AudioCubes Provide Intriguing Possibilities for Music/Sound Production

Have you seen or tried AudioCubes?  If not, you are in for a treat. I was recently contacted by Bert Schiettecatte, founder of Percussa BVBA who asked me to take a look.  Though my schedule was busy, I was intrigued by what I saw and heard.  As a Music Educator who teaches in a middle school music technology lab, I saw potential for these sound/music making devices immediately.  Here are Bert's responses to questions I asked about AudioCubes.  I encourage anyone working in music, music education and/or electronic music to check these out.

Do  you see Audiocubes being used in schools as part of music education programs? How so?
BS: Yes, sure. In fact, there are already several schools who are using
the AudioCubes, at several levels. In higher education, Full Sail
University, the University of New Mexico and Berklee college of music
are just some examples of schools who have been using AudioCubes since
the beginning. Student artists use AudioCubes for sound design,
composition, live performance .... but also for research and teaching
/ education.

In lower education, and specifically in STEM education, kids as young
as 10 years old are using the AudioCubes, to experiment with sound and
music and learn about technology and science at the same time. Check
out http://land.percussa.com/audiocubes-music-education/

Why use Audiocubes over another music/sound production app?
What is compelling about your product?

BS: AudioCubes are unique in that they allow you to directly interact with
a piece of data or behaviour directly through a physical object
without pointing or clicking. The data or function is already there in
your working or living environment, because it is represented by a
physical object. This is apparent in these two software applications
which I developed the past year, called Improvisor and Evolvor:
http://land.percussa.com/audiocubes-evolvor and
http://land.percussa.com/audiocubes-improvisor

For live performers, AudioCubes are great because they make a
performance instantly visual, and gestural, and allow for audience
interaction. If you bring your live laptop setup and AudioCubes, you
don't need to bring a VJ necessarily. If it's a small performance, the
audience understands what you do through AudioCubes, and if it's a
large performance, you can put a camera on what you're doing with the
AudioCubes and you instantly have impressive visuals.

For sound designers, you can easily create and shape sounds simply
using your hands and fingers and one or two AudioCubes. You can learn
more about that at
http://land.percussa.com/create-sounds-using-your-hands-and-audiocubes/
for example. The cubes can be easily connected via MIDI to your
favourite effects or instruments, hardware or software. Each cube
senses distances in 4 directions, so you can easily control up to 8
parameters simultaneously, even if you have just 2 hands, using the
cubes.

For composers, we've created a generative music application, which I
already mentioned: Improvisor. The app lets you play back different
loops of notes and velocity patterns, and each loop is connected to a
cube automatically. Putting cubes next to each other will apply
transformations to the loops (such as adding loops from 2 cubes) so
you get totally new music. You can then send the notes via MIDI where
you want.

This is just scratching the surface - there are so many ways to use
AudioCubes, and we try to show this each week on our blog at
http://www.percussa.com/blog

Why would music students like this?

BS: Because new human computer interfaces allow new ways to interact with
computers, software and data, which gives rise to new sound and new
kinds of music, and makes the whole process feel less like "work" and
more like "play".

What's in line for the future?

BS: I'm working on more software which lets you use AudioCubes without
necessarily having to do MIDI or OSC mapping, and which generates
sound by itself. The most recent app I have been working on is a free
and open source FM synthesizer for audiocubes and Max4Live (the
development environment in Ableton Live, using Max/MSP by Cycling74).
We're also starting a mailing list which will be a great way for the
community to have more regular discussions about AudioCubes.

Very cool stuff!  I believe that Bert and Percussa are on to something-especially since the way one interacts with the cubes adds a dimension to the sound creation process.  

Prediction:  In the future, schools will not only have regular Concert and Marching Bands, they will have "iBands" that will include app-driven sound creation devices like AudioCubes, iPads and the like.  That's a cool future.

The 21st Century Music Program

I've written about it already: Music Education must shift (as most of what we do in Education must shift now). But I haven't given a prescription for the shift. I'll focus on music education first since it's where I've spent most of my career.

Once upon a time, as the world was changing and going digital, music was right out front as one of the game changers. Since people love music, they wanted music. As digital formats and broadband increased so did the possibility that music could be made available for next to free. A huge demand ensued. Enterprising individuals with some coding know-how made it possible for people to find music online. That's the beginning of the story and how P2P networking changed the world. The rest is known to us. Napster and other websites that allowed free sharing of music and other copyrighted material were targeted by the RIAA and the copyright wars began.

Now, new modes of distribution and consumption are in place, money is paid to the artists and the world is changed. Of course, the illegal stuff still happens and will continue to-until we radically redfine and de-criminalize file sharing. But it was larely a demand for MUSIC that inspired the whole digital-everything movement. And As Chris Anderson will tell you, once things are digitized, distribution costs are almost nill for a gizzillion copies of the same file (mp3, mp4, .mov, .avi etc..).

So where does secondary Music Education fit into this? Prominently, I think. Center Stage, if you will. Teens and music go hand in hand. They "do" music all the time. In these times, students are downloading, manipulating, re-mixing and listening to music daily. What happens when they come to music "class". What is happening in "General" Music Classrooms today? Do students ever hear "their" music? In a 21st Century Music Program, they should. Do they use technology, loop-based composition software to make their OWN music? In a 21st Century Music Program, they should. Do they get to create and remix music the way they do in the real world? Do they get to download and keep their music as Mp3 files? In a 21st Century Music Program, they should. Is You Tube ever used in music class? i-Tunes? In a 21st Century Music Program, they should be.

It's an important shift because in a 21st century Music Program, there is potential for many more students to be part of the program--shifting it from the old Band/Chorus paradigm and justifying it solidly to School Boards. When you turn all students into Artists, it's difficult to cut a program. That's possible in a 21st Century Music Program.

Looking for Blues Resources?

7th grade students and I research the Blues each year. You Tube is part of that research. Many good resources (primary source material!) can be found there. This year we decided to make a list of You Tube users who have significant (and quality) blues resources in their playlists.
We imagine this list could serve as a short-cut for many teachers/students looking for more information about the Blues. Enjoy.

Here is a list 10 of those users.

• jemf999
• leoncalquin
• swinginglance
• tcblues
• paracite187
• truerhymer
• ashleyspencermusic
• 000nuetron000
• osir1s
• xakyxak

photo credit

How SMARTMUSIC is Legitimizing Music Education

In music (band) class, we identify misconceptions, make note of them and make sure to re-teach each individual student in need of such "response to intervention". We have always operated this way and always will. Anyone teaching right now knows that "RTI" is one of the current buzz words in Education. Here are a few more:

• Standards-based education
• Differentiated instruction
• Using data to drive instruction
• Performance-based assessment
• 21st century learning
  

Did you know that educational objectives are being met in music education programs using SMARTMUSIC software in the band and choral music curriculum?

HOW SMARTMUSIC HELPS STUDENTS LEARN

SMARTMUSIC is the name given to software now available for use by music teachers and music students (MakeMusic, Inc.). Smartmusic is described as "learning software with the power to transform music learning. Students of all ages and skill levels can play or sing with professional accompaniments, making practice both rewarding and fun." It is quietly revolutionizing the field of music education. When used, it transcends expectations, fixes misconceptions and ensures steady progress by student musicians. And best of all SMARTMUSIC can be discussed using an educational lens.


SMARTMUSIC IS STANDARDS-BASED
Smartmusic allows students to perform music along with accompaniments or to simply play a line of music at a time. Music standards such as reading music, understanding and executing musical instructions (articulation and dynamics, for example) are addressed within the context of each composition, exercise or folk song.


SMARTMUSIC ALLOWS FOR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
SMARTMUSIC contains music at a variety of levels from basic to advanced. A teacher can assign specific exercises for each student depending on their specific needs (to address misconceptions and weaknesses). These assignments are delivered digitally (via e-mail and by the student signing into the Smartmusic database).

ASSESSMENT IN SMARTMUSIC IS PERFORMANCE-BASED
Proper music instruction has always been performance-based since the only way a student can demonstrate understanding is to execute the skill(s) on his or her instrument. Music Education was doing performance-based assessment long before the term became an Educational Imperative. By it's very nature, Smartmusic uses a performance-based assessment model.

SMARTMUSIC IS DATA DRIVEN
Using data to drive instruction is, again, something that has always been done in music education. However, Smartmusic kicks it up a notch. Data are collected as recordings of student performances. These data are automatically uploaded to a "gradebook" kept on Smartmusic's servers. This gradebook looks like a regular gradebook with columns of assignments. The recorded performances are accessed by clicking an icon next to each student's name. Additionally a snapshot of what notes/rhythms students played correctly or incorrectly is viewable by the click of a mouse. Correct notes/rhythms are green in color and incorrect notes/rhythms are red. Intangibles such as tone quality, intonation, articulation and interpretation can then be rated by the teacher using the recording. Based on the strehgth (or weakness) of the data, music can be reassigned or new music can be assigned to address particular issues.


