I briefly mentioned in my last post about technology changing education that the changes also reach into the world of music education. I mentioned programs like Sibelius and GarageBand. These two programs are well known but they're not the only ones being used. In fact, there's much much more out there and are far more accessible. This is because of that wonderful piece of technology that's either in your pocket right now or sitting next to you as you read this; the smartphone.
The smartphone, where would we be without it and all of its useful apps that we take for granted on a daily basis? Remember that old iPhone commercial that had the slogan "There's an app for that"? We all know how true that is. This is especially the case for music. There's an app for just about any type of musical training out there. This has made it more accessible to learn music or refine music skills. For example, there are countless apps for metronomes and tuners with all varying degrees of success. If you want to learn guitar tabs or chords, learn music theory or aural/rhythm skills, or a just have piano readily available for practicing a song or just learning piano, just download an app. In my opinion, these apps have made learning music very convenient and less intimidating. I will encourage my future students to download these in the hope that they will be utilized to improve their musicality during practice sessions or in their free time.
I speak highly of these because I use these apps myself. For example, I could not live without my piano app. It has helped me out in various situations if whether it's before a performance/audition or practicing when a piano isn't available to me. Sometimes it's just nice to open the app and improvise a melody when I'm bored just to keep up my music skills.
I strongly feel that music teachers should encourage their students to use apps to help them learn the basics or refine their skills. If they do, they will see and an increase in the quality of music being made and more rehearsal time being spent on the music itself rather than the counting or tuning issues that can plague student ensembles. I don't think any music teacher would be opposed to that.
The smartphone, where would we be without it and all of its useful apps that we take for granted on a daily basis? Remember that old iPhone commercial that had the slogan "There's an app for that"? We all know how true that is. This is especially the case for music. There's an app for just about any type of musical training out there. This has made it more accessible to learn music or refine music skills. For example, there are countless apps for metronomes and tuners with all varying degrees of success. If you want to learn guitar tabs or chords, learn music theory or aural/rhythm skills, or a just have piano readily available for practicing a song or just learning piano, just download an app. In my opinion, these apps have made learning music very convenient and less intimidating. I will encourage my future students to download these in the hope that they will be utilized to improve their musicality during practice sessions or in their free time.
I speak highly of these because I use these apps myself. For example, I could not live without my piano app. It has helped me out in various situations if whether it's before a performance/audition or practicing when a piano isn't available to me. Sometimes it's just nice to open the app and improvise a melody when I'm bored just to keep up my music skills.
I strongly feel that music teachers should encourage their students to use apps to help them learn the basics or refine their skills. If they do, they will see and an increase in the quality of music being made and more rehearsal time being spent on the music itself rather than the counting or tuning issues that can plague student ensembles. I don't think any music teacher would be opposed to that.
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