been to create a checklist for skill development.  If I am diligent in my record-keeping, I will be able to track my students’ development from kindergarten through fifth grade.   Technology will be very useful in keeping these records.  As I read about Google Forms in the text this week, I was encouraged try it out and see what I can create (Bauer, 2014).  Creating some standard rubrics using Google Forms is also smart.  That way, I can access the forms via the web instead of having them in one program on my desktop computer.

Just this week I dove into using Edmodo with my theatre arts middle school elective.  Edmodo is a website (and app) that creates an educational social network.  What is Edmodo?  With Edmodo, I am able to send assignments to my students, receive and grade their assignments, facilitate online discussion, and communicate with students one-on-one.   My students are very familiar with Edmodo as they use it for several other classes at our school.  I have been impressed already with the opportunities for questions and feedback.  While I am excited about using it for my middle school elective, I do not see myself using it for my elementary classes.  If I had music ensembles in middle and high school, I would definitely use Edmodo or a similar tool.

Webquests

Maybe I’m way behind the times, but I don’t think I’d ever heard of a Webquest until this week.  My colleagues (some who have been teaching at least the sixteen years I have been teaching and some much younger) were very familiar with the term and had used them years ago…”way back” in the 1990s.  Even though the idea is “old school,” it is amazing to think of how the idea, process, and resources base have evolved through the years.  I am very excited to design my own Webquest for our final project.  I see Webquests working well for groups and for individuals.  In a way, I feel that I have been on a large-scale Webquest throughout this degree program, especially in the class “America’s Music.”  It has been very eye-opening to see how much information is readily available from notable sources.  I look forward to integrating more tech tools to supplement my teaching.   

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding             to music. New York, NY: Oxford

Performance Practice with Technology: Chromatik and Smartmusic

For my class assignments this week, I researched the practice programs Chromatik and Smartmusic. Both programs offer interactive practice and tracking capabilities.  Each program has the possibility of motivating students to practice and enabling teachers to assess individuals.

Chromatik

After watching a few YouTube videos about Chromatik, I was very excited to be able to use it as a teacher.  As I explored the app, I couldn’t seem to find the correct links to figure out how to use some of the features described on the video.  As I did further online research, I read that Chromatik is no longer offering Chromatik for Schools and Groups due to “a combination of low usage and a high cost of maintenance.” (Explanation from Chromatik) The video had been very enticing (Chromatik video), so I was disappointed.  The functions of the app are still worthwhile even if the capabilities are not what the 2012 video suggests. 

Chromatik offers a vast variety of free music.  Users can read music, make notes on the digital score, record themselves, publish short recordings, and play along with YouTube videos.  The ability to make notes and record (audio and video options) makes self-evaluation and teacher-directed evaluation readily available.  The free music available through Chromatik allows students to play several different genres of music.  Teachers need to be aware of difficulty level.  Many of the pieces I looked through are not for beginning instrumentalists.   For example, several of the pieces tagged as “easy piano” are not easy.  It would be a good idea for teachers to work with their students to choose appropriate pieces to practice.  If the student understands how to look for range and difficulty level, it will save a lot of frustration for both parties.  The other problem I see with Chromatik is the changing repertoire.  I read some concerns from Chromatik users who had been practicing particular pieces only to find they were missing later on.  Due to licensing and usage, the repertoire is constantly changing.  Users may not be able to depend on their music to be available all the time.  Chromatik does allow the user to upload their own sheet music as well. 

Smartmusic

Wow!  I wish this would have been available when I was a student.  What a great way to hold students accountable for their practice and check in to their individual progress.  From my understanding, if Smartmusic is used efficiently, the students can learn the fundamentals of pieces through individual practice - melody and rhythm.  This will allow the time in ensemble and individual lessons to be devoted to artistry – phrasing, dynamics, tone, and technique.  

Assessment is often a challenge for music educators, especially in large ensembles.  It is difficult to find the time to assess individual students.  Smartmusic makes assessment and documentation easier.  Teachers, students, and parents will have documented evidence of learning and progress.

