First Old-timer: “I’ll never forget the time back in ’78 when the biggest monsoon I’ve ever seen hit smack dab when my drum major gave the down beat to start our halftime show. I’m tellin’ you, it was as if the clouds were just waitin’ for her to count them off. It had been cloudy all day but hadn’t dripped a drop and then all of a sudden it was rainin’ cats and dogs. I mean the whole zoo was comin’ down. The rain rushed down along the sideline so fast that it swept our piccolo player, a little girl named Raylene McAlister, off her feet and almost carried her out of the stadium. If she hadn’t grabbed a hold of the flagpole she would have been a goner. Would you believe we still finished the show?”

    Second Old-timer: “You think that’s bad? I remember back in the late summer of ’77 when we were playing at an away game at Mole Creek and their stadium was basically out in the middle of a rice field. I’ve never been at a game that was so hot. I mean, the make-up on the majorettes was dripping down their faces, the plastic was melting on the kids’ overlays, the shako plumes were wilting, and you could burn your fingers if you touched the epaulets on the uniforms. It was so hot that the band boosters were cookin’ their hot dogs and burgers on the grills without lighting them up. By the end of our halftime show there were only about ten kids out of a hundred barely standing and one of those ten was carried off by a bunch of them Mole Creek mosquitoes that were as big as buzzards.”

    Third Old-timer: “That ain’t nothin. I remember back in the fall of ’68 we didn’t have the weather channel for constant updates so we kind of had to take chances when it came to the weather. We were in the finals of the state playoffs when a cold front came through sooner than expected, and it was so cold we had to put kerosene on the brass valves to make them work. In the second quarter the ice started comin’ down. We marched at halftime, of course, since there was no getting out of it in those days. The majorettes threw up their batons and the darn things came back down with icicles on them. The band kids were sliding all over the place, doin’ the splits and stuff like that. By the end of the show our drum major looked like an ice sculpture. I mean the only thing that wasn’t frozen were her two index fingers and she was still conducting with them. Her feet were frozen to the podium and we had to pull her out of her shoes to get her down.”

    First-year director: “Earlier this year I was in the press box at halftime when my drum major fainted early during the closer and the band kept going while a band parent attended to him. The low brass didn’t drag, the percussion didn’t rush, the woodwinds stayed in step, the flags stayed together for the rest of the show, and the trumpets cut off on time.”

    An eerie silence ensues as the three old-timers look at each other.

    First-year director: “What’s wrong?”

    Old-timers: “Do you really expect us to believe that?”      

The post War Stories appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

     Duplication. In this simple method every other person either leaves a form to form a second line similar to the first. It can also work in reverse, having the entire band go from two lines to one. It can work with both straight and curved lines.

    
Manipulation. This can also be called a flex or reshape. A basic example is going from a flat line to a curved line.

     A simple example of a reshape is going from a curve to a V shape. If this is done as a 32-count move, the performers should all be in a flat line on count 16.

     Another possibility is to go from convex to concave. When performers hit the flat line in the middle of the move both the interval between band members and the step size can condense or expand as they move to the final set. This manipulation of space during the transition creates an illusion. In addition, by varying speed the transition has more depth and is considered a layered or textured move. This takes simultaneous responsibility, a term on many judging sheets, on the part of the students.

    
     In and out of the strong points. This is also known as Follow the Leader. The difference between form and shape is whether there are strong points in the design.

     A flat line with strong points.

     Pillow form (lacks shape).

     If you start with a shape it provides many more opportunities to transition to the next shape. The following are examples of how to set up a follow the leader move by exiting out of the strong points of the shape.

     A strong shape.

     A curve with a strong point.

     Multiple curves. 

     Segmentation. This is a method by which you split a form into two or more shapes to provide point and counterpoint. Counterpoint is the next level of design, because it sets up the next shot. In the following example, woodwinds follow the leader to the front while brass form a V in back. This is an ideal setup for the brass to make a strong entrance and move forward on the next move.

  
    Another possibility is to start with a circle and split it into multiple parts. The front collapses in into two separate curves while the back flexes out to create opposing movement.
The following example uses many of the above techniques at the same time. The brass flex forward while the percussion move from their line to a circle. The woodwinds follow the leader out of the curve, and the flags reshape into three groups in back.

     These methods, when they are used together in combination, will produce developmental flow and visual continuity. Taking some time to doodle is a great way to get creative ideas, and thinking about the flow of the move first will lead to an appealing drill design.