SMARTMUSIC IS A 21st CENTURY LEARNING TOOL
SMARTMUSIC makes use of technology in engaging, creative and meaningful ways to ensure high quality, data-based music learning. Importantly, it is a tool that helps music students and music teachers do what they have always endeavored to do-to learn to be competent, independent musicians and to teach music effectively.

Photo credits:
Nationaal Archief / Spaarnestad Photo / J. van Eijk, SFA003001896.
Saxaphoon by Oude School at flickr

NOTE: This blog is in no way affiliated with Smartmusic or Make Music, Inc. The views and opinions expressed in the post are those of educatioanal blogger Andrew Garcia.

Shifting the Focus of Music Education

Moving forward, music teachers need to consider teaching all non-band/chorus students to experience, analyze and to create music-whether they (students) can read music or not. This can be achieved in a variety of ways...from drumming to the use of software to create loop-based compositions. I believe that music education is becoming closely linked to media education and we must begin teaching both!

More at Educational Paradigms.

Microsoft: Too Square To Be Hip

Leave it Microsoft to mar the image of Music Technology. Some of us have been using and promoting music technology in schools in a serious and positive way to promote and change the image of how music is traditionally taught (and learned).

Along comes Microsoft and its supposed addition to music technology. They call it Songsmith. This is just painful, dorky stuff....(watch the video) and it discredits musicians and music teachers.

What gets created is plain, trite and not very substantive. Better to promote music literacy through technology than to promote erroneous notions that one can "write" songs by singing badly. Don't we have enough of that with 'Idol'?

Using Creative Commons To Create New Works

In the last post, I provided a link to better help (music) educators understand how they can use copyrighted material.

Taking this a step further, here's an excellent introduction about Creative Commons. Go Create!

Stream Your Own Music With Twango

In the last post, I recommended Seeqpod as a useful tool to help you embed music on a webpage or in a blog. While there is plenty music to choose from there, Seeqpod can't help you embed your own music.

Which got me searching for ways to do this. It took half a day to discover (to me) an acceptable solution. I signed up for a half dozen accounts at as many sites claiming to offer this ability but there were always MAJOR flaws. The worst was the need for a particular program to upload your entire music library to an online database. Really? This could take literally take days given the size of some libraries.

What I discovered, so far thankfully, is Twango (now called OVI). Twango lets you do exactly what I wanted:
1-To upload a recording (one at a time or multiple files of you like)
2-To create a stream of each separate recording.
3-To provide embed options for websites and blogs.

For musicians in particular, who want to share their own music but want to limit downloads, I believe this service (which is free) is a gem.

Share and Listen To Music Legally Without Being Social

While the battle between the RIAA and the People rages on, I have been lately trying to find useful ways to embed and stream music in a manner that will not allow distribution of the same music. Of course, social music sites such as LastFM allow this sort of thing but I find there is a limitation.

I'm not interested in "connecting with others" based on musical tastes. Sometimes, I want to embed and stream music to enhance a blog post. Sometimes (since I teach music), I want to provide an example of some musical style or genre.

This is where Seeqpod comes in. How easy it is to:
1-Search for music you're looking for
2-Copy code to embed
3-Embed the code into your webpage or blog.

The simplicity makes Seeqpod a real pleasure to use. Two thumbs up for not having to be social about it and for not having to "create an account" either.

Example:

Free Mp3 Downloads and Music Player in Qtrax

My Music Tech is always on the lookout for new ways to experience digital music. Qtrax seems to hold some promise.

Qtrax is a "free and legal download service" and offers a slick interface for listening to your music. At the moment it is only available for Windows but it comes with a Firefox plug-in. Go give it a test drive.

Marketing Music To Kids

Some bands know how to have fun. Kids love to have fun. That's why fun bands eventually make albums for kids. The latest band to do just that is the Barenaked Ladies and the album is called Snacktime. The result is a win-win situation. Young kids learn, older kids appreciate the humor and the Barenaked Ladies have (had) a blast making the album.

It's absolutely brilliant and every Mom, Dad and teacher should own a copy. Here's a video using the music from the song "7,8,9" from that album.

The Future of Music

Music and Technology have become irrevocably linked. Technology is used to create music, to perform music and to market music.

