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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Brief History of Baroque Music

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HarpsThe word 'baroque' is used to describe a particular musical style, a term originally borrowed from the style of architecture popular between 1600 and 1750. The buildings were ornate or elaborately decorated, and often flamboyant. The music of the time can be seen in this way too, that is, elaborate and heavily ornamented.

Famous examples of this Baroque music are compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Henry Purcell, among others.  The 17th century music is usually divided into two: the early Baroque period, from 1600 to 1680, and the late Baroque period, 1680 to 1750.  

Early Baroque Period (1600-1680)

 The early 17th century saw the rise of Baroque 'monody' as differentiated from 'polyphony' of the Renaissance. In monody, the melody is given to one instrument or voice, while the basso continuo (or continuing bass), usually consisting of a keyboard and bass melody instrument, acts as the accompaniment.  

Late Baroque Period (1680-1750)

 The key instrumental form of the late Baroque period was the concerto grosso. It reflected the contrast between two groups of instruments. The two groups either alternated with one another or play together. Famous for this music were JS Bach and Arcangelo Corelli.  

Baroque Period Employers - Royalty or Church

Most of the music was written by composers as ordered by their employers, almost always, by the Church dignitaries or by royalty. Henry Purcell was composer to the King's Band and George Frederic Handel was appointed composer to the Chapel Royal. This meant that composers were expected to write music for various official occasions and not just to composer when they felt like it. 

Major Composers

 The major composers of this period were Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel in Germany (later, England); Antonio Vivaldi in Venice, Italy; and Henry Purcell in England.   

Operas and Oratorios

 The greatest legacy by the late Baroque period was the creation of operas and oratorios, considered greatest and most magnificent is Handel's Messiah, and J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion. The first operas were heard in this period and later became a popular form of public entertainment. Operas are dramas sung and acted to orchestral accompaniment, produced with scenery and lighting on stage, and the costumes of the characters.    

Recommended Baroque Instrumental Music:

Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata in D minor for pipe organGeorge Frideric Handel's Music for the Royal FireworksAntonio Vivaldi's Four SeasonsJohann Pachelbel's Canon in D majorGeorg Philipp Telemann's passions Henry Purcell's Sonata No.9 in F 

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