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.

previous arrow
next arrow
Shadow

MicrophoneMany karaoke enthusiasts search high and low for recordings of their favorite music without lyrics. But what do you do when you are at home without a karaoke machine and want to sing along?

Many karaoke enthusiasts search high and low for recordings of their favorite music without lyrics. But what do you do when you are at home without a karaoke machine and want to sing along? There are other alternatives to the expensive commercially produced karaoke CD's of music without the lyrics mixed in. Special music mixing software, MIDI files, and other options are available to help karaoke singers and students satisfy their urges outside of a karaoke club or purchasing a home karaoke setup.

 

  Music Editing Software Programs To Remove The Lyrics From Music:

Perhaps the least effective of these options is to use a commercial or free music downloading software to remove the lyrics from the original recording. This software uses a special filter system to remove specific frequencies in the music file, specifically the frequencies that the human voice uses. If your computer has a Soundblaster sound card in it you may already have the software necessary to do this simply by clicking a button. Other shareware and freeware music mixing software such as Audacity or Vogone are also available for the purpose of creating edits of your music without lyrics, but in all cases the process of extracting the vocals will degrade the quality of the file.

Using MIDI Music Without Lyrics or Vocals:

 

MIDI music has been around almost since the first desktop computer was sold. MIDI file (Music Instrument Digital Interface) are very compact music files that can be played back and edited on any computer. MIDI files are not like MP3 files in that they do not reproduce the sounds of an actual musician. Instead, the information in a MIDI file tells the computer what notes to play, in what order, and on what synthesized instrument to play them. MIDI file by their nature are music without lyrics. For this reason they make excellent karaoke substitutes and are available on many different sites. More recent MIDI songs by popular artists are also available for small download fees. Other MIDI sites such as GetMIDI offer the additional software that you can use to transform audio files for use on your computer or even on your cell phone.

Finding good sources of high quality music without the lyrics requires a little surfing, but the satisfaction of finding just the right song makes it all worth it.

Note:  The articles on this site may contain referral links to sites such as Amazon and other online retailers.  The small amount of income received from these links has helped keep MusicEdMagic.com up and running for over ten years now.  Thank you for your support!