The cost of Smartmusic will make some parents back away.  Testimonial videos about Smartmusic put the cost into perspective.  (Smartmusic Video)  If you consider the capabilities of Smartmusic, $40 is not much for a year’s worth of individual coaching.  If a school is going to invest in Smartmusic ($140/year), the teacher must have a deliberate plan on how to use the software.  Will students be required to purchase subscriptions?  Will there be practice room subscriptions ($44 each) available at school (at no extra cost to the student)?  Will there be assignments through Smartmusic?  Teachers will need to take these questions into consideration and build their individual programs accordingly. 

In our video lecture this week, Dr. Bazan reminded teachers not to let the software do it all.  Teachers must stay connected with their students (online and face-to-face), and check for understanding and progress.  Artistry will not come through technology alone.

My school does not currently use Smartmusic or Chromatik, but I will be talking about the possibilities with my colleagues.  Our middle school students all have iPads, so the hardware for either program is ready.  It is exciting to think of the possibilities and opportunities for our music students.

Technologically teaching,...

As a teacher of this digital age, it’s baffling to step back and see how much technology I use each day in my classroom.  When the power went out in my classroom for several hours a couple of weeks ago, I realized how much I depend on technology.   It also made me thankful to be an experienced teacher who could quickly reformat lessons to work without the carefully laid-out Smart Notebook files I had prepared. 

In this week’s reading, we followed an instrumental music teacher as he taught different grade levels at different schools.  The passage described how he used technology throughout his day – interactive whiteboard, sound system, digital audio recorder, laptop, document camera, iPod, DVD, software, etc. (Bauer, 2014).  If I reflect on the lessons I taught just today at my elementary school, I used many of the same tools – interactive whiteboard, projector, stereo, CD, desktop computer, CD-ROM, and iPad (for iTunes, camera, and email).   

While I find myself fairly dependent on technology in the classroom and I have transferred most of my lessons to Smart Notebook, I think it is also important to get students “off-screen” as well.  For example, I keep my sets of hand-written, tag-board, rhythm pattern cards for reading practice with my classes.  My students read the cards using rhythm syllables or play the patterns with body percussion or drumsticks.  While they read, I often play various genres of music in the background to keep the beat and to keep it exciting.  I also use a lot of paper manipulatives in the classroom.  For example, when my first grade students are making patterns of jelly jars and bowls (to go with the song,  “Jelly in the Bowl”), we start as a class using the icons on the interactive white board.  While each student will get a chance to manipulate icons on the board at some point during the year, it would take too long and would not keep the students engaged if every student had a turn every time we did that kind of activity.  Instead, I create small paper copies of the icons in baggies and have the students create patterns in small groups.  We use technology to begin the activity, and then move on to a different way of learning. 

The modeling aspect of technology is incredibly beneficial for music students today.   As the textbook mentioned, many method books and song collections now come with CD or mp3 examples and accompaniment recordings.  It is also easy to search on YouTube for examples of pieces.  My own daughter recently began taking violin lessons.  Her teacher has assigned small research projects on contemporary violinists such as Joshua Bell and Hilary Hahn.  My seven-year-old was excited and inspired as she watched performances on YouTube.   Video examples also provide an opportunity for evaluation. 

The way students can practice music on their own has changed dramatically through technology and supportive programs such as Chromatik (https://www.chromatik.com/) and Smartmusic (http://www.smartmusic.com/).  I will reflect on these tools in my next blog post.  

Our text had a section on new performance possibilities.  I was reminded of the Eric Whitacre virtual choir (http://ericwhitacre.com/the-virtual-choir).  Literally thousands of people can take part in a virtual choir.  With video and audio technology, sound and video can be perfectly mixed by engineers.  Although this is an amazing idea and would be fun to participate in, I still believe that performing in a live format side-by-side with other musicians is an experience that cannot be matched through technology.

As I said above, I believe we need to find a balance with technology.  We, as music teachers need to use technology appropriately to give our students the best instruction possible.  Technology is a powerful tool that can supplement and aid instruction, but it cannot replace human expertise and human touch. 

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music. New York, NY: Oxford. 

Soundation Playtime

My Composition

My first composition using Soundation ultimately represents my experience in playing around with the program.  Therefore, I gave my composition the title “Playtime.”  It seemed like a fitting title to the process and also because my family said it sounded like music for a video game.

I wrote the composition in the same style I use for the elementary classroom.  I used the idea of layering a series of basic ostinati or loops.  I started with the basic beat, adding on texture until the sound was filled with the beat, melody, harmony, and auxiliary percussion.  Once I had a full sound, I broke it down again, highlighting the melody.   I ended the piece by fading the layers out, bookending the piece the way it had begun.

