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SmartMusic Master Educators Share Their Secrets |
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Written by Chad Criswell
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 Since
SmartMusic was first introduced there has been a three way division
within the music education community. First come music teachers that
shun the idea of using such technology as being either too difficult or
unnecessary. The second and most prominent group are teachers that
have heard about the potential benefits of using SmartMusic but simply
don't know where to start or are scared to take the plunge. On the
high end of the spectrum is a small but growing consortium of band,
orchestra, and choral directors that use SmartMusic in almost every
aspect of their teaching and their programs are thriving because of
it. The suggestions and tips shown below are a compilation of their
knowledge that we can all benefit from.
This article originally appeared in the November 2007 issue of Teaching Music Magazine.
Planning Ahead For SmartMusic Success
One
consensus reached by all of the master teachers interviewed is that
teachers that are new to SmartMusic can hurt their chances for success
if they try to do too much too soon. Find at least one area of your
program that you feel SmartMusic could be most helpful in and for the
first semester or year of your implementation only focus on that one
application. Whether that aspect is using SmartMusic as a surrogate
pianist for your solos and small ensembles or whether it leans more
towards simplifying the monotony of recording and listening to
individual student playing exams; find something that will make your
life as a teacher a bit easier. Once you are happy and comfortable
with that part of SmartMusic expand your use to include it in other
parts of your rehearsals or private lessons. The first year will
always be the hardest, but resolve not to give up. When things finally
start to click, celebrate and find ways to show off your student's use
of the software to your supervisors and other faculty members.
Avoiding Problems Before They Occur
Once a person is familiar with SmartMusic they generally have very few
problems. The only real trouble spots for new users often come during
the installation and set up of the system. One significant suggestion
was to avoid the use of the SmartMusic demos provided with the various
beginner lesson books. The software on these discs is several years
old, and the new version (10.1) that is available for download through
SmartMusic is far superior and includes dozens of new features and
stability enhancements that the student demo discs do not. If you have
students that want to purchase a home subscription, you should contact
MakeMusic and ask for them to send you additional copies of the current
SmartMusic installation CD. When all else fails, call the SmartMusic
support line and the problem will usually be solved quickly and
easily.
Thinking Outside of the Box- New Ways To Use SmartMusic
Many
teachers think that SmartMusic's primary function is as an accompanist
for solos. At one time this may have been valid, but over the years
features have been added to the program such that you can now
incorporate SmartMusic into every part of your classroom lesson plans . Consider
these examples:
- Use
the Play By Ear Exercises (a fun ear training exercise) in loop mode as
a large group warm-up prior to starting your rehearsal. Show the
exercise on a video projector and have the audio playing as students
enter for rehearsal. As each student finishes assembling their
instrument they join in on the ear training exercise allowing you to
take care of last minute issues like broken instruments or missing
music. You can simplify your chair placement auditions by using
SmartMusic Impact to
keep track of what lines in the lesson book each student has passed.
Whoever has passed the most lines moves up to first chair. Use
SmartMusic Impact to give playing assignments and to record playing
tests. Assignments given through Impact cannot be altered by
students. If you say they have to pass it at 88 beats per minute the
system will not allow them to submit a recording made at any other
speed! - Mike Doll,
Rawlinson Road Middle School, Rock Hill, SC
- Every
computer with SmartMusic becomes an instant chromatic tuner. Use this
tuner to teach oboists how to crow a "C" in tune or a trumpet player
how to kick out his third valve slide for "D." Use the tuner to help
brass players visualize their mouthpiece buzzing. - Joe Clark, Claughton Middle School, Houston, TX
- Use
SmartMusic to visually demonstrate concepts like DC al Coda using lines
from the beginner lesson books. SmartMusic helps make listening to and
evaluating student performances easier. Start students out on
exercises that you know they will be successful with and have them "go
for the green." - Robert Grifa, Greenbrier Middle School, Chesapeake, VA
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