It's about the Arts: Jazz, Dance,Theatre & More

Several schools in the WSFCS school system offer an impressive list of arts related courses. For example courses offered include Jazz band, dance and theatrical courses beyond the basics. Resources for teachers teaching the art, students participating in the arts and even parents encouraging student participation are available via the Internet. Consider visiting the following website to find historical information, digital media and lesson plans:
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org
http://www.arts.gov/
http://www.tagart.org/
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/
http://www.smithsonianjazz.org/http://
www.neajazzintheschools.org/home.php
To learn more about the Arts Education Foundation for the Arts, visit their website at National Endowment for the Art. To learn more how the information in relevant to the North Carolina curriculum visit the NCDPI website.

Musical Resources

I have compiled a list of a few web-based resources that will allow you to integrate with your SmartBoard and Airliners, even Activboards as well as with your Mobi or Qomo Interactive Tablets to help you with music in Elementary grades.

Some of these sites will work seamlessly and can be used with any of the items listed above. Now some of these sites do require something extra and I will let you know which ones they are and what they need to function. Sometimes it is just as simple as having Quicktime on your computer or maybe you will need to open the link with a different browser than you normally would. Most however work great on their own with what you have on your computer. Remember that you will also need to have a set of speakers so that your students can hear.

• Virtual Keyboard - Has many different instruments and drum beats for students.
• ArtsEdge - Sponsored by the Kennedy Center
• Continental Harmony - from PBS, appropriate for grades 3-8
• Music Theory - A site that has many different resources to teach students about music.
• Playmusic.org - kid friendly site explaining music, musicians and composers
• SFSKIDS - Learn about the orchestra from the San Fransisco Symphony
• Which Instrument am I - listen to the sounds and choose the correct instrument.
• Smithsonian Global Sound - Introduction to the music of the Mexican Mariachi bands

Have fun with these and I will keep posting more periodically for different subject areas.

Play Music by Ear

I've always marvelled at anyone who could play a musical instrument, especially those who play without sheet music. My youngest neice can hear a piece of music and then play it on the piano or her clarinet. Amazing. I used to have one of those electric organs that you could punch in a number and it would play the song or you could program some background tones and then you play the song. I did finally learn how to play several songs but it was only because the keys were numbered/lettered to match the songbook. Sad, I know.

I read an article by Nick Yingling about how to improve your musical knowledge at TrainEar.com. This is the web home for a Free Online Ear Training program. Numerous resources are made available to help you learn how to play music by ear - starting out at a beginner level with simple melodies. The program teaches intervals and the basic concept is learning the distance between notes. Watching the beginning tutorial on how to use the program is a must to learn how to use it. Then with practice, it became easier and made sense.

The Pictorial Guide is very helpful; explaining how to move through the 12 intervals. Some of the options are:

1. Limiting the number of questions.
2. Playing the notes in a different order
3. Creating your own songs

There is an option to use keystrokes for those who feel a bit slowed-down by the mouse and you can use game controller software to connect the keys to a gamepad or joystick.

Music teachers and their students would enjoy this program. It would be another way for them to practice and learn music when not in class. For more options, check out the 10+ sites and programs listed on their site for more online ear training.

Finger Drum Mousepad

Did you ever want to grow up and be a drummer in a rock band?

Well this geek moment is brought to you from a guy who played the drums growing up and cannot sit still for more than five minutes without tapping on my desk or tapping my foot like it is on the bass peddle.

Hammacher Schlemmer sells this drum mouse pad for around $40. It does need 4 AAA batteries to keep the beat alive.

There are eight different sound choices for your enjoyment from bass to high hat cymbals. There is also a set of six presets and you can even lay down your own beats on a track. So if you still want to keep the dream alive then go out and purchase the Finger Drum Mouse pad.

Can Wii Come into the Classroom?

Wii. Wii. Wii. Quite the buzzword these days. But, what exactly is the “Wii” and how can we utilize it for learning? Both are very important questions and imagination has lead the way in providing the answers. According to the official Nintendo site, the Wii is a social gaming experience. That is a pretty high level description when you compare it to “regular” old school games like Frogger, Pac Man and anything Atari provided in the 80’s!

So far, the offerings from Wii are extremely impressive and are mainly geared towards just having a fun time. But, there is one new gaming experience, Wii Music, that may find a niche within music classrooms across the globe. It allows you to play (experience) over 60 different musical instruments.

Want to see it in action? Watch this video of a kindergarten class being officially introduced to Wii Music at school. Be sure to take note of how many kindergarteners were already very aware of what the Wii does... even before they began to interact! Further along in the video, the teachers even got a chance to play. Or, should we say learn?

You may click the image below to view the video. Image/Video from the Nintendo and Wii websites.