SmartMusic Users

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Comment by Mike Doll on July 31, 2010 at 4:35pm

Steve,

Here is my email miked@ecbconline.com Send me a note and I will give you my cell number and I would be happy to talk to you about SmartMusic in more detail.

Comment by Russ Weaver on July 30, 2010 at 8:34am

Smartmusic does allow you to assign items to just one or a select few students. It also allows a director to set the due dates separately for each student or group of students. Works great!

Comment by Steve Harris on July 28, 2010 at 7:04pm

I am curious how you all are structuring your assessments on SmartMusic. I have tried several different ways to make it so students can work at their own level and pace, but have found this to be cumbersome. It seems like it only works well when the same assignment is given out to the entire class. Any ideas?
BTW, as Adrian had mentioned, I have been using built in mics on laptops and they seem to pick up just fine.

Comment by Steve Harris on July 28, 2010 at 5:55pm

Hi,

I just now joined the SmartMusic group. I am hoping to have some good discussions about the use of this awesome technology!

Steve

Comment by Adrian Anderson on May 11, 2010 at 8:42pm

Regarding microphone use... I don't know why Makemusic recommends the clip mics, or the costly mac adapter. I have 3 stations, all macs, and use the built-in mics with no trouble at all.

Comment by Russ Weaver on May 11, 2010 at 7:42pm

We integrate it into our band fees and purchase it at a discount for each and every child in the program. It is up to them if they can use it at home, but oddly enough, if they can't use it at home they tend to use it somewhere else (Aunt, Uncle, Neighbors, Friends etc.).
After doing it other ways, we have found that this way works really well. Also, we have added a 9th station to our arsenal by scrounging around for surplus towers that we can blow out with (now very cheap) RAM. Still, newer machines are MUCH better. I'd be interested in how everyone is with keeping microphones at the stations... ours get destroyed by frustrated and/or clumsy students with great frequency (no pun intended). Typically go through 2 per station per year or so...

Comment by Paul Lemen on May 11, 2010 at 8:36am

I am having the same issue as Susan. Too few of the kids are getting it at home, so they have to use my work stations. With large classes, it takes forever to get a single test done. The other problem I have had is that kids are trying to learn to play the test on SM rather than practicing it before and then taking the test. This is fine if they have SM at home, but when we are using limited class time, it means that they very rarely, if ever, submit a test. I have gone through 20-30 students and not had a single test submitted.

Finally, when trying to do SM in class, we have the technology issue. 5-6 times a rehearsal, I am interrupted to deal with a mic not working or "its hearing me wrong".

Unfortunately, I have recently found, especially in my beginning bands, that it takes far LESS time to give tests in class than on SM. Other than getting SM at home for every student, any suggestions?

Comment by Susan Juker on May 11, 2010 at 5:52am

I take one class period and demonstrate it to the class and then I have a couple of volunteers come up and try it out in front of the class with the different accompaniments and so forth. They love it when they can see their mistakes and are able to go back and correct as many times as needed when at home. Unfortunatly many of my students live in the country and can't get it because they don't have access to affordable internet. We do have to use some class time in order to get everyone's assessment in. Does anybody have suggestions on what I can do about that?

Comment by Stephen Myers on May 11, 2010 at 12:38am

I have a parent meeting at the beginning of the year when I do my rental night, and show them the Smartmusic stuff then. 90% of my parents immediately buy into it when they see that it makes their investment in the instrument more useful. The other 10% just have to be contacted personally.

Comment by Stephen Myers on May 11, 2010 at 12:34am

I adore this program! I have totally eliminated playing tests in class, because they are all submitted over the internet now. Kids that can't afford it use one of the three workstations I have in my room before or after school. I have saved SO MUCH class time, I can get more in depth with music theory and rehearsals!

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