Maura+Foley+-+Resources

Music Education - Technology and Composition in elementary general music
 * Maura Foley - Resources **
 * Resource 1: **

Bissell, Patricia M. (1998). Tune in to technology. //Music Educator’s Journal,// 85 (2), 36-41. doi: http://mej.sagepub.com/content/85/2/36.citation

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This article discusses specific ways technology can be used in the elementary classroom to allow students to compose or improvise music. Programs like Band-In-A-Box can be used by students to compose or by the teacher to create a chord progression that can be played while students compose a melody to fit, allowing the teacher to roam the room instead of sitting at the piano. The author emphasizes that the number one goal is for students to learn the content, but says this learning can be enhanced with the use of technology. The article provides specific projects, linked to standards, for students to do while utilizing technology.

I own Band-in-a-Box and have used it many times to create accompaniments for programs. However, I’ve never considered allowing students to use it as composition. So far, my composition assignments have always used real instruments, but by allowing students to utilize programs like Band-in-a-Box or Finale (a music notation software program I own) I can allow students to compose using instruments they can’t actually play or we can’t afford to have in the classroom.


 * Resource 2: **

Sichivitsa, Veronica (2007). Audacity in vocal improvisation, //Teaching Music//, //14// (4), 49-51.

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This article describes how teachers can use a free program called Audacity to help students improvise and compose in an elementary general music class. As students are often self-conscious when asked to sing alone, especially when improvising or composing, allowing students to do so in small groups, where they can experiment without embarrassment, will help them build confidence. The author also describes how the lesson can be supplemented with the use of Band-in-a-Box. The teacher can use this program to create a background accompaniment for students to sing along with using audacity.

While I do a lot of improvising in class, it has always centered around instrumental improvisation due to the exact issue this article addressed; students are often embarrassed to vocally improvise. Using Audacity and Band-in-a-Box to set up a safe place for students to explore alone or in small groups may be a great way to incorporate vocal improvisation into the classroom.


 * Resource 3: **

Richerme, Lauren (2013, January 2) Teaching music with technology: An interview with barbara freedman. Retrieved from http://advocacy.nafme.org/blog/teaching- music-with-technology/

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This article, geared toward middle school or high school students, discusses how Barbara Freedman used technology in lessons to help students learn about composition. Using garage band, a program that comes pre-installed on Macs, she would have students create compositions in specific musical forms.

While the specific examples in the interview would work better for older students, the idea can stay the same in a simplified version for younger students. We already learn about rondo form (ABACABA) and ternary form (ABA), so students could compose a piece that adheres to one of those forms, incorporating technology, composition, and form in one unit. A big concern I have with technology of this type in music is lack of resources, but she explains how you can use already existing computer labs with free online resources to teach a unit or two. She emphasizes that teachers do not need to do a total overhaul of their curriculum to incorporate technology but can instead start by teaching a few units and lessons.