Bicycle Built for Two

 

Bicycle Built for Two



The short musical piece entitled “A Bicycle Built for Two”, was my first experience working with Noteflight. This is an online music application that allows an individual to create, listen, print and share their compositions and arrangements. It is possible to work directly on your web browser and has a free version that allows one to gain experience in creating music. This could be a good educational tool for beginners because most of the work can be done using the mouse and this helps to make it user friendly. However, this is time consuming so as many keyboard shortcuts as possible should be learned. Further, the feature of sharing and allowing others to view, listen and give feedback allows the author of the piece to find out what other composers, arrangers, musicians, or even the average music listener thinks about their work; which can help them accomplish the desired result and reaction intended for their music.  

Creatve Music with Technology-An Overview of Creativity and Improvisation

Creating Music with Technology-An Overview of Creativity and Improvisation

 

 

Improvisation is a part of the creative spectrum and can be formulated collaboratively or on an individual basis. As an individual plays with a band there are times he or she may feel to step out of the normal live performance of the group. These are the times that improvisation takes place. These actions are not always of the conscious mind. Many times they just happen based on a feeling or some event that the individual may be experiencing at that time in their life.

As I explored during the second week of my Technology Assisted Music Learning class the focus was on acquiring knowledge and skills for creating music, with a particular focus on improvisation, affordances and constraints of technologies with application to musical creativity and applying technology to curricular outcomes.

Musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) allows instruments and computers to communicate. Through this, there are programs and applications that can assist teachers in introducing creativity and improvisation. The use of technology and the implementation of the 7-level sequential model for developing improvisational abilities by Kratus; awards opportunities for students in my steel band program to acquire the knowledge and skill to become creative (Bauer, 2014). This sequential model and examples of activities for teaching improvisation can be found in Music Learning Today by William I. Bauer.

Bauer, W. I. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding to

            music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

www.oup.com/us/musiclearningtoday

 

The application I would explore with my students would be Noteflight because it is easy to open an account on line and share ideas with everyone in the group for feedback and suggestions. It is limited until you upgrade to where you

would have to pay. https://www.noteflight.com/

 

Musescore however, is music notation software that has a free download but the sharing process may not be as easy. It does allow students to save their work a file that could be open on or off the web for personal composing and creating development. https://musescore.org/

 

 

Following link is to an article about the importance of music educators being qualified. I think it is worth looking at: http://www.nafme.org/north-dakotas-answer-to-teacher-shortage-leaves-qualified-music-teachers-in-the-classroom/

 North Dakota’s Answer to Teacher Shortage Leaves Qualified Music Teachers in the Classroom

Posted on September 1, 2015 in Advocacy Groundswell Blog, NAfME News

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

A Bicycle Built for Two

A Bicycle Built for Two

The short musical piece entitled “A Bicycle Built for Two”, was my first experience working with Noteflight. This is an online music application that allows an individual to create, listen, print and share their compositions and arrangements. It is possible to work directly on your web browser and has a free version that allows one to gain experience in creating music. This could be a good educational tool for beginners because most of the work can be done using the mouse and this helps to make it user friendly. However, this is time consuming so as many keyboard shortcuts as possible should be learned. Further, the feature of sharing and allowing others to view, listen and give feedback allows the author of the piece to find out what other composers, arrangers, musicians, or even the average music listener thinks about their work; which can help them accomplish the desired result and reaction intended for their music.  

Technology-Assisted Learning

 

A Conceptual Framework for Technology-Assisted Learning

 

Technology according to Wikipedia is:

The making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems,Method of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to aproblem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of suchtools, machinery, modifications, arrangements and procedures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology

 

Through the use of cell phones, iPods, tablets, video games, and computers of all forms and sizes people are becoming not only more technologically informed but connected as well (Bauer, 2014). These devices or tools all have the capability of accessing the internet therefore, making it easier and affordable for people around the globe to communicate more efficiently. As the journey begins in the University of Florida’s online technology assisted music learning course, the following objectives were examined:

• Describe the significance of technology in today's world and people's lives.
• Discuss the role of technology in general education.
• Provide examples of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in music education.
• Establish a digital Personal Learning Network

Technology is used by everyone today whether or not they want to or even realize it. Younger people are having an easier time integrating or using technology in their life than older people because they were born during a time when technology was already a part of just about everything. This has led to youths being characterized as digital natives and adults as digital immigrants (Bauer, 2014).