The post Between the Lines, Transition Tips appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

The Distraction of Cell Phones
    Cell phones initiate another type of battle in schools because most students  would like to be connected to electronic devices 24 hours a day. Cell phones are a distraction and should never be allowed in classrooms. Stu­dents in­evitably use poor judgment and send or receive text messages, even when an instructor is in the middle of a lecture.
    A school’s policies about using cell phones may be clearly stated, but confusion arises if a teac­h­er uses a cell phone to send text messages during class. This is simply wrong. If a school policy states that no cell phones are allowed in classrooms, then faculty members have to be responsible for their actions and not bring them to class.

Rules For Students Only?
    This may make you laugh, but I know of college graduates who accept teaching positions believing they are exempt from a school’s rules; they think school policies apply only to students. This is nonsense. If a student asks why you are doing something when he can’t, never tell him “because I am the teacher” or “because I said so.” It is never acceptable to break school policies.
    Rules about dress code also apply to both students and teachers. One ad­ministrator has been known to comment that “we have a dress code for students that teachers should follow” when faculty dress too casually. Lead by example.

Students as Friends
    Some teachers make a big mistake by trying to become a buddy to their students instead of acting like a professional who might one day become a coach or mentor to them. When I was in high school, I had enough friends without wanting to be friendly with my teachers. Most students think this way.
    A feeling of equality between students and teachers who respect a school’s policies promotes a healthy environment that is void of distractions and problems. It is so much easier to get rid of gum, leave cell phones in lockers, and dress correctly, than to waste precious classroom time discussing the values of these policies. Don’t even give students a chance to pick a small battle. It’s better to set and example and avoid conflicts before they start.

Your Public Image
    Another difficulty in making the transition from student to teacher has do to with the internet, sending and receiving e-mails, and websites like Facebook and Myspace. With the internet at everyone’s fingertips, it is more important than ever to keep a professional distance between you and your students.
    Facebook is helpful for college students who want to network for parties and contact friends; however, once you are a professional, the way you use Facebook should change to that of keeping in touch with old friends and colleagues. It can even be used as a sounding board for new ideas or for getting resources from college classmates of the past.
    There is little room for privacy with Facebook. If friends of friends see your pictures, for example, it would be just as easy for a student to see your pictures. You have to make good decisions about which pictures and statements to include on a Facebook page. While it is logical to use photos of yourself and family, students shouldn’t see pictures of you in a bar, possibly in a compromised state. If they did, you would have a difficult time controlling your classroom the next day.

Remain Professional
    If you are the good friend of a person whose younger sibling suddenly be­comes one of your students, it is best to re­tain a professional relationship with the sibling, whether in school or out in public. It is better that students not see personal photographs on Face­book, so then it be­comes a matter of asking friends not to show these to siblings. To be sure each friend knows this, talk with them about the value you place on maintaining a professional relationship with your students.
    Teach­ers and students should never become buddies. Once you start teaching, it is time to give a second thought to the types of pictures you post and the ones to delete from Facebook.

Google Your Name
    Once an item is posted on the internet, it never leaves; it will always be somewhere in cyber space. I recommend that even before new teachers get a job, they go to Google and type in their name. Many new and tenured teachers have an I-don’t-want-to-know attitude, but you should know what is on the internet about you, because your students will google your name, probably more often then you think.
    Do this once every few months, just to check it out. Students are smart; if there is an inappropriate picture somewhere, they will find it. Untenured and new teachers have been be fired for having pictures of a questionable nature on the internet. Even if those pictures were taken and posted long before they started teaching.
    The transition from college student to teacher is difficult to make. It is even harder if you teach in the school district you grew up in. It can be done,  but you need to be responsible for your actions. I suggest you find a good mentor or friend who can keep an eye out for you during your first teaching job.
    As a new teacher choose your actions carefully and wisely. Remem­ber to have fun and to always lead by example – a professional example.  