David Byrne already wrote a compelling summary of the music business pasty and present. More business and marketing folks, such as Seth Godin, have added their thoughts about the future of music.

He did a talk recently on the subject and what he has to say (as always) is fascinating and in my opinion right on. It's true: music is at once a business but it also inhabits a very personal and emotional space for all of us. And we know through educational research that learning takes place best when there are two things occurring at once:

1-Compelling new information
2-Some kind of emotional experience

Here's what Mr. Godin had to say on the subject and here is a book on the Future of Music.

What Is Sony Acid?

Sony Acid is a loop-based music composition software program that makes it easy for those with little music training to create original music compositions. Since the "sounds" are already provided as loops (for example, guitar, drums, saxophones, synthesizers), the 'composer' simply needs to arrange the sounds in an order that appeals to them.

It helps to know something about musical (song) form, so that the compositions "make sense" in the end. A good way to do this is to listen to your favorite songs and keep track of what's going on. For example, is there an introduction? How many measures? What instruments are playing? Where does the Chorus start? How many measures is it? Etc...

Here's more about Sony Acid..

If you're serious about making your own music, ACID Music Studio software is the perfect tool for original song creation, multitrack audio and MIDI recording, and studio-quality mixing, and effects processing. Share your songs any way you want — burn your own CDs, upload to the web, prepare audio for podcasts, or export to your MP3 player. With built-in tutorials to guide you, you'll be composing, mixing, and mastering like a pro in no time.

Your Music Studio

Easy Live Recording Record vocals, guitars, keyboards, and other instruments with ACID Music Studio software. It's easy - simply plug your microphone or instrument into your PC sound card and click Record to capture audio and MIDI.	Powerful Mixing 3,000 ACIDized music loops, 1,000 MIDI files, built-in effects, and other tools. You can also import your own songs and MP3 files for beat-matching and mixing.	Share Anywhere Burn your own music CDs, save the songs you create to popular formats for uploading to websites such as ACIDplanet.com, prepare audio for podcasts, or convert songs to MP3 format for playback on your portable music player.

Easy to Use and Learn

Even if you've never written a song or played an instrument, you can use ACID^® Music Studio software to create original music, produce DJ-style remixes, add soundtracks to videos, and burn professional-quality CDs. Fundamentals

Powerful Mixing and Effects Processing

Professional mixing tools give you precise control over volume and panning, effects processing, audio routing, and final output. Customize your songs using professional-quality audio effects including EQ, reverb, delay, chorus, flange, phase, distortion, echo, and more. Use VST and DirectX audio effects, and VST instruments. Add pan and volume envelopes, reverse audio, and change the pitch and tempo of your mix in real time. Mixing and Editing

Record and Edit MIDI

Use ACID Music Studio Software for complete MIDI editing and sequencing. Record and edit MIDI note and controller data on the timeline, and assign to any MIDI instrument. ACID Music Studio software supports VSTi and includes over 1,000 MIDI files and 90 instruments for song creation. MIDI

Learn as You Go with Amazing Tutorials

Our exclusive Show Me How tutorials guide you through the entire creative process. Whenever you need help, just click the Show Me How button and choose your tutorial topic. Helpful text dialogue boxes, pointers, and guides will actually show you what to do and where to click. Show Me How tutorials

Share Your Music Anywhere

Create your own CDs in minutes. Disc-at-once CD layout and burning is fully integrated into the software so you can conveniently create your music and produce professional-sounding CDs all within one application. Powerful encoding functionality lets you save your songs to popular streaming formats for uploading to the web, or export them to portable music devices. CD Burning and Export

GET SONY ACID HERE

Get Your Limited Edition Slash Gibson Guitar!

Gibson Guitar, the world's premier musical instrument manufacturer and leader in music technology announces the first ever availability of a series of "Slash" signature Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul Standard electric guitars.

On Tuesday April 1st 2008 three very limited and unique models of the Slash signature Les Paul guitar will be released simultaneously around the world. Each guitar model has been designed and produced in close co-operation with the legendary Velvet Revolver guitarist, Slash. For the first time ever, the Slash models will be available from Gibson Custom, Gibson USA and Epiphone offering consumers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a guitar inspired by Slash. On April 1, 2008 at 5pm US EDT select dealers will offer a limited number of these models for sale.

Once they are sold out, they will not be reproduced. Read more here.

Top 10 Web/Tech Tools For Music Educators

Throughout the school year, I often reflect on