Social Media and Music

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there was a website called MySpace. MySpace was a worldwide social network that virtually everyone was on. The really great thing about myspace, aside from the fact that you could customize your page and personalize your top friends, was that it made music very accessible. A-List artists and worldwide musicians had MySpace, as well as local bands and "getting there" musicians. MySpace made supporting and accessing music and musicians easy.

In that same galaxy a long time ago there existed Pure Volume. Pure Volume allowed you to follow your favorite artists, listen to their music, vote for them to become featured artists or artists of the week- and more often than not, they recognized their fans! It seems like a once in a lifetime thing, but with Pure Volume, this dream became a reality.

Since MySpace has fallen from its reign as supreme social network and FaceBook has taken the throne, the connection between music and social media has become very different. Sure, we can follow our favorite rapper on Twitter and "like" our favorite band's FaceBook status update, but you can't listen to that local band's new EP right on Twitter, and that band can't upload their latest song on FaceBook without downloading a new app to make the file accessible.

It is my personal opinion that modern social media is making it increasingly more challenging to support music. While we still have iTunes and we can still torrent until the feds catch us, it's not easy to communicate with musicians anymore. With the billions of tweets Kanye gets in a day, the chances of him even seeing yours are slim. We as the 99% who are not multi-million dollar recording artists are inspired by our favorite musicians. We can send them fan mail and tweet them until our fingers bleed, but there is not guarantee that they will feel our support.

This post doesn't come with a solution to this problem- it is merely a recognition that social media does not support music the way it once did. It is important for us to support our favorite artists, but it is equally as important for us to feel supported by our artists. Music appreciation is not a one-way street.

Technology Integration Plan

My technology integration plan is based on a lesson that I developed for my Language and Literacy class. This lesson focuses on vocal production, vocal placement, and proper breathing technique for singers. 

My matrix focuses on three Core Curriculum Content Standards, two of which are musically relevant, and one of which is technologically based. 
The first standard, Demonstrate developmentally appropriate vocal production/vocal placement and breathing technique (1.3.2.B.2), is aligned with several National Educational Technology Standards. The technological integration in this lesson deals with collecting data and critical thinking, as well as the use of models and simulations to enhance student understanding. The teaching strategies aligned with the first standard are: lecture and demonstration, which are teacher-based, group discussion and simulation, which are teacher/student aligned, and research and journaling, which are student-based. The lesson involves a lot of lecture based on vocal production and breathing technique, and then involves a group simulation in which the students use their hands to demonstrate different parts of the anatomy and how they work together to generate a full, supportive breath. This qualifies as group discussion and simulation. The research and journaling involve the student's individual application of the techniques, as well as independent research to further their knowledge. The technologies I chose to use include the computer. Computer work would be the internet and word processors, interactive/simulation technology, and a blog post. The simulation I chose to integrate into the actual lesson is based on a book written by the woman who's book is the resource for the lesson. The recording technology is, in this instance, simply a suggestion for students to understand the mechanics of proper breathing- they would be encouraged, but not required, to record themselves breathing and practicing with proper breathing and without in order to see the difference- this practice would benefit their blogging.

The second standard, Demonstrate appropriate posture and breathing technique while performing (1.3.2.B.4) involves the practical application of the core content. The NET-S aligned with this standard are: demonstrate construct knowledge, and use digital media. This standard is aligned tightly with the use of digital media to enforce the content. The teaching techniques used for this standard are similar to that of the first: demonstration, which is teacher-based, provides students with a model. Group discussion/simulation and guided practice allows students to practically apply the knowledge with peers while still being guided by the teacher, so this is teacher and student aligned. The student-based strategies involve individual practice. The technologies aligned with teaching this standard are also similar to the first, but target different pedagogical strategies. The visual recording technology is the key here; students will be responsible for applying the information learned in performance, so they are to record themselves singing using the proper breathing and vocal technique and placement, and include this in a blog post about their progress and their thoughts. This is a performance-based assessment, but is still beneficial to the student's progress and growth.

