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.

 

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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.

 

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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.  

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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!

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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.

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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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How To Get On Youtube At School

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I recently added a new Educational Videos Section to the MusicEdMagic web site where students and teachers can find a variety of useful, fun, and educational YouTube videos on the topics of music education, instrument repair, performance techniques, great live performances, and music humor.  The problem for many viewers of the web site is that their school district blocks all access to YouTube hosted videos to reduce bandwidth consumption and to prevent inappropriate videos from being viewed at school.  This is a good thing in general, but for teachers who want to use YouTube videos in their classroom it is a real problem.  So how do you get on Youtube at school?  Luckily there are a few ways to get around this problem and this article will show you how to do it.

I recently added a new Educational Videos Section to the MusicEdMagic web site where students and teachers can find a variety of useful, fun, and educational YouTube videos on the topics of music education, instrument repair, performance techniques, great live performances, and music humor.  The problem for many viewers of the web site is that their school district blocks all access to YouTube hosted videos to reduce bandwidth consumption and to prevent inappropriate videos from being viewed at school.  This is a good thing in general, but for teachers who want to use YouTube videos in their classroom it is a real problem.  Luckily there are a few ways to get around this problem and this article will show you how to do it.

There are two basic ways to get on YouTube at school.  One is ethical, the other may or may not be depending on where you work.

Viewing YouTube via Proxy:

One way to get YouTube at school is to use some potentially less than honorable services that you can find on the web.  This option is to be avoided as using such proxy sites can violate the school district's Internet usage policies.  In some cases violating these rules can lead to disciplinary action or the loss of your job, so always speak with your local technology director before considering the proxy method. In any case, using such sites should be a last resort as surfing web sites with shady motives can open your computer and the entire school network vulnerable to viruses and other maladies.

Downloading YouTube Videos For Later Use:

The legal way to view YouTube video at school is to use one of many different ripping programs that download and save the YouTube video feed to a thumb drive or CD-R.  For FireFox web browsers look for a free extension called Download Helper.  It can be found at the Mozilla web site.  For Internet Explorer web browsers look at any of the applications that Microsoft lists on the IE add-ons page when you search for YouTube there.  Once you have the ripping software you can use it to save the YouTube FLV files.  Burn those files to a CD or save them to a portable hard drive but don't forget to also get a software program to watch the FLV video with.  Windows media player will not play flash video (FLV) files.

Another great way to get youtube at school is to use an Internet based service such as YouConvertIt.  This site and others like it will take any YouTube URL, download the video, convert it, and then send an email with a link to the converted video.  While it is always possible that the school will block this new site, there are always similar alternatives popping up all the time due the the overwhelming demand to get on YouTube at school.

Always check with or read your local school's Internet usage policies!

 

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