This week in Technology in Music Education our class looked at AI and how it can be incorporated into the class room. One example in particular was AI voice modualtion. James, our teacher, demonstrated this with a song he had composed, and then sent the vocals through various AI filters which are supposed to make it sound like somebody else. Some were better than others, and I was very shocked at the end result which sounded convincingly like a very skilled female singer.
Reflections:
One way that this could be used in class is to give children the confidence to sing and record vocals. Teens in particularly can be especially self-conscious about this and allowing them to use this technology could open them up to exploring their voice, since they know they won’t have to stress about the end result.
This week in Technology in Music Education my group of Steph, Amelia, and I created an advertisement for the music theory and ear training software Auralia and Musition, directed towards music teachers. This required extensive research of the products and we delved into a history of these programs.
Reflections:
Similar to other tasks involving recording or filming in this course, we did feel extremely pressed for time when creating the advertisement, but managed to complete the task in the end. Creating the end result required the use of easy video editing software on a mobile device, a phone camera, and a simple USB mic. I appreciate the practice using these tools, as they’ll likely be what we’ll have access to in a classroom environment.
The end result of our advertisement can be viewed here.
This week in Technology in Music Education we edited the footage that we had filmed in our groups two weeks ago using a software called Screenflow. This was mostly done as individuals, however there was some collaboration. For instance, we worked together (saving time) to find which takes were of the highest quality. Since Josh’s computer wasn’t working, he and I worked as a team.
Reflections:
I have prior experience using video editing software, however this is mostly Adobe Premiere Pro. If I was able to use the software I’m most familiar with, then I maybe would have got a slightly better result, but I appreciated being exposed to a new software. Since licences for Adobe products are hardly cheap, it’s easy to see why affordable software such as Screenflow would be a popular choice for teachers.
Overall I’m proud of the finished product I achieved with Josh. I believe I created a genuinely high-quality finished-product and enjoyed the creation project.
This week in Technology in Music Education we focused on notation software. We disscussed Musescore, Sibelius, Dorico, Finale, and other software. Unfortunately there was an internet outage that prevented us from following the planned lesson, but we still accomplished an appreciable amount of work.
Reflections:
I was already familiar with using notation software, and appreciated that Musescore got the respect it deserved! I enjoyed using notation software on an iPad, because it was a very atypical experience. However, it was very clunky and inefficient. Even once you got to understand the controls, it was a slow process to compose. I think the technology has a few years ahead of it before it can be widely adopted.
Some of today’s class was delivered lecture-style. At the end of the class the internet restored itself and James showed us Noteflight and Flat.io, examples of in-browser notation software. This seems useful and could be widely utilised by students.
This week in Technology in Music Education we were tasked with filming a music video! We split into groups of about 5. I was with Josh, Charlotte, Anna, and Amelia. Charlotte and Josh were the “talent”, respectively playing piano and singing a rendition of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”. Anna, Amelia, and I were the videographers, and were in charge of filming and lighting their cover. In two lessons time we will regain access to the footage and learn how to edit it.
Reflections:
While it was overall satisying, and I am confident that we’ll end up with a high-quality finished product, I did find this a very stressful experience. In our 2 hours of class time, we only managed to record for about 15 minutes. The rest felt like a frustrating inability to choose a song, choose performers, set up correctly, and begin filming. It worked out in the end, so this could just be my negative outlook.
Like many aspects of this class, I’m happy that this task seems relevant to both my general interest in music as well as the skills I hope to bring to a school when I start teaching. Presumably there will be student performances etc. that, for the school as well as the students, I believe are worth preserving in as high a quality as reasonably can be achieved. I still appreciate recordings of performances I was a part of in high school.
This week in Technology in Music Education we focused on podcasting. The class split into groups of roughly 3, I joined Steff and Amelia, and each group recorded a podcast covering the following topics:
USB audio interfaces
Balanced vs unbalanced connectors/cables
Signal Flow and Gain Structure
Dynamic mics – how they work, why/what they’re good for, how to plug them into an interface
Condenser mics – what’s the difference in technology, what are they good for, when to use these vs dynamics
USB mics – why you might use something like a “Snowball” mic (time permitting or maybe your group could “specialise” in this if you have a solid understanding of the other technologies)
Audio Effects: Reverb, Compression, EQ, Delay, and distortion
Reflections:
Recording the podcast was a fun experience that I was also able to learn from. Since my principal study for my degree is contemporary music, I already have a lot of experience and a decent amount of knowledge when it comes to recording, setting up microphones etc. Because of this I was able to give some direction in regard to assembling mic stands and setting up to record. It was valuable to go over some of the knowledge I’d forgotten. I created a project file in Reaper, my DAW of choice, and ensured everything was working properly, we did mic checks and set levels.
Once we were completely set up, we checked in with James. He made sure that everybody was up to speed and went over some of the quesitons with us. We then recorded our podcast. There were a couple moments with long-awkward pauses, so I took a bit of time to cut these out once we’d finished. I also applied some compression and a limiter to the project. Then I exported the .wav file, which Steff and Amelia were able to AirDrop to themselves. Here is a photo of the wav. file being exported.
This week’s Technology in Music Education class was the first of the semester. Unexpectedly, we began the class by leaving our bags in room 1031 and walked to the Botanical Gardens. Here, we sat on the grass in a circle and James initiated a discussion on technology. We talked about AI, tech-stress, and social media. This flowed into a group mindfulness meditation, led by James. The meditation lasted approximately 10 minutes.
Once we returned to class, the vibe shifted as we loaded up soundtraps and began to create beats. Every 10 or so minutes, James popped up with a new tip for us to experiment with. To conclude the class, we listened to some of each other’s beats.
Reflections:
I appreciated the collegial nature of the discussion in the Botanical Gardens. I was able to raise my concern that, while I would prefer not to be on social media, I felt that I had to be on it to promote and share any music I might release in the future.
I also enjoyed the group mindfulness meditation. 2021 was the year I took up meditation, and was extremely avid for a period of time. I have more or less kept it up since then, with breaks. As the habit has fallen off recently, this might be the push I need to restart it.
In class, it was nice to work with Soundtrap. I actually think it’s an incredible website. I would liken it to Google Docs, but for a Digital Audio Workstation. I had used it before, but this was the first time taking it seriously.
I attempted to create an EDM style beat. I have limited experience working in DAWs, mostly recording live instruments. It can be listened to via the following link: