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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altFingerpicking Broadway Favorites is a new release from Hal Leonard that contains solo guitar arrangements of fifteen classic Broadway songs. The book contains an introduction, giving a brief outline of how to fingerpick, before diving right into the arrangements that are written in both standard notation and tablature. Though the book suggests that "the arrangements in this book are carefully written for intermediate-level guitarists", anyone who has played the guitar for four to six months would be able to begin working on at least a few of the arrangements in this book.

The tunes chosen to be arranged for this book are taken from some of the most famous, and popular, 20th century musicals. Songs such as "Big Spender" from Sweet Charity, "Oklahoma" from Oklahoma and "Cabaret" from Cabaret are some of the more pop-based songs in the book, though there are some jazz standards included as well. By also using songs such as "I'll be Seeing You", "Falling in Love with Love" and "Who Can I Turn To?" Hal Leonard makes this book accessible to any fan of both popular and jazz music. These songs also act as an introduction to jazz and pop-music for those players that may not be familiar with these two genres.

The arrangements themselves are mostly written in the open position, though some songs such as "Who Can I Turn To" and "Season of Love" contain at least a few bars in the middle range of the guitar. By keeping most of the music in the first four frets, players who are familiar with open chords will be able to dive right in and begin learning these pieces. The few sections that do move up the neck will be easily playable by an intermediate guitarist, and pose a nice challenge for beginning level players. As well, most of the arrangements avoid using large bars, more than three strings, which also helps to make each song more accessible to the younger, less-experienced player.

Overall Fingerpicking Broadway Favorites is a well-written book that can be enjoyed by most beginning and intermediate players. While the arrangements themselves are fairly easy to learn, more advanced players may take advantage of the melody lines and chord changes written above the solo arrangements to arrange a solo version of the tune themselves. As well, the inclusion of all of the lyrics will allow anyone to strum the chords and either sing the melody themselves, or jam along with a friend. This book is worth checking out, and at a price-tag of $9.99, it is definitely worth the money.

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