Honestly, my first goal was to create something that would last for about two minutes while keeping the attention of an audience.  The goal beyond that was to find a sample of music and see what I could build with it.   I wasn’t sure if I would start with melody or rhythm.  Ultimately, I ended up using a melodic sample from the Soundation MIDI files called RnB Love Keys.  I liked the basic flow of the sample.  It was happy and had a distinct melody.  I decided to use that melody to create the rest of my composition.  I used another sample from Soundation’s Electronica files for the auxiliary percussion.  For the basic drums, I decided to create my own line using the drum machine.  It was fun to play with adding and subtracting sounds and effects with the drum machine.

The Software

When I first opened up the Soundation studio, I was overwhelmed by all the buttons and samples.  I had watched the videos, so I understood how to go about starting a project, but it took a little while to feel comfortable with the process.  Once I got hang of “writing” in the “Edit Note Clip” box, I was able to add sounds or take them out according to my listening taste.  My workflow became easier as I learned how to copy and paste specific parts of MIDI samples so I could thin out the melody or bring out a particular melody, harmony, or non-pitched rhythm. 

I was challenged by all the effects and terminology.   Audio terms like dry, wet, fakie, and supersaw were all new to me.   (I only knew a “fakie” to be something Shawn White did on a snowboard.)    I took some time to practice listening to how each effect changed the sound.  It would take a very trained and experienced ear to hear some of the slight changes and to know how to create a desired effect. 

Educational Implications

As a music educator, I observe that Soundation offers students a way to create their own compositions in a non-threatening way.  Students do not necessarily have to come up with original ideas to begin the composition process.   Soundation offers a huge amount of musical samples that can serve as springboards for new compositions. 

I believe students would take to Soundation similarly to how the teachers in this group took to Soundation.  Some students would take to it very easily.  Some would be overwhelmed.  Some people  are very tied to notation and writing original ideas.  Others are excited about taking existing material and changing it without having to worry about notation.   It would be very interesting to require two projects back-to-back much like this graduate class, one using notation software like Noteflight or Musescore, the other using Soundation or Garageband.   I think I would also approach the activities with exploratory objectives.  I would present my students with a rubric listing specific requirements.   Preliminary activities would be graded for use of the software rather than the quality of the finished product.   After the class had had an opportunity to “play” with each type of composition, I could assign a project with specific objectives, but allowing the students to choose the format of their composition.  Both types of composition projects would provide growth opportunities for students.  These projects would push students out of their comfort zones while challenging them at different levels.  There would be tremendous differences in the finished projects depending on the individual student’s experience and musicianship. 

The end result - check it out at the following link:

http://soundation.com/user/kschatte/track/playtime 

Composition Today – More than Staff Paper

When I think of composition, I automatically picture staff paper (literal paper or computerized) and a piano.  This is how I have gone through the process of composition my entire life.  When I first played around with Garageband a few years back, I was confused about how to start.  What do I use?  How do I “write” what I want?  Thank goodness for things like Youtube videos that show step-by-step processes for so many programs and applications!  I experienced a similar feeling of confusion as I watched Soundation videos this week and started to “play” around with the program.  It’s a completely different approach to composition.  Instead of starting with a melody, I started with a pre-made groove in the free MIDI sound files.  I started to experiment with using clips within the samples that sounded interesting.  I am still working on this first composition at a snail’s pace, but it is a very interesting process. 

Soundation reminds me a little of an iPad app called Monkey Drum.  It is geared for children, but it allows the composer to create three different parts (played cute animal characters) in a similar way that one can compose for a drum kit in Soundation.   

I can see another way that digital audio workstations and notation software programs are helpful.  As my fifth grade students were working on a written composition project last month, I noticed that some of my best musicians didn’t do as well because they were not capable of writing down what they played.  Their musical ideas of melody and rhythm were too complex for their writing knowledge.  They knew what they wanted to create, but they didn’t know how to write it.  Computer software could capture their sounds and possibly translate it into notation.