The final standard aligned with this lesson is technologically relevant: Select and use appropriate tools and digital resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and to solve problems (8.1.8.A.5). This standard focuses on the student's ability to gather information and organize it comprehensively in order to submit the information for a grade. The NET-S aligned with this standard is to apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. The teaching strategies aligned with this standard are demonstration, which is teacher-based and involves demonstrating different types of resources to use for the assignment, and homework, which is directly linked to formal assessment and is student-based. The students will be expected to gather information on the subject- this can include a variety of multi-media sources, and create a visual presentation on the lesson. This presentation can include but is not limited to: PowerPoint Presentations, video presentations, blog presentations, simulations. The technologies that are integrated for this element of the lesson are the computer, the internet, word processors, visual presentations, blogs, and digital recordings.

Overall, my lesson integrates several different technologies, each of which is relevant and beneficial to the content area. The basis of the lesson began with a simulation of the proper breathing, and from there explored several different branches of technology. I believe that incorporating the use of technology for the personal benefit of the students and for progress indication allows students to see technology as something that they can use in their daily lives- and I don’t mean technology like their cell phones and FaceBook. Being able to incorporate a blog or an online journal into daily life, and being able to use recordings of oneself to record personal progress, integrates technology into daily life in a functional way.

Spotify

I am a musician, so it is only fitting that I spend most of my time immersed in music. I listen to it on the go, I look to it for inspiration, and I am always searching for new music to listen to. I usually google music or watch YouTube videos, but a few months ago I was introduced to Spotify, and I'm now addicted. I've always hated Pandora because they automatically assume that I want to listen to similar music when I really just want to listen to a particular artist. This gets especially tricky when I am looking to listen to a classical composer as a reference for a future performance, or need a certain jazz album to write a critique on.

I know I'm a little behind on the Spotify bandwagon, but to explain briefly for those who may also be behind: Spotify is a commercial music streaming service that allows you to browse music by artist, album, song, genre, record label, or playlist. There is a free version of Spotify, as well as one that you can purchase. Spotify features advertisements that play in between some songs- this feature is disabled when you become a premium member. Regardless, Spotify is a great way to find and listen to the music that you want to listen to. It has an impressive library to stream from, as well as the capability to share playlists with other listeners and even listen to top charts from several different genres.

For relevance in the music education world:
Spotify allows you to search music and stream it easily. It was particularly helpful for me when I was attempting to learn a challenging song cycle. I struggled trying to find good YouTube recordings, and unless I wanted to purchase the CD recordings, I was out of luck. Spotify had the songs by several different recording artists, and I was able to learn them quickly and efficiently.

It seems sometimes that we take things like this for granted. We do not realize that not all music is instantly accessible- unless it's the latest One Direction song or Taylor Swift ballad, which is streamed and played and covered 9 billion times daily, it's not easy to find all the time. Spotify has given me the opportunity to actually listen to quality recordings of music that is relevant to my major as opposed to having to watch ads of the new Call of Duty game before I listen to some average at best teenage girl try to sing the music, or be forced to listen to an impostor of the composer I'm really looking to listen to.

Smart Phones and Music Technology

I have been thinking lately of the capabilities that Smart Phones have for music- particularly my iPhone. As "millennials", we have grown up amidst the rise of technology. We became reliant on computers and the internet since we were in school, using it for research and document production. As we got older, we became reliant on our phones for communication, and now, we are reliant on our phones as connections to the world around us. I am a child of the 21st century, and my phone is my lifeline. Being that music is a huge part of my life, it is only fitting that I connect that with my Smart Phone as well!

The iPhone comes with a Voice Memo tool that allows you to record audio clips and save them to your computer. They can easily be uploaded onto iTunes as mp3 files, which is incredibly convenient when you are recording music or taking lessons and documenting your progress. The iPhone also has a video capability, which allows you to take videos that can easily be uploaded onto iPhoto or iMovie and can be linked to YouTube and other social media sites.

The iPhone also has many downloadable and free applications that are incredibly beneficial for musicians. On my iPhone, I have several of these apps. My favorite of these is my keyboard application. This app is a virtual interactive keyboard for your phone- you can scroll through registers on the piano and hear pitches, as well as record simple melodies on your phone or noodle around while you are writing music. I use this app most often when I am practicing on the go and need a starting pitch.

