SmartMusic in Public Schools

This afternoon I had the good fortune to enjoy a workshop about SmartMusic presented by Tom Carruth. In a nutshell, SmartMusic is a tool to help students as they practice music, and a tool to help teachers objectively assess students’ playing. (I’ll refrain from turning this post into a commercial about all the features and benefits. If you’re interested in knowing more about the program, click here.)

I am curious to hear from those of you who may use SmartMusic with your students. Have you been pleased with it? Disappointed? Somewhere in between?

If you use it, how heavily do you rely on it for grading? Do you require all students to use it, or is it optional?

Here are a few of my initial thoughts and observations. Those of who who know the program, please tell me if you agree or not.

- The program is incredibly well designed. It’s obvious this is not a first draft of the program. I think Tom said they’re on version 11 now, so most of the major bugs are gone, and the bells & whistles are getting really cool.

- There’s a ton of music already loaded into the system. It has virutally every popular method book and a ton of ensemble music ready to be used. For example, my students who use Essential Elements 2000 would have a very easy time practicing the music we learn at school with SmartMusic.

- Students can see the results of their assessment and get instant feedback on what they need to improve, at least in terms of playing right notes and rhythms.

- Since the nature of the program is very computer-centered, it requires students to have access to a computer. I teach in a primarily low-income district where most homes do not have a computer. It would be totally unreasonable to mandate that my students use the program. And since I teach primarily elementary, some students may lack the basic computer skills to do the work. In short, the whole element of using a computer could be an obstacle.

- The program is computer-centered, which might attract some students while discouraging others. Some students might be inclined to think, “Hey! I get to play my instrument AND use my computer at the same time! Cool!” while others might think, “If there’s anything worse than having to sit inside with a computer, it’s having to use a computer and practice my dumb instrument.” 

- Students are required to enter an email address in order to enroll and log in. Some of the teachers at the workshop mentioned that some of their students do not have email addresses because they are not allowed to use the internet. (I realize that anyone can get free email accounts, but that’s not the issue.) Has the internet/computer usage issue been an obstacle for anyone?

Always Use a Metronome… Really?

Music teachers often admonish their students to “always practice with a metronome.” I can recall one master class in which the professor tried to drive the point home by stressing “Always! Always! Always!” Me, being the good little boy scout that I am, have tried to live up to that standard.

A stable sense of rhythm and tempo is undoubtedly one mark of an excellent musician. One of my favorite jazz albums is Michael Brecker’s “Time is of the Essence,” which of course has a dual meaning for musicians. However, it has occurred to me that while practicing, it may often be necessary to temporarily eliminate the element of tempo in order to focus on other elements.

Yesterday while teaching a private lesson, I stumbled on the phrase, “Try that again at your own pace.” I turned off the metronome and allowed the student to work out the technical difficulties of the notes without worrying about tempo. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not that I think I invented a revolutionary new system for practicing or anything. But it was one of those moments when you come across a teaching technique or phrase that has application elsewhere.

Playing long tones is another example of a time when turning off the metronome can be beneficial. Sure, you could keep it clicking to keep track of the beat, but wouldn’t turning it off help you focus on your sound? Isn’t the point of long tones to improve tone? Does it really matter if you cut off the long note precisely on the beat?

Many modern method books come with play along CDs. Isn’t practicing along with these CDs comparable to playing with a metronome?

So I challenge the idea that you should “always” practice with a metronome. What do you think? If you teach private music lessons, how much do you have your students play with a metronome? Do you even use one at all? In your own practice time, how much do you use it?

End of the Year Music Awards

Here are photos of the awards I give to music students at the end of the school year.

  

Each year I choose two students to be recognized for the Outstanding Musicians award. Students get their name on the perpetual plaque which is displayed at school and they also get to keep a trophy. I try to use objective criteria to select students for this award, such as membership and/or seating placement in our district’s Honor Orchestra.

The Chromatic Climbers plaque is a new award this year, taken from a similar idea from a colleague. The award is for band students who can play a one-octave chromatic scale, ascending and descending, not necessarily memorized. As I have written elsewhere, this was a great motivational tool for students who probably would not have learned their chromatic scale otherwise. Soon after I explained the award and its rules to my students, my most talented players met the criteria almost immediately. Then the whole thing snowballed from there. As each additional student qualified, the others didn’t want to be left out so they obviously spent some time practicing at home.

Practice: Dealing with Students Who Don’t

[This is part 3 in a series of conversations about issues related to practice. Previous posts are here and here.]

We’ve all seen students walk into music class or private lessons with that sheepish look. They signal to us that they’re unprepared because they haven’t practiced. Then we as teachers are faced with the question of what to do about it. Do we reprimand the student? Do we pretend like they did practice?

Getting more assertive with students who don’t practice is effective with some students, but might backfire with others. I have had good music students quit because they didn’t feel like they were meeting my expectations. This is where the whole art of motivation comes into play; being encouraging without exacerbating.

Here are a few thoughts about what to do with chronic non-practicers:

1. Prioritize teaching about practicing. Make the word “practice” part of the vocabulary of music lessons. Teach students how to practice and what to practice. (More about this in a future post!)

2. Talk about what you’ve assigned for next week’s lesson. I don’t just mean tell them to practice the next page in the book; talk with them about specific measures to focus on. “In your next piece, there are some tricky leaps here, and a lot of accidentals there. Let’s see how you’ll do!”

3. Talk to parents about the lack of practice. I think there’s a way to do this without sounding like you’re tattling on the student. “Michael has so much natural talent. I get the feeling, though, that he has been coming to lessons unprepared. He could really be an amazing musician if he spent a little more time on our lesson material at home.”

4. In some cases, I’ve found that some students just won’t practice, but they’re sincere about their desire to keep music in their lives. With these students, I’ve usually found it best to just make the lessons enjoyable and not sweat it. When there has been an understanding among me, the student, and the parent that the student is not destined for a career in music, then I’ve taken a more relaxed approach. To get more assertive would just burn everyone out, including me.

What do you think? Have any suggestions to share?

Practice: Establishing a Routine

This is just the beginning of what I hope will be a series of conversations about all things related to practice.

Yo-Yo Ma and Wynton Marsalis had an interesting conversation about practicing in this video. One of Ma’s most memorable quotes was “I hate the idea of practicing.” Motivating students to sit down alone with their instrument is one of the most difficult challenges a music teacher faces.

My hunch has been that many students don’t practice because it’s just not part of their daily/weekly routine. This is especially true among beginners who lack in self-discipline and work ethic anyway. Some parents aren’t much help in this area, not being eager to hear their kids make all that noise.

One technique I’ve used to get students thinking about their practice habits is to help them find best time to practice. I ask them about their daily and weekly schedule and get a picture for their time commitments. If they have soccer practice on Tuesdays and church events on Wednesdays, those might not be realistic days to practice. “But Mondays are open, and so are Thursdays. And since your lessons are on Fridays, Thursdays would be a perfect time to prepare.”

Sharing this conversation with parents can be helpful on a number of levels. Parents who pay for music lessons will appreciate your help in getting a good return on their investment. They can remind their child to practice at the determined times instead of nagging all week. You can also establish credibility as a professional by talking with parents about how you want to see the child develop life skills like self-discipline, time management, delayed gratification (practice before T.V.), etc..

Here are a just a couple of the many great blogs and posts related to practice:

- Music Practice Tips

- Music Matters Blog

How about you? What are your thoughts on helping students develop a practice routine? Let’s start a dialogue here!