Teachers are challenged with finding ways to include technology in their teaching. This has caused small to moderate gains in student learning compared to when no technology was incorporated (Tamim, Bernard, Borokhovski, Abrami, and Schmid 2011).

Incredibox is an app that allows teachers to introduce rhythm and music mechanisms like form. It allows students to increase their creative skills by using beatboxers that come with the program. This is an example of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in music education. Here is the link to the site as well as two projects I worked on this week:

                        http://www.incredibox.com/

1.       http://www.incredibox.com/mix/55E0DD0FBAF8B-V4

2.       http://www.incredibox.com/mix/55E0E36E3BA1F-V4

 

 

A Digital Personal Learning Network is a collection of resources that are available to you on demand.They include people that you communicate with that may have expertise in a subject of interest and things such as blogs. Wikis, podcast etc. (Bauer, 2010). An RSS or Really Simple Syndicaion is a thread that connects the technology in the PLN. The RSS reader that I am presently experimenting with is Feedly and can be found at:  http://feedly.com.

 

References

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

Bauer, W. I. (2010). Your personal learning network: Professional development on demand. Music  Educators Journal, 97, 37-42. http://mej.sagepub.com/content/97/2/37

Tamim, R. M., Bernard, R. M., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, A. P., & Schmid, R. F. (2011). What forty years of research says about the impact of technology on learning: A second-order meta-analysis and validation study. Review of Educational Research, 81 (1), 4-28.

 Doi: 10.3102/0034654310393361.

 

 

 

 

              

Week Six Blog post

“Arabic Alphabet Song”

Zaky

Sudan

Voice

 

 The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left in a cursive style and includes twenty-eight letters. It is classified as an abjad because it is a writing system where each symbol usually or always stands for a consonant. The following children song used for teaching the Arabic alphabet is not only a great teaching tool but also serves as an excellent asset for multicultural education. Teaching in the United States or any of its districts or territories would involve interacting with students from many different cultural origins and the Arabic alphabet song is just one of many examples that can be used to make young students from other countries or cultural origins feel more comfortable while engaging with students that are local to the country they now live in. It could be taught in the classroom but children can also use it as they play during break or recess and the learning process will still be occurring. The catchy melody makes it easy to remember and become just as familiar as singing the traditional ABC song of the western cultural alphabet. Play time is the best opportunity for children to socialize and get acquainted and familiar songs or catchy melodies associated with games foster interaction between children regardless of their cultural background.

 

 

 

 

week five Blog post

Tahuid

“Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt”

 

Pharoah Sanders

United States (Jazz)

Voice, Saxophone, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Drums, Percussion

The name of the album is “Tahuid.” It is an Islamic word meaning the oneness of God. After listening to Upper Egypt, Lower Egypt it was evident that it is also a good example for creating world music because of the room it leaves for improvisation. The piece begins with bass and gradually adds the tambourine, piano, guitar, drums and builds. These instruments maintain their rhythmic pattern throughout the entire song allowing the marimba, saxophone and voice to expand on the simple four chord progression.  The marimba maintains a melody with slight variations that the voice imitates closer the end of the song. The saxophone truly explores many musical attributes outside of the norm with the different tones and techniques used while improvising. This piece can display to students that there are countless venues to explore when improvising.       

 

Week Four Blog Post

CUBAN SON

 

“UN TOUQUE DE BEMBE”

Sierra Maestra

Cuba

Tres, Guitar, Trumpet, Bongo, Congas, Guiro, Maracas, Marimbula, (Electric Bass Guitar) Voice

 

Sierra Maestra is a mountain range found on the southeastern part of the island of Cuba and the Cuban Son band named after these historic mountains have committed themselves to preserving this musical style and re-introducing it to the world. They were the first group and remain the best to play in the old-style by using the tres, guitar, trumpet, bongo, guiro, marimbula and vocals. The addition of extra percussion (congas and maracas) and replacing the marimbula with the electric bass is an example of absolute authenticity not being possible because of not utilizing the original instrumentation of the music. As heard in this piece the change in rhythms and tempos displays integration of other cultural influences and another example of a loss of absolute authenticity. The effort of this group to preserve and re-introduce this musical culture is authenticity as a continuum. One of Cuba's great musical secrets is now out!