Take the Train!

Spring Break and Easter, next thing you know the weather and calendar might actually align and we get Spring around here.

This blog is always about something tech-y and I think I can make the connection with vacation and technology.

First some old technology.  We took the train to Chicago.  Loved the train.  Wide seats, lots of leg room and power for all the devices.  The space is soooo much better on the train.  I am 6'3" and 250 pounds.  I know what good leg room looks like.

On the train you can hook the phone up to the computer and you have a rolling internet cafe.  Which was actually kind of handy for last minute trip planning and bird identification.  (The Sandhill Cranes are back for the season!)  Google Maps and Earth are good to help explain where we are to the kids too.  Chicago to Minneapolis/St. Paul is pretty scenic too.  Must have seen 50 Bald Eagles.

Yes, it may be slower than the airplane, but the train drops you off in the city.  No long ride into town.  It is cheaper than flying too.  We made the trip in about 7 or 8 hours.  Better than driving.

If you have the time, take the train.

MakeMusic This Week

www.makemusic.com

It was a busy week at MakeMusic.

The new pricing schedule for SmartMusic seems to have caused a ruckus with band directors.  Enough so, that the plan is on hold and will probably be revised.  

Hopefully, that moves quickly as the my school is asking what the band fee should be for next year.

We are using SmartMusic everywhere a kid can access the internet.  Including the home computer.  We have been getting a bulk-purchase price.  It is some work, but I think it is worth it.  Subscriptions for everyone!

The cheaper plan (but not nearly as comprehensive) is for the teacher to order enough to cover his practice rooms and send/receive his assignments through SmartMusic Grade Book.  Students do their work at school.

That might be too good a deal for the teacher and student side.  Server space does cost someone money.

So it will be interesting to see how this shakes out. There is a need to cover the costs AND a need to not tick-off the customer. What is the magic price? 

The other thing happening over at MakeMusic is the purchase of the company by LaunchEquity.  MakeMusic is going private.  Hopefully, that just means we can't follow the company as close as we have by watching the quarterly reports.  LaunchEquity is putting some money into the company, so it is hard to believe they would do anything drastic enough to upset the business.  That is probably another reason why the pricing is under review.  Hopefully, they remember that school music programs with big fat budgets aren't exactly commonplace.

MakeMusic is Bought Out

http://techinmusiced.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/launch-equity-acquires-makemusic/

Visit Tech In Music Ed for some analysis.

I really hope that MakeMusic can continue to deliver SmartMusic and the tools that support it.  It has really made a difference in my teaching practice.  I have no reason to believe they won't, but this kind of change always makes me nervous.

Copper Street Brass was Here Yesterday.

http://www.csbq.org/

Every once in a while something comes along and you remember why you got into teaching.

Yesterday was one of those days.

My teaching partner is constantly looking for listening opportunities for our students and has the energy to chase down grants to make those opportunities happen.  Thank you Westonka Foundation, Target Foundation and Band Boosters for your generosity.  Let me assure you it was money well spent.  Thanks, Gretchen for making it happen.

The Copper Street Brass Quintet has as varied a repertoire as any brass quintet that I have heard.  I was expecting baroque and got Brubeck and Adele too.

Virtuoso players and a great rapport with the young audience made for an enjoyable afternoon concert in our "gymnacafatorium."  It is hard to entertain and teach middle schoolers the day before a long weekend, but this group held their attention well.  We have pretty darn good kids here, but you have about 2 minutes to impress our kids before they check out on you on a day like this.

Performance-wise, I was impressed with the members of the group.  Frequently, brass quintets seem to be forums for show-casing trumpet players.  This group has the trumpets to do that, but the horn, trombone and tuba get their chance to shine too. (and BOY do they!)  It has been a while since I have heard masterful trombone, tuba and horn soloing.

Spreading things around like that will do wonders for my program, if for no other people than my low brass players.

Thanks again to everyone who made it happen.

If you get the chance, check out the CSBQ.  Visit their website.  Have them over.  It will be good.

You Probably Know What I Mean

NWEA
OLPA
NWEA(AGAIN)
OLPA (AGAIN)
MCA (Reading)
MCA (Math)
MCA (Science)
NWEA(Yet AGAIN)

Throw in on some years:
BST
ACT

If you understand all these initials, you probably know what I mean when I say, "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?...."

I would say that we are getting a little obsessive-compulsive about testing, but not even the obsessive-compulsive are this obsessive.

I bet we give up 3 weeks of time a year to figure out what the school staff already knows.  I would rather the staff used that time to keep pushing ahead in their curricular areas instead of doing test prep and testing.

Another scary part of this is there are people at the state level that write and track this stuff.  Couldn't we just use someone else's tools?

Testing is not really teaching.  It may be what you remember about school, but it is not supposed to be the point of school.

Let's get some of this off our kids' and teachers' collective backs.

FileMaker and Common Core

http://www.filemaker.com/solutions/ios/demos/common-core-on-the-go/

FileMaker sent me a press release yesterday about some iOS templates that people are offering.

Maybe you didn't know that FileMaker Go is a great way to get custom tools made for your iPad, iPod, iPhone.  FileMaker Go is free and it uses FileMaker (a bargain in my mind) as its authoring tool and host.  This set of tools is flexible, powerful and easy to understand.

Anyway, browsing the offerings I saw some interesting things for sales, time management, events and things like that.  Good stuff and worth a look.

On the list of "Ouch! Why Didn't I Do That First?" was the template for tracking Common Core Standards.  Import your kids' info and away you go.  A nice little 1-3 rating scale that works just by clicking on the field makes it easy to use.  I'm not sure where I am at with Common Core, it looks to me like the next-big-deal-make-those-students-and-teachers-work-harder-but-I-could-be-wrong-fad.  If you are looking for an easy way to keep track, here you go.

If it is on paper making work for you, take a look at FileMaker and FileMaker Go.  That combo can make things easier.

SmartMusic Changes Are Coming!

http://smartmusic.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5417

Our customer rep at SmartMusic sent an e-mail yesterday pointing out some interesting changes coming from their company.

First, they are changing their pricing a bit and actually making it easier for students to use different computers/devices with their subscription.

That may not sound like a big deal, but I bet we all have had students with more than one home.  This will save some hassle with moving the subscription from Mom's place to Dad's place.

They are also upping the price a bit and there looks to be some changes in the practice room plan as well.  In our case, there may be some savings in school volume purchase plan.  If you are doing one of those, your rep will have the details.  It is going to be pencil time to figure out the best solution.

The other bit of news was about the iPad version.  It really does sound like it will be ready for assignments next fall.  It also sounds like it will be using the built-in microphone to do its thing.

Using the built-in mic is a great idea.  One less thing to arrange for, one less thing to lose, one less thing to damage, one less thing to blame for a poor performance, etc, etc.....

Makes me wish that our district was doing its 1 to 1 computing initiative with iPads.  Currently, the powers that be are thinking that the cheaper Google terminal is the way to go.  I'm not sold on the idea.

Any further comment and my attorney will be arguing First Amendment Rights vs. an employer's right to docile employees at a hearing someplace.  Hopefully, MakeMusic can port something over soon. 

The iPad/SmartMusic combo will be a great package for the young band student.  I can especially picture beginner brass players using this to help find the right harmonic in rehearsal on those first days.  Put the iPad on a stand and check when ever there is a problem!

It will be an interesting fall.