The readings and activities for class this week opened my eyes to the possibility of a non-performance music composition class for my middle school students.  As a 1:1 iPad school, my middle school students have immediate access to the necessary technology for such a class.  There are many students who are very interested in music, but are not necessarily performers.  Teaching a class like this would be a little intimidating at first.  I would be learning along with my students, and perhaps they would really be teaching me.  It would be an exciting journey we would make together.

Noteflight Exploration - Bicycle Built for Two

I copied an arrangement of "Bicycle Built for Two" using www.noteflight.com

http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/b53166773fae43aaf50cf8c09b38ce98e9711f9e

Using Noteflight was fun and very accessible.  I found that it was very easy to understand once I got going with the composition.  I believe Noteflight could be a very valuable tool in the classroom.  I do not have ready access to multiple desktop or laptop computers at this time, but we have an iPad cart that would be more accessible to my students.  I have played with the website just a little on my iPad, but from what i can see, the students would need keyboard knowledge in order to input notes.  Note input on the desktop or laptop computer allows for clicking on the staff.  Noteflight would be a wonderful tool for students to use in homework as well.  Since they can share and edit through the site, they could work collaboratively and turn it into the teacher via email or a blog.  The class can listen and evaluate one another's compositions.

Creativity - The Perception and the Process

Although I am a musician, I had never really seen myself as a creative person.   I had always been adept at reading and performing music.  When it came to an improvisation requirement for my music education degree, I was nervous.  How could I improvise, especially as a vocalist?  Isn’t that limited to jazz scat performers like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and the like?  Music arranging threw me for a loop as well.  I could play piano proficiently enough to play four voices (e.g. a choral score) and I had studied flute in junior high and part of high school.  I couldn’t hear the parts in my head to find creative ways to arrange scores for orchestra and band.   Hmm…I must not be creative.  

In Music Learning Today, Dr. Bauer (2014) states, “Some people believe that creativity is a rare gift, with only a chosen few being born with creative talents” (p. 48).  So often, we hear people say, “I’m not creative.”  This perception is usually due to a lack of opportunity to be exercise their creativity.  Bauer (2014) reminds us that creativity is a process, not a magical quality or product.  Those that we view as creative – authors, composers, artists, choreographers – all work through a process. 

With our students, we need to instill in them the creative process.  There is trial and error.  There will be failure before success.  In today’s culture, children are often sheltered from failure.  Parents (and sometimes teachers) are taking risk away from their children in the idea of protecting their children.  This leads into an entirely different branch of conversation.  Tim Elmore (2013) has written several books about this issue.  Improvisation and composition are two ways we, as music teachers, can teach the process of learning through exploration.   I love the quote Bauer (2014) included from cartoonist Scott Adams, “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.  Art is knowing which ones to keep” (p. 54). 

As an elementary music teacher, I try to include improvisation in lesson plans frequently.  This comes in many different forms – drumming, using rhythm sticks, barred instruments, recorders, and voices.  With my youngest students, our first experiments with improvisation are vocalized, a term Dr. John Feierabend (n.d.) calls Arioso.  For example, I have a frog puppet named Charlie.  I ask my kindergarten students to tell me about Charlie, but they have to sing it.  They sing little phrases, “Charlie is green.  He has big eyes.  He eats flies.”  I don’t tell them how to sing it, but they often use the building blocks they have learned such as Mi-Re-Do or Sol-Mi patterns.  This is the important part of building confidence in improvisation.  Just as Bauer (2014) describes Graham Wallas’s stages of the creative process, preparation is the first step.  Students need to be prepared and equipped to use what is in their music “toolbox” in order to create new ideas.  For example, my fourth grade students understand phrasing, multiple pieces of rhythm, and the pentatonic scale.  They also understand the “home base” of major and minor scales.  They experience improvisation using these tools.  Of course, some students are more comfortable with it than others. 

Recently, I had my third, fourth, and fifth graders create 16-beat compositions.  I did it in a way that took them one step at a time through the creative process.  Their first assignment was to create a 16-beat rhythm composition.  I gave them a “rhythm bank” using appropriate rhythmic values for each grade level.  The other parameter was that they use elemental phrases.  We had been identifying elemental phrase structure for most of the year, so they were comfortable and excited to incorporate this tool.  When they could say and clap their rhythmic composition correctly, I allowed them to add melody.  My third graders were limited to using B, A, and G on their recorders.  The older students could write for recorders or barred instruments using a pentatonic scale.  It was an amazing experiment.  Students came to me asking if they could change their phrases slightly to create primes (using correct music vocabulary!), add a bass part, add non-pitched percussion.  I was so proud of what they created.  They were excited to perform for one another.  They were successful because they were able to break down the process, make changes, and use their skills.  It turned out to be a wonderful assessment tool as well.  I was able to assess them on their skills and they evaluated each other.  It was exciting to hear a student say, “Oh!  You ended on E because you are in minor.  We ended on G because we are in major.”  Illumination!

The process described above was done with pencil and paper.  It would be interesting in the future to use a tech tool like Noteflight in the writing process.  I have easier access to iPads in my school.  I am interested in researching more simple composition tools for iPad.

I am happy to say that I have become much more comfortable with composition and improvisation since my undergrad experience.  My training in Orff Schulwerk helped me significantly.  The more we practice skills, the more confident and proficient we become.  We become better models for our students. 

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding   to music.   New York, NY: Oxford.

Feierabend, J. (n.d.) First steps in music for preschool and beyond. Retrieved from

http://www.feierabendmusic.org/first-steps-in-music-for-preschool-and-beyond/

Elmore, T. ( 2013, Feb 15).  Three huge mistakes we make leading kids…and how to correct them.     [Blog post].  Retrieved from http://growingleaders.com/blog/3-mistakes-we-make-leading-kids/

Diagram of TPACK http://tpack.org/

What's in your TPACK?

TPACK – technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge.   Teachers today strive to find the balance and intersection of these three areas.  The way we teach has changed in many ways in very little time.  When I began my teaching career in 1998, I remember carting my personal Compaq computer into my office.  One of the secretaries said something to the effect of, “Why do you need that thing?”  I was one of the first in my school to have a computer and recognize its value to my work.  It wasn’t long after that when all teachers and staff received desktop computers.  We began using email to communicate with one another, and then to communicate with the parents of our students. 

Fast forward to today.  I communicate almost daily with parents through emails or electronic newsletters.  I post pictures and videos of my students on our school’s Facebook page and website.  Students in our middle school have gone to 1:1 iPads.  Most of their homework is turned in electronically.  Teachers enter grades electronically and parents can monitor their child’s progress. 

In the midst of all this technology, teachers must maintain a strong foundation of pedagogy and content knowledge.  The teacher must know their “stuff.”  “In music, this means that teachers need to have a general background in music theory and music history, as well as have well-developed aural and performance skills” (Bauer, 2014, p. 13).  A good teacher not only knows their content area, but knows how to translate that knowledge to others while creating a classroom atmosphere that is safe, challenging, and exciting.  Effective teachers find ways to integrate technology so that it works with their content and pedagogy.  The outcome and use of tools will be different for every teacher (Bauer, 2014). 

As I reflect on my own teaching, I find that many of the ways I use technology have indeed become transparent as Dr. Bauer (2014) described.  They have become so commonplace, I take them for granted.  On a day the projector is not working or the power source to the computer breaks down, I realize just how dependent I have become on technology.  Now in my everyday teaching, I use a Smartboard along with Smart Notebook.   They are amazing tools that help me to organize the material I teach while taking away a lot of paper clutter and storage around my classroom and office.  It takes time to create innovative slides for lesson plans, but the outcome in student response is worth the time and effort.  Most curriculum texts now come with CDs that include Smart Notebook slides or other PDFs.   Instead of wheeling the TV cart down to my room, I use my desktop computer to play DVDs or online videos using my Smartboard and projector.  I have a large collection of CDs for the music I use in class.  I have slowly started the process of transferring the most-used tracks to iTunes.  With my classroom iPad, I am able to access the music I need and organize it into specific playlists. 

I believe that I am only using the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to technology.  That thought is both exciting and a little overwhelming.  I look forward to learning more technology integration strategies and finding ways to implement them in my teaching.  I am also reassured by Dr. Bauer’s (2014) idea that “technological approaches shouldn’t be used for technology’s sake.  They should only be incorporated when there is a clear benefit to learning” (p. 10).  Teachers must use their expertise in content and pedagogy to make decisions about how to best incorporate technology.  At the same time, teachers must continue to expand their knowledge in all three areas to best support themselves and their students.

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to music.       New York, NY: Oxford.