Another app that I use quite often is my tuner. It is very easy to navigate- all you have to do is open the app and play your instrument. The app tells you what pitch you are playing, which makes tuning easy! It works for all instruments, transposing or non-transposing. I use mine most often for my guitar, but have used it to tune a violin and a trumpet.

The Apple Store even has an iPhone version of Garage Band- the standard Macintosh recording program- that is extremely easy to use if you are familiar with the Garage Band software, and is very useful when you need to record on the go, or if you need to work on a previously recorded project.

Canvas Unit Remix

For my remix, I chose a unit plan that focuses on colors. I remixed this by adding color and music to it. Things such as feelings and elements of nature are represented through colors, and these can be represented by music. I added a video for a song by a band called The Dear Hunter. This band created an album called "The Color Spectrum" that manifests the colors of the rainbow, black, and white through different styles and genres of music. For example, blue is written in a blues style, while yellow is surf-rock. I also added an article related to a study that says that the human brain automatically associates music with color shades, and there is an article that deals with ancient connections between music and color. Overall, I believe that the remix is interesting. (Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to remix and keep the posts from the previous canvas, but I did not delete anything. All the widgets are there, but they aren't showing up.)

Access my remixed canvas here!
Access the original canvas for comparison here!

Unit Plan Canvas

My Canvas was created to supplement the lesson that I deconstructed in Interactivity #3. This unit plan takes just about two weeks to finish, and requires students to become familiar with Chinese instruments, the history of the culture, and to learn and perform a traditional Chinese song. This unit also requires students to be familiar with basic elements of music, which should be previously learned. On my canvas, I included photos of traditional Chinese instruments and orchestras, as well as several supplemental links that explain the history of Chinese music and instruments. I included a video of the song that is to be learned during the unit, as well as a video of a small Chinese musical ensemble. I also implore the students who would be viewing my canvas to think about how the music and instruments of other cultures might influence the music and instruments that they are familiar with, and I provided a brief description of the resources that were available on the canvas page. Overall, I felt that the construction of my canvas was fairly simple. I was able to navigate the site pretty easily, and am confident that my students would be able to access the resources easily. I did have trouble linking the NJCCCS to my page, and was unfortunately unable to include that link. However, it is listed in my bibliography, so the source is still accessible.

Smart Boards in Music Education

For interactivity number 3, I incorporated the use of Smart Boards into my lesson based on my experience during high school with smart boards and music. From here, I researched smart boards in music education classrooms a little more and learned that there are uses beyond what I was aware of.

As a musician and a former music technology student, I am familiar with the Finale software. Finale is a music notation software that enables you to create, edit, publish, play, and print musical scores. Finale is extremely useful for musicians and is a fun tool for beginning music fundamentals (for a free trial, click here!). I learned that Finale has an interactive software program for Smart Boards where students can draw on a music staff on the board and sound the notes. This is incredibly useful for teaching notes, solfege (do re mi fa sol la ti), chord structure, and scales. While it is just as easy to draw the triad you are working with on the board and sound it on a piano, it is so much more beneficial for the student to be able to manifest the notes with the pitches and create it themselves.

Another program that is accessible to Smart Boards is SmartMusic. SmartMusic is another interactive software that allows students to experiment with and practice music while also recording their progress. SmartMusic (learn more here) has play along capabilities, which allow students to play along with music on the screen. it also has a tuning application which visually manifests tuning and demonstrates pitch tendencies. There are also recording capabilities enabled through Audacity, which is a recording software. The most exciting element of this software, however, is the ability for teachers to assess their students through the software in a way that is fun for the students.

While the possibilities are endless for SmartBoards, and the software is not limited to these two programs, I was specifically excited about Finale and SmartMusic (which, coincidentally, are affiliated).  While I do believe that piano, staff paper and pencil are the most organic means of musical notation and learning musical theory, with technology advancements and the mass integration of technology in schools, I feel that it is necessary to try incorporating these elements into the music classroom.