Grading Reflection: Band

This is the form I am asking my students to complete.  I am also providing them with their Smartmusic scores on this sheet.  I would love a good way to summarize their data better.  Choir has a similar sheet.

Name:

Date:

There are four items we have focussed on in Band for Marking Period One.

1. Sightreading.

• Procedure: Starting pitch.  How many measures?  Where is Do?
• Rhythm.  Count and clap.  Internalize pulse.
• Pitch.  Find DO!!  Maintain tonality.  What key am I in?
• Looking ahead.  Playing one measure while reading the next.
• Basic treble/bass note identification

2. Tone.

• Placement (reed, hand position, jaw relax, etc…)
• Intonation
• Double tonguing.
• Blend with section.

3. Technique

• Scales
• Knowing fingerings, positions, notes, etc...
• Application to songs.  Recognize accidentals.

4. Professional Behavior

• Showing up on time.  
• Being prepared for rehearsal and performances.
• Proper rehearsal behavior
• Marking parts
• Posture
• Attention and participation

Please briefly summarize your performance on each of the above standards.  Please provide specific examples of how you have improved and what your grade (A, B, C, etc…) should be.

Standard 1: Sightreading Student Grade:_____

Level 1 Score 1:     Score 2:

Notes highest score:

Standard 2: Tone Student Grade:_____

Benchmark Score 1:          Score 2:

Standard 3: Technique Student Grade:_____

Standard 4: Professional Behavior Student Grade:_____

Composing with Garageband in Choir Class

This is a version of the band lesson I use.

I will do this slightly differently in my Senior choir class (which is 1-1) and my Freshman choir class (which is 1-2).  I will do this as a "station" in freshman class while the remainder complete SmartMusic sight-reading assessments.

Senior choir has some prior knowledge of key, chords, measures, etc... Freshman choir has little of that.  

I model opening Garageband and recording a drum track, bass track, and keyboard track.  I use Smart instrument settings and autoplay.  I show them how to check that the chords are available for a I-vi-IV-V sequence.  I stress we will use only these chords.  Garageband defaults to an 8 measure composition.  I spend maybe five minutes on this demonstration.

I ask them to compose a five track composition with a melody on top of them singing.  There must be two vocal tracks.  They can do it in monophonic style or polyphonic style (we are singing motets at the moment).  This opens the assignment up to lots of discussion about choices.  I give them 30 minutes.

One thing I will do with the choir is insist that they do the tracks in this order: bass, vocal1, keyboard, drum, vocal 2.

I think this hits Standard 1, 2, 3, 4, 9.

Going Paperless: an Update

I have been trying to go about 98% paperless.  Here is an update.

1. Using the iPads as a folder is going pretty well.  It is much easier in rehearsal.  It is easy for students to switch between parts and there is never "I forgot my music".  It is a little less successful in freshman choir where I am 20 iPads to 30 students.  One issue we may start coming up against is the page flips in band.  We have a few pieces that have awkward page turns.

2. Edmodo has been working very well.  We are doing all of our writing, announcement, polling, quiz through edmodo.  One thing I would like edmodo to do better is archive messages.  I would like to be able to pull back messages I send to a student at a conference, for example.

3. We have to get better at sharing.  I have not yet seen students sharing resources.  I need to find a way to encourage that.

Composing in Band Using Garageband

Today in band we did an assignment that all students enjoy.  I have a 14 member high school band.  Most of these kids play at Level 1-2.

We have spent the last few weeks starting our major scale cycle.  Each kid should be able to cycle do-sol in G, C, F, Bb major at this point.  We spend about 30-40 minutes of an 87 minute period on ear training and scales.  Their homework was to cycle Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star through those four keys.

After listening to the homework I model opening Garageband and recording a drum track, bass track, and keyboard track.  I use Smart instrument settings and autoplay.  I stress we will use Bb chords.  Garageband defaults to an 8 measure composition.  I spend maybe five minutes on this demonstration.

I ask them to compose a four track composition with an melody on top of them playing in Concert Bb.  I give them 30 minutes.

Most spend too much time on the drum track.  Almost all got four tracks in the correct key and something recorded.  I then played each track for the class to evaluate.

When done they realize that:

1. It really doesn't matter what the drum track is.
2. It really matters if you play with bad tone or rhythm.
3. It really matters if you play a wrong note.
4. Students who created a "melody" had a hit on their hands.

This lesson really works.

Busy

After much pushing and prodding I think we will have 13 auditions for CMEA.  I hope to get a few more forms in on Monday.

Still waiting for ACDA music.  Eight students will attend.

I have ordered Seussical Jr. to perform with the freshman choir.

Update

I'm enjoying Edmodo more and more.  It seems like a good way to get assignments out, and to get writing assignments back.

What I haven't quite figure out:

• Submission of assignment like recordings, videos, papers, etc...
• Search and archiving.  When I do the class next year how easy will it be to pull information?
• I have to leverage SMS/email alerts for the students.
• Convincing parents to enroll.

I had a discussion with my Smartmusic rep since I have pretty publicly stated that "Smartmusic is on the iPad" is a bunch of hooey.  He seemed a bit tired since he convinced A LOT of schools to get smartmusic for the new data push and A LOT of these school are 1-1 iPad now.  I got the impression they are "working on it" and its not nearly fast enough.

A main point I told him was that:

• I paid for "Smartmusic on the iPad".  They have my money.  Get it shipped.  Full version.
• If you can't then at least have the software display a warning when assignments do not appear "Student: your teacher HAS assigned this exercise, but it is not available on the iPad".  Currently it just does not show up.  The deployment of this in the classroom becomes enormously complicated.

I spent an hour today typing into a stupid pdf form that I then discovered would not save my typing.... I swore out loud, I admit.  

Smartmusic is making me angry

I'm really excited for the Smartmusic iPad app.  It allows me lots of flexibility to allow students to sign out iPads and take them home.  I have ordered three practice room subscriptions the last three years.  I have gone to many Smartmusic events over the last nine months about the iPad app and its launch this fall.

The app was released this past week.  Now I have four subscriptions (including mine) but only two laptops I can pin.

But....

None of the choir literature and sight-reading works on the iPad.  Seriously?  I am so tired of this.  I have paid for a subscription I can't use.  Did I miss them announcing the app would be released....but not for choir?

This is by far the most expensive iPad app and we pay for it EVERY YEAR.

I know they are nice people.  I don't care.  I have assessments to do! Now!!