My Blog Challenge--

Laurie said, "Here's a blog challenge back at you--what technology or software is most helpful in a music classroom? Those of us non-music teachers but techies would like to know."

Well, here goes, Laurie...

My kids use and LOVE "GarageBand." It is amazing the stuff they have learned about music while composing their own music. Form, musical keys, tempos, etc. have all been part of their experiential learning.

"Stationery Studio" is an amazing piece of writing software that actually has nothing to do with music. I have used it with second graders to create their own "Animal Rap Songs! Great experience for the kids. Rhyming and musical beats...it's all good. If you are a K-5 teacher, you MUST check out "Stationery Studio!"

A software program I have blogged a lot about (in part because I wrote some of the curriculum) is "Animation-Ish." I have several projects underway this year. High school kids will be animating musical terms that are in their music. Elementary kids will be using the program for several different projects.

I also plan on using Skype and inviting other classes from around the country to work with my students!

Best of all, I will have a Promethean board on FRIDAY!!!!!!! Class as we know it will change!

Garage Band--The ABACABA Tutorial

Fellow blogger, Clay Burrell, made the excellent suggestion via comment to ScreenCast directions for how to do the ABACABA Music Form in Garage Band. Here is the video. I used Screencast-o-matic. I had never used it before and it was so easy that this video was done in one try. Nothing to download, it is totally done with the browser. My voice is actually lower than the video, but it shows the screen all the same.

Watch the full-size version here.