Another software that I have had the opportunity to explore through the Intermediate/Advanced Applications New Technologies Course at Teachers College, Columbia University is Reason. Reason is a virtual recording studio rack.
I experimented with different features of the software and uploaded my creation to SoundCloud.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Laying Down Vocals
We are FINALLY moving in to the final stages of the AABA project.
A handful of students have finished their accompaniment tracks and are beginning to lay down live tracks. They had the options of using voices or their band instruments for the live tracks but so far all have elected to do vocal tracks.
The kids are recording the tracks using my Yeti microphone. I am a big proponent of using a quality external mic for this project rather recording using the Macbook internal microphone. The Yeti produces a near-professional quality recording and the kids deserve for their hard work to sound as polished as possible. A couple of them have mentioned that they were very impressed that I "know how to do this kinda stuff." After they lay down their vocals I introduce them to the GarageBand vocal effects features and allow them to play around with adding effects to their vocal tracks.
After all of the kids have completed the project I am going to upload the final products to the class wikispace website so that they can listen to their classmates' work and discuss it on the discussion boards. I am also planning to burn a class album of all of their final projects to give to them as an end-of-year gift.
I am hoping to wrap up the entire GarageBand unit in the next three weeks. After that we need to shift into full-time band rehearsals to prepare for the band concert. A lot of rehearsal and lesson time has been sacrificed due to the state tests and we're going to need to do a big final push to have the music polished and performance-ready in time for the concert.
A handful of students have finished their accompaniment tracks and are beginning to lay down live tracks. They had the options of using voices or their band instruments for the live tracks but so far all have elected to do vocal tracks.
The kids are recording the tracks using my Yeti microphone. I am a big proponent of using a quality external mic for this project rather recording using the Macbook internal microphone. The Yeti produces a near-professional quality recording and the kids deserve for their hard work to sound as polished as possible. A couple of them have mentioned that they were very impressed that I "know how to do this kinda stuff." After they lay down their vocals I introduce them to the GarageBand vocal effects features and allow them to play around with adding effects to their vocal tracks.
After all of the kids have completed the project I am going to upload the final products to the class wikispace website so that they can listen to their classmates' work and discuss it on the discussion boards. I am also planning to burn a class album of all of their final projects to give to them as an end-of-year gift.
I am hoping to wrap up the entire GarageBand unit in the next three weeks. After that we need to shift into full-time band rehearsals to prepare for the band concert. A lot of rehearsal and lesson time has been sacrificed due to the state tests and we're going to need to do a big final push to have the music polished and performance-ready in time for the concert.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Slow Progress
Slow progress has been made and a few of my students should be ready to record their live tracks next week.
I am still not seeing my class with any consistency. In fact I haven't seen them at all this week. This week I've been given a hodge podge of fourth graders some of whom are in my elective and some whom are not. The students in my elective that have come to me this week have been sent off to continue working independently on their GarageBand projects. I've been doing Intro to GarageBand for the rest of the students who are not usually in my music class.
The state test begins next week, so I am hopeful that we will return to our regular schedule as of Tuesday. This will leave us with about 12 more class periods to wrap up the GarageBand project.
I'm disappointed that we won't get to the iMovie/film scoring lessons I had planned. I think my students would have been really excited to dabble in another aspect of composition.
I am still not seeing my class with any consistency. In fact I haven't seen them at all this week. This week I've been given a hodge podge of fourth graders some of whom are in my elective and some whom are not. The students in my elective that have come to me this week have been sent off to continue working independently on their GarageBand projects. I've been doing Intro to GarageBand for the rest of the students who are not usually in my music class.
The state test begins next week, so I am hopeful that we will return to our regular schedule as of Tuesday. This will leave us with about 12 more class periods to wrap up the GarageBand project.
I'm disappointed that we won't get to the iMovie/film scoring lessons I had planned. I think my students would have been really excited to dabble in another aspect of composition.
Monday, April 9, 2012
A Gaga Remix
In addition to teaching full-time I am completing my Masters of Arts in music and music education at Teachers College, Columbia University. As part of my degree I am enrolled in an applied music technology course. In the course we have been using the program Ableton Live. Assignment requirements include:
• At least one imported audio file.
• At least two minutes in length.
• At least one effects processor.
• At least one track of recorded audio.
• At least one track of MIDI.
I have uploaded my completed project on SoundCloud. Take a listen!
• At least one imported audio file.
• At least two minutes in length.
• At least one effects processor.
• At least one track of recorded audio.
• At least one track of MIDI.
I have uploaded my completed project on SoundCloud. Take a listen!
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