Teaching in the Digital Age
Presented by Ray Partridge
Ray Partridge has been involved with Music Technology for over 20 years and is well aware of the great opportunities that music technology can provide to both the educator and student. The use of Music Technology can be quite an intimidating prospect for many modern day educators and he is well known in the Sydney music education community as a music technology trainer and instructor. Ray will help you understand the why’s and how’s of music technology and his technology sessions are informative, easy to understand and relevant to today’s music teachers and students.
Ray will take you through a number of music software programs which are ideally suited to the music teacher. He will also show you the equipment needed to connect to a computer, notation and accompaniment software, and how to incorporate a selection of simple recording devices into your studio.
During his session, Ray will present a number of different applications that directly relate to the use of Music Technology in the classroom and teaching studio. Ray’s sessions are informative and entertaining.
In particular, Ray will show
• How simple it is to use a computer for music lessons
• The equipment needed to connect to your computer
• What to look for in choosing a keyboard/piano
• How to quickly and easily create a backing track
• The range of software for teaching, composing, arranging, etc for students of all ages
• Using a computer to prepare theory worksheets
• How to record your students.
• Plus more if time permits.
For example, are you aware of the range of benefits a teacher has when using notation software?
Imagine the possibilities...
• create and print original musical melodies and songs for your students;
• create and print out personalised theory tests;
• prepare finger training exercises;
• create backing tracks (including bass guitars, drums and orchestral accompaniments);
• create a CD of the songs or accompaniments that you have written;
• record your students’ performances (a great rehearsal tool);
• plus much, much more.
A notation program is software that allows you to create manuscript paper on your computer and view it on your computer screen. You can prepare a score for an orchestral, big band, small ensemble or a simple piano staff (including piano, strings, percussion, etc), for any number of staves and for as many bars as you require. You can now produce a score that can look identical to the traditional sheet music that you and your students use.
Ray can help you understand the why’s and how’s of music technology and his technology sessions are informative, easy to understand and relevant to today’s music teachers and students and his relaxed presentation style will have you feeling comfortable with technology.
There will be time for your questions as well.
Another software gem that Ray will show is Band in a Box. (and that’s exactly what it is.).Band in a Box.
The main role of Band in a Box is to create quickly and easily a backing track for each and every one of your students. So how does it work?
Once the program is loaded onto your computer, open the program, select a suitable song from your student’s repertoire, type in the chords for the song, select a suitable tempo and backing style and then press the PLAY button. Then sit back and enjoy the student’s reaction when he or she starts performing with a band. A great way to get them to play in time without using the metronome.
Try changing the tempo and the backing style. It’s as easy as clicking the mouse.
And how handy is the feature that allows you to record the student’s performance, put it onto a CD and then they can take it home to show off to their Mum and Dad.
There is one feature that I particularly like and that is the ‘Games’ section. This includes Chord Tutor, Interval Tutor, Melody Replay and my favourite, Pitch Invasion.
Click here for full details of the Winter Piano Seminar.