The Importance of Using a Tuner: Finding Your Perfect Pitch
The Importance of Using a Tuner: Finding Your Perfect Pitch

Music is a beautiful language, but like any language, it relies on clear communication.  Just like people speaking the same language can do so with different accents to their voice so too can musicians play the same note but with slight changes in the way it sounds.  The pitch may be a bit high or a bit low, and over the centuries musicians have come up with ways to analyze these differences so that multiple musicians can better "play in tune."  Just as proper grammar and pronunciation are essential for understanding spoken words, playing in tune is paramount for creating harmonious music. This is where the tuner comes in.  For the beginner (or even the more advanced musician) it can be a vital tool for developing accuracy of pitch.

Low Cost MusicTechnology Options For The Music Education Classroom
Low Cost MusicTechnology Options For The Music Education Classroom

Finding ways to stretch your budget in a music classroom is always important and even more so when trying to purchase high tech electronics, software, and other materials.  This article provides an updated list of dozens of different low cost or free alternatives to expensive music education products.  It includes such categories as music notation software, drill design software, special needs hardware, and many more.

 

The Star Spangled Banner- Free Sheet Music For Band Inst.
The Star Spangled Banner- Free Sheet Music For Band Inst.

This document contains sheet music for all common instruments to play The Star Spangled Banner, also known as the sheet music to the National Anthem of the United States of America. You can view the sheet music online or download the individual parts arranged for all common concert band instruments.  If you do not see your instrument listed please scroll to the bottom of the page and try one of the the other instruments.  Most musicians will be able to find at least one instrumental part that matches their range and preferred key signature.  If you are seeking a simple piano version of the song please select from the voice, trumpet, or alto saxophone versions.

 

Using Plickers as an Assessment Tool in the Music Education Classroom
Using Plickers as an Assessment Tool in the Music Education Classroom

Music, band, choir, and orchestra classrooms can be huge and assessing the knowledge and retention of individual students in such a large class can be daunting.  Plickers are one of several solutions that can be adapted to work in large groups, making the act of assessing a student’s understanding a little easier and a whole lot faster.  

Is Marching Band A Sport? Pros, Cons, and a Reality Check
Is Marching Band A Sport? Pros, Cons, and a Reality Check

In recent years the question of whether or not marching band is a sport has been brought up time and time again for various reasons and by various groups.  On one side you have the YES crowd who says that marching band is competitive, physically demanding, and every bit as much a team event as any traditional sporting event.  On the other side of the coin are those who say no, that marching band is NOT a sport and it is a musical pursuit that happens to involve coordinated movements.  Both sides are right, but to make a final decision we need to look deeper into the facts.  Read on to find out what they are!

Portable Digital Audio Recorder Buying Guide With Reviews
Portable Digital Audio Recorder Buying Guide With Reviews

Scroll down to view the comparison chart of over a dozen different portable digital audio recorders.

Buying a portable digital audio recorder is a major decision.  The balance between price, features, and quality is a fine line that has many different options to choose from.  There are dozens of different models of portable digital audio recorders, some of which have drastically different sets of features yet sell for roughly the same price.  This easy to read head to head comparison chart and guide to many of the more popular portable digital audio recorders is intended to help potential buyers more easily see these differences and make an educated buying decision.

Apps and More for the Choral Classroom
Apps and More for the Choral Classroom

The number of apps, software, and gadgets available for use in the music classroom continues to grow each year but finding things that can actually be beneficial to your classes grows more and more difficult as well.  We spoke with Dr. Christopher Russell, Director of Choirs at Oltman Middle School in St. Paul Park, Minnesota to get his must-have list of apps.

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Listening to MusicEvery music teacher strives to improve the tone quality and musicality of their students. There are a plethora of different factors that have an impact on this. The obvious practices that can create good tone quality and musicality include breath support, posture, and proper  embouchure. There is, however, one very easy way that teachers can help their students develop a more characteristic tone on their instruments, and improve their musicality: listening.

Listening to Improve Tone Quality

When students begin playing an instrument, there are many teachers who will explain how to make a sound on an instrument, and perhaps demonstrate on a mouthpiece or on one tone, but it is rare that at an early age, students are exposed to real recordings of professionals playing their instrument with characteristic tone quality. As the students continue playing and reach high school, it is very likely that they have rarely (if at all) had the opportunity to hear what their instrument is supposed to sound like. They have developed a conception of what good tone quality is based on listening to themselves and their classmates play.

Along the same lines, many beginning band teachers will focus on ear training and rote methods to teach the very basics of the instrument. This develops the students' ears from the beginning. Why, then, do secondary-level directors not take advantage of this development in the students' ears? If a student can, after some instruction, replicate "mi-re-do" by listening after a few weeks on the instrument, they have just as good an opportunity to try and replicate a characteristic tone on their instrument after hearing one by the time they reach high school.

Listening to Improve Musicality

Students, however, should not only listen to their own instrument. There is a great advantage, in fact, to listening to other instruments (or even other genres!) in order to improve musicality. For example, if a student is preparing a slow, lyrical movement from a classical concerto for an audition or contest, chances are they could use instruction in the bel canto style of playing. Where better to find great examples of musicality and bel canto style than in recordings of the great opera singers? Playing a recording of a top soprano singing a lyrical aria can have just as much impact on the student's musicality than playing a recording of a professional playing the exact piece the student is preparing.

Where To Find Recordings

There are tons of resources available, both online and offline, for acquiring high-quality recordings for students. Here are just a few:

  • Your Local Library-Check out records, cassettes, or CD's
  • Retail Stores-Buy CD's at local bookstores or music stores
  • Naxos Music Library-An online, streaming, music library resource (subscription required)
  • Pandora Radio-Great for listening to a variety of music from a particular genre

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