The post Tips for Student Teachers appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

“It’s not my problem”
 
    Helping a victim of burnout is similar to working with an alcoholic. To begin, remind him that the first of the 12 steps in the Alcoholics Anonymous program is for each person to admit that his life has become unmanageable; he has become defiant, unwilling to admit fault, and adept at shifting the blame in any circumstance because of the power of alcohol.
    You should approach a burn-out victim in a similar way, helping him to recognize that the severity of the problem is compromising his teaching abilities. Let him know the students will ultimately suffer because of his condition.
    Be prepared to give specific evidence of how his behavior is harming the students’ music education. For example, you could say, “When you frequently yell at students for minor misbehaviors, it makes them not want to be a part of the orchestra anymore” or “Your lack of organization in keeping an accurate class roster makes it very difficult for me to keep track of the incoming freshmen.” If you are uncomfortable doing this alone, ask another music teacher or someone you trust to help convey this information to the teacher.
If the confrontation becomes an intervention, so be it. If you try to help the person on your own and the results are unproductive, then I suggest you enlist the help of five, six, or more music teachers and colleagues. The overall health of your school district’s music program may depend on it.

Identify the source
of the problem

    Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury John W. Snow was known to say, “You don’t fix the problem until you define it.” Begin helping your colleague by identifying whether the problem is teaching or something personal and unrelated to school. It may be a grade-level problem, a clash with the administration, or parents who have worn the teacher down.
     Determining the source of the problem sounds logical enough. If it is personal, there are limited things you can say and do to help your colleague attempt to resolve it. Some­times it’s as easy as listening, while at other times you’ll need a person or resource to solve or cope with the problem.
    A mentor might also be helpful, for which MENC offers outstanding online mentor help at http://www.menc.org/ resources/view/mentors. Per­haps you can recommend a place the person can go to help resolve the issue, or look around together at some of the possibilities.
    If the problem is curricular, such as scheduling conflicts, outdated books, inadequate teaching space, or a lack of rehearsal time, perhaps you can help the person correct these problems or at least begin to change them in order to rectify the situation.
    If the difficulty is with another colleague, take the two of them to lunch and offer to help identify and rectify the problem; tread lightly and choose your words carefully, of course. Per­haps the other colleague is unaware that he is causing such stress to the burned-out teacher. If it turns out that you are the colleague, it may behoove you to admit fault, even if you don’t believe you are causing the stress; it would help the person return to productivity. As is the case with any disagreement between two people, there is always a 50% chance that you are wrong.

Get support

    Many schools offer employee assistance programs that are important re­sources. If the problem requires professional psychiatric or medical care, talk to a school nurse or counselor for advice as to how to help this person, being careful not to mention any names.
    Don’t be afraid to draw on your own experiences as well. Whether you’ve been teaching for one year or 50, you may have known someone with similar difficulties. Knowing that someone else has experienced this situation can be a strong influence in helping the burned-out teacher solve his problems.

Value the experiences
of veteran tea­chers

    To my knowledge teachers who have many years on the job are more likely to suffer from burnout than those with only a few years of experience. While some younger teachers burnout fairly early, I believe there is a greater likelihood for senior teachers to burnout than there is for inexperienced teachers.
    I encourage you to listen when a veteran teacher starts waxing philosophical about, “It was so much better when Superintendent Smith was here” or “It was so much easier to do this job without computers.” Don’t argue;
listen. Don’t disagree; listen. Don’t try to prove otherwise; listen.
    Technology is here to stay. Whether you believe computers make our lives easier or harder, the aforementioned teacher may believe they made his teaching assignments more difficult. You should try to realize that is this person’s perspective, and try to understand it. Then show him one or two small ways to use the computer that would make his teaching assignments easier.
    Begin by demonstrating how the computer can be used to do several things. Maybe the teacher will never use a computer to the extent you do,  but paying respect to the knowledge and background of the teacher may pay valuable dividends later.
    At home your stressed-out spouse or partner sometimes needs to vent his frustrations while you sit and listen. Half-an-hour later he will be smiling and feeling much better. Maybe this type of exercise would release some of the pent-up frustrations of a burned-out colleague. At worst, perhaps you’ll realize you don’t have it so bad after all.

Get the teacher involved
in his area of expertise

    Doing something new often energizes people. It could be something as complex as rewriting a curriculum to implementing a new meth­od series or as simple as asking for a  recommendation for the brand of coffee that works best in the coffee urn.

    In keeping with the spirit of respecting and valuing the experiences of veteran teachers, you should remember that happy employees are usually motivated employees. Find out what types of things will motivate the teacher to excel in his job, and ask what he would like to do in his profession. If the person mentions six things, perhaps you could make one or two happen or ask an administrator to help bring one or two of them to fruition. Think of it this way: have the teacher help to write the prescription to cure the condition.

    If the teacher has lunch duty every day of the week and would rather direct a clarinet ensemble during one of those times, it would help to make that happen. With the teacher’s permission, you could ask an administrator to reduce the veteran’s lunch-duty load so that he could teach the clarinet ensemble. Even if the answer is no, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

    Maybe the next time you request something similar from the administrator, the answer will be yes. Children know how to keep asking and are great at this. “Can I have a candy bar?” “Can I have a candy bar?” “Can I have a candy bar?” Finally, the answer is yes. The teacher may not openly show his appreciation for your efforts, but the example you’ve set by completing the task will motivate him to achieve more each day. Everyone wins!
 
Create a family
type of environment

    Be the person who fosters a friendly atmosphere in the music department and asks “what’s wrong” when a colleague looks forlorn. Consider the value of coming to school ten minutes early to sit and talk with the other music teachers (if you’re the only music teacher, then talk to the art teacher), and be the one who brings a dozen donuts to school for no particular reason at all. Show that you care about your colleagues by asking about their spouses, children, and grandchildren.

    Your goal should be to create a family environment among your teaching colleagues at school. If your spouse can name each person on the music staff, then you know you’ve reached that goal. It’s even better if your spouse asks how specific people are doing or how a colleague’s son played at the weekend soccer game.
    Human beings have a need to feel loved and to be accepted. That acceptance can come from a number of places. If a colleague suffers from  burnout, try and instill the sense that you, the students, and the entire school needs him. Involve this teacher in a special project, something big or small, and let him know that the success of the task is contingent on his expertise. I suggest you approach him with a genuine need for help, and above all, do not be manipulative.

Ask for help
if your efforts fail

    Music teachers are not professional psychiatrists or psychologists. This type of situation can become exhausting, emotionally and physically, so don’t be afraid to ask for help for your burned-out colleague and for yourself. If your physical or emotional health is suffering, remove yourself from the situation, get help, and focus on getting yourself well.
    If you’ve noticed that your colleague is on a dangerous path, most likely others have noticed as well. Suggest that the teacher enroll in an assistance program; be a friend, and help when appropriate. Above all, let a professional or group of professionals do their jobs and continue to be as supportive as you can. After all, you would want someone to do the same for you.   

    Contributors to this article include Nancy Allmon, a 36-year veteran of the Pennsylvania public school system who was superintendent in the Fleetwood Area School District.
     Stan Kita is assistant executive director at the Berks County (Pennsylvania) In­ter­mediate Unit and a former superintendent in the Fleetwood Area School District.
     Chris­topher Redding’s career in public education spans 21 years. He has been principal of the Fleetwood Area Mid­dle School for the past 12 years and has two children who participate in the school district’s instrumental music program.

The post Band Directors and Burnout appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Lessons in Teamwork
     Although the awards are impressive, Everhart says he really doesn’t focus on what place the group takes even though marching band is a competitive activity. “We view the marching band as a way to help students grow. When the staff and I sit down to design programs, we keep in mind that what we put in front of our players and ask them to do should change them as people. They should be much different at the end of the season compared to the beginning of the season. The tag line on our website is Training Students for Life, and the marching band helps them experience that growth.

   
      “Some of the lessons from marching band include learning about teamwork and working towards a common goal. For example, the pictures we make on the field require accuracy from everyone. There is no second string, and if just one player doesn’t execute correctly, the entire group suffers. We also encourage students to step up and take responsibility as section leaders. Of course each person in band learns the lesson of supporting the leader. Respecting a stand leader and following directives becomes a crucial part of the overall success of the organization.
     Everhart says it is always interesting to watch the players change and mature throughout the season. Early on, new members who haven’t marched gravitate towards other new members. Groups tend to form based on age and gender, but as the season progresses, the groups that formed at the beginning of August are often very different from those that coalesce by the end of the season in October. “It’s as though everyone finds a new common ground as they go through the activity.”

Curricular Versus Extracurricular
     Victor High School has curricular groups in the music program, including a wind ensemble and symphonic band, as well as courses in theory and piano; but the marching band is strictly extracurricular. In early April Everhart advertises the date and time of the first practice session, usually in the last week of the month. He puts up recruitment sheets, and students sign up to be part of the group. There are no auditions. The unstated premise is that if a player is ready to come in, work, and do what Everhart asks, then he is in.
     “I schedule a handful of practices in spring, usually one per week throughout May and June, to build up our roster. Everyone takes the month of July off, and then the students come back in August for camp week, although it’s not an official camp. The students come every day, Monday through Friday, for eight hours to learn the show for the new school year.
     “A show that lasts approximately seven-and-a-half minutes will include three pieces of music with about 80 pictures or drill sets. Students make 80 different formations for the program that we march for the New York State Field Band Con­ference.” The marching band travels to different locations each Saturday and competes against different bands in its division. They have their own circuit and their own competitions. Marching for weekend football games is not the band’s main activity.

An Amazing Team
     While Everhart works with 14 part-time people on the marching band staff, he is the only official employee. Everyone who helps is a professional in areas other than education. “My visual designer builds web sites, and the person who writes all the drum scores works for Blue Cross, Blue Shield health care. Most of the staff members were once in drum corps so they have had marching experience. I’ve been fortunate in that people come to me offering to help; I’ve never had to go out and recruit for staff.”
     Right after marching season in November or December, Everhart and three or four of his staff get together and talk through the various new ideas for show designs. They usually have a half dozen ideas kicking around as they try to anticipate  the band’s instrumentation and membership for the next year.
     “The drill moves are the vision of the design person. We talk through them as a team, often asking him whether certain ideas will work in terms of the visual pictures the band is making when combined with the music. He is a musician so that is helpful. Once we decide on the drill, arranging the music is next so we can get parts out to the students.”
     As director of the ensemble, Everhart contacts the music publishing companies whose pieces the band will perform and asks permission to adapt the music specifically for the Blue Devils. This in­volves entering into a contract with each company for which the band boosters organization pays a fee. For several years he hired an arranger in Indianapolis, and this year his visual designer has arranged the band’s music.

Learning The Show

     In the spring Everhart rehearses the band to the point where everyone knows his part. Even for the first summer rehearsals, they focus on the music, eventually memorizing the entire show. “Next we begin to teach the drill based on chunks of musical phrases and how the visual picture lays out. Any changes of direction in the drill are based on musical phrases. On the first day we may teach the drill based on the beginning of the opener, the first piece, up to letter B. The students will know the music well enough by then to go through the music phrase by phrase with the pictures they are making, practicing them together.
     “Technology has stepped in and made marching band so much easier for the students. The drill sets are created with a program called Pyware for writing the drill that includes printed copies of each entire picture for the students. They get to see the same movements and changes the staff sees, not just their spot. We teach it, and they can see where they are in each picture.
     “We also use Pyware in combination with Finale digital music files by running the drill and the music through a projector so students can see the entire show when band camp begins in August. It’s seven-and-a-half minutes of marching combined with the music. It’s wonderful. It has been a powerful tool for us.”
     With a laugh, Everhart recalls a rehearsal from about three years ago when the band was training with wireless mics. One day he found himself in line with an unexpected audio signal, and suddenly everyone started hearing a Canadian television broadcast coming through the sound system. The Blue Devils ended up listening to Canadian television for about five minutes before the rehearsal could resume. The band simply couldn’t do anything.

Concert Band Versus Marching Band
    Does marching band take away from concert band? Everhart’s view is that the marching band is a wind ensemble that happens to march. “The wind ensemble is our focus, and the visual piece comes later. We don’t place more emphasis on the visual with the music only tagging along for the ride. Music is the main focus of everything the marching band does.
    “There are also pragmatic considerations. Marching 80 pictures in seven-and-a-half minutes is a much different challenge when it comes to breathing and support because it’s done standing up, not sitting in a chair. From a practical standpoint, at the end of the season the marching band students are making much bigger and better sounds than the students who don’t march.
    “I work hard to make sure the marching band does not affect the indoor programs and that the indoor programs remain central to the music department. For example, students can be in marching band, only if they are first enrolled in the school’s curricular music program. Students don’t get the high level of training necessary to be a good musician by just being in marching band.”

Extraordinary Boosters
    The Victor Band Boosters help the music department by sponsoring summer music lessons for students. This includes hiring instructors and devising a schedule for the district. The program began when the visual designer, Mark Rider, realized the need for more practice time in summer because students finished up the school year in June, then did not touch an instrument again until September.
    Parents who want lessons for their children pay for them through the band boosters. At this point it is a relatively young program, but it has made a big difference in the abilities of each student.
Fundraising is another vital function of the band boosters with this organization providing huge sums of money for the group. “This year the goal was to raise $45,000. When I joined the program in 1987, the group raised about $6,000 annually, and now it averages anywhere from $40,000 to $55,000.
    “While the school is supportive, providing funds for transportation and two sets of uniforms, the administration can’t cover everything. The band boosters step in by supplementing staff salaries so that we can have more qualified staff.
    “Four of us ran the entire show 23 years ago, and now I have a staff of 14 who work with the marching program. Some receive a stipend through the school and some through the band boosters. That has been the biggest difference – the number of adults and the depth of their expertise. This has become necessary because training now is much more specialized.”
    Everhart’s favorite fundraising project is a annual silent auction that takes place at a local country club. “It’s a nice event with the fun of making silent bids on different items. It’s also a chance to see and talk to the many former band parents who attend. As a director it is wonderful to see all these people coming together to support our programs.” 

Sage Advice
    What has helped Everhart most in the last 10 years is remembering to stay focused on the students. “I think we can get so caught up in marching band that it begins to dominate our lives. I try to impress on my staff that students are involved in a lot of activities. I suggest they ask students about what else they do and remember that marching band is simply one part of their lives. We all like to think our activity is the most important, but it is not necessarily the most important thing to students. When I speak to students, I often find that the other aspects of their lives are quite interesting.”

The post A Team Effort, An Interview with Eric Everhart appeared first on The Instrumentalist.

Find Deals
    Technology can be inexpensive if you look in the right places. Being a smart shopper can reap great rewards; by comparison shopping for products at a variety of retailers, you can ensure a great deal for yourself. These retailers may also have discounts or special offers for educators that you may not be aware of. The internet is an excellent place to find great prices on items; such web sites as MySimon, Price Grabber, and BizRate specialize in finding the best price for any item. Online auctions such as eBay and online classifieds like Craigslist also allow consumers to find items for competitive prices.
    Another great way to save money is to find gently used, refurbished, or off-lease products. Technology doesn’t have to be new to work; much like a pre-owned car, these tools can have a long life and allow users to complete the task at hand. Many times, these items even come with some type of warranty. While it is usually better to purchase new equipment, having an older computer, stereo, or other device is much better than not having one at all.

Donations and Grants
    The rewards are great for teachers willing to go through the long and tiring process of applying for grants and pursuing donors for educational projects. Opportunities abound from individuals and groups. Grants have long been a great way to raise funds for educational projects, and many are available to teachers looking to incorporate technology into their curriculum. There are many places to locate these grants, including searches for grants on sites like Grant Wrangler and Grants Alert. Professional associations will often announce grants in their journals from various organizations. In addition, some local and national retailers, such as Target and Best Buy, have educational grant programs that encourage teachers to creatively use technology in the classroom. Networking with colleagues, parents, and community members will also help locate grants that fit the needs of your program.
    A relatively new innovation in searching for grants are grant match services that link donors with projects they are willing to support. These types of sites are much like posting a resume on an online job site such as Monster or HotJobs; the only difference is that educators can post their projects online. This service is offered by a variety of sites, including Digital Wish, Donors Choose, and Adopt A Classroom.
    Looking to the parents and community leaders in your school system is an excellent way to secure funds. Parent-teacher organizations, education foundations, and booster clubs are excellent sources for donation requests. In addition, gently used items (such as old iPods, DVD players, and computers) can have a new use in your program from donations by parents and community members. As a donation to a school, which usually is considered a non-profit organization, these types of gifts can be tax-deductible, providing an extra benefit to those wishing to help.

Inexpensive Gadgets and Gizmos
    As technology becomes more prevalent, prices go down. Many items that once would obliterate a budget now can be had for a small amount of money. In addition, new technologies are increasingly becoming easier to use, thus allowing new innovations to become even more widespread.
    A great example of technology that is rapidly falling in price is the projector. An essential item for 21st-century classrooms, the projector is the most effective way to deliver information to the masses today. While many classroom teachers have used projectors for years in their teaching, instrumental music directors have not embraced this technology as much. The possibilities of using a projector in the band curriculum are truly endless – a small sampling of possibilities includes:
    • A PowerPoint presentation of the rehearsal order and daily announcements.
    • A digital bulletin board of pictures of students.
    • Using the internet to watch videos of various performances.
    • Multimedia presentations at concerts.
    • Doubling as your output for VCRs and DVDs.
    Prices for projectors are rapidly falling; one with specifications suitable for a large classroom (2000 lumens or more and 1024×768 resolution or more) is now less than $500. The cost is well-worth the investment because it provides the capability of including so many options of technology in the classroom.
    There are also many ways to present technology on a computer to your class if you do not have the money for a projector. If your computer has an S-video output jack, an S-video cable can be connected to most televisions, enabling it to function as a large monitor. PC-to-TV converters also are widely available, such as the AVerKey series from AVerMedia. The above methods do not provide as high an image quality, so projectors are still highly recommended. However, these low-cost options can provide a cost-effective solution for many classrooms.
     Many teachers also have an interactive whiteboard, such as those made by SMART Technologies and Promethean to accompany a projector. These tools allow teachers and students to view a computer screen as well as control the computer from the board itself. Over the past decade, these types of boards have received acclaim from all areas of education. While these types of boards are extremely useful, they can be quite expensive.

  
         An interactive whiteboard can be rigged up with a Bluetooth-enabled computer, infrared pen, and a Nintendo Wii controller.

  For people looking for a low-cost alternative, the Wiimote Whiteboard is an excellent solution. Using a Nintendo Wii remote, Bluetooth-enabled computer, and infrared pen, teachers can make an interactive whiteboard that is similar to its more expensive counterpart. Wii, the revolutionary video game system, uses infrared cameras in its remotes to communicate with televisions and, thus, create the system’s motion-sensing games. In addition, Bluetooth technology allows the controllers to be wireless. By using these tools in tandem, an interactive whiteboard can be devised for your classroom computer and projector for less than $100, a fraction of the cost of a traditional board.
    Recording devices are also rapidly dropping in price. Portable MP3 players, such as the Roland Edirol and Zoom devices, are powerful, handheld tools (with high-quality, bidirectional stereo microphones) that record to removable media, like an SD card. Many high-quality, low-priced video recording options are available as well, such as cameras from the Flip series. Once considered luxuries to have these technologies in the music classroom, portable audio and video recorders can now easily be found for under $200.

Use What Students Use
    The high-tech tools that students use every day can easily be integrated into music classrooms. Rather than look at new technology with trepidation, we can use new devices to motivate our students. Furthermore, these technologies can be extremely inexpensive to purchase and use.
    It goes without saying that SMS (text) messages are extremely popular, especially among students. This technology can easily be used to the advantage of music teachers. A group text messaging service like JabberText, TextMarks, or Upoc can send texts to students to remind them of rehearsals and performances or as cancellation alerts. While not an appropriate option for educators who teach young students, text messaging can provide a wonderful option to incorporate technology at low prices.
    Apple’s iPod has become a cultural phenomenon since its inception in 2001, and many students own at least one. In music classrooms, iPods can become portable listening libraries, with model recordings of fine ensembles and performers, play-along accompaniments, and other recordings used as music examples. Podcasts, a series of short audio or video episodes on a topic, can also be presented in classrooms and used as an online-based instruction tool. Instrumental music teachers can use it for neglected topics in a traditional curriculum, such as cleaning an instrument properly or beginning drum set lessons.
    Apps, or mini-programs, have been featured on Apple’s portable devices since mid-2008; Apple’s App Store has become one of the defining features of the iPod Touch and iPhone. Over 100,000 apps have been downloaded over two billion times, and many of those apps can be extraordinary tools for music educators. Most apps on the App Store are either free or extremely inexpensive (most can be had for under $5). From tuners (ClearTune and Pitch Pipe) to metronomes (Tempo) and educational resources (Instruments in Reach, an app with fingering charts for every instrument imaginable) to practical tools (the iPro Recorder is a wonderful audio recording app), the App Store contains numerous options for music educators.
    The students at my school frequently play music-related video games, such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. While it is easy to dismiss these games as a farce to music education, when used the right way, they can have some educational value and make great extrinsic rewards for students while transferring knowledge learned using traditional methods. A fine example of this is the method used for reading rhythm in Guitar Hero; the scrolling, on-screen fretboard used in the game visibly shows players a steady and subdivided beat. This is a wonderful way to relate concepts of subdivision and syncopation to actual music, especially in a style where syncopation is so prevalent. While music-related video games shouldn’t be used excessively in a classroom, they can be a valuable tool, much like a rarely used, but important, kitchen utensil.

New Developments
    Throughout the course of the past decade, numerous new music software programs have surfaced with cost-conscious music educators in mind. SmartMusic, a low-cost, subscription-based practice suite, allows students to perform from a library of thousands of solos, method books, exercises, or full ensemble music with their computer. The program also can be used as a means for assessment and evaluation by musicians. A tool that can be thought of as a combination of iTunes and Guitar Hero for your students, SmartMusic enjoys a high level of popularity among young people and their teachers. Other notable programs that can be used by music educators on a budget include sequencers Acoustica MixCraft and Sony JamTrax, as well as composition program Finale Notepad.
    Today’s students have never experienced life without the internet. There are countless internet tools that have been recently conceived with educators in mind; most of them are either inexpensive or free. One of the most exciting innovations of the past few years has been the development of Web 2.0, which is the title given to the new wave of information sharing on the internet. Focusing on interactivity and collaboration, the focus of Web 2.0 is essentially the end user. Examples of Web 2.0 include such functions as video sharing sites, web applications, social networking sites, wikis, and blogs. These sites are very easy for anyone to navigate, including those with limited technology experience.
    Tools like these can be used by music educators in a variety of ways. Facebook, the world’s most popular social networking site, has a feature that allows groups to make their own fan page, which can feature news updates, photos, video, calendars, and links. By featuring your music program on a Facebook fan page, your students and parents can access a multitude of information. (It should be noted that creating a fan page does not allow other users to see your own Facebook profile if you have the correct privacy settings applied to your own account.) Blogs, or online web journals, provide a great and easy-to-use opportunity for creating your own web site. Sites such as Google Docs allow people to view and edit documents easily and efficiently. Video sharing sites, such as YouTube, allow your ensembles to share videos of their performances with the world as well as view and analyze thousands of musicians.
    Another recent trend on the internet is the availability of freeware and open source software. These types of programs are of no cost to users; in the case of open source software, it is continually updated and rewritten by the general public. (One of the most prominent examples of open source software is the Mozilla Firefox web browser.) Almost every type of popular program will have an open source option that is comparable (and often better) than its paid counterpart. Some of the best examples of free programs that can be used in your music program include:
    • Audacity (a multi-track sound recorder)
    • OpenOffice (an open source version of the Microsoft Office suite)
    • TrakAx (an open source, PC version of Apple’s GarageBand)
    • MuseScore (free music composition software)

Final Thoughts
    Today’s students not only enjoy technology in the classroom, they expect it to be there. To reach these students best, teachers have to embrace technology to motivate them. With the numerous ways to incorporate technology at low cost, your creativity should never be compromised by low budgets. 

Useful Free Programs
Productivity
OpenOffice –
CutePDF –
 
Pictures and Imaging
GIMPShop –
Krita –
Paint.NET –
ChocoFlop –
iTag –
 
Web Site Creation
KompoZer –
Flash Slideshow Maker –
Powerbullet Presenter –
 
Notation/Composition
TrakAx –
MuseScore –
AnvilStudio –

Audio/Video
Audacity –
iTunes –
WinAmp –
SongBird –
CinemaForge –
VideoSpin –
VirtualDub –
Jahshaka –

Music Education Software
E-Chromatic Tuner –
JAM Chord Player –
Tempo Perfect Metronome –
GNU Solfege –
TabPlayer –
The Music Interactive –

Inexpensive Software Options
SmartMusic –
MixCraft –
JamTrax –
Finale Notepad –

Additional Internet Resources
Metronome Online –
Ricci Adams’s Musictheory.net –
Good Ear –
Noteflight –
Vic Firth Ed. Resource Center –
Conn-Selmer Ed. Resources –
8 Notes –

Useful Links
Internet Retailers/Price Comparison Resources
TigerDirect –
Slick Deals –
Price Grabber –
BizRate –
Google Product Search –
MySimon –
NexTag –
eBay –
Craigslist –
Half –

Social Networking
Facebook –
Twitter –
Ning –
 
Blog & Web Site Creation
Blogspot –
Weebly –
WordPress –
ClassJump –

Grant Match Services
Digital Wish –
Donors Choose –
Adopt a Classroom –

Grant Opportunities
Grant Wrangler –
Grants Alert –
TeachersCount –
School Grants –

Current Technology/Web 2.0 Resources
Text Messaging for Groups
JabberText –
TextMarks –
Upoc –

Video/Miscellaneous
YouTube –
SchoolTube –
Google Wave –
iSchoolBand –
 
Freeware/Open Source Software Listings
100 Downloads –
Sourceforge –
MusTech –
FreeMusicSoftware –
 
Additional Resources
Wii Teachers (everything needed to make a Wiimote Whiteboard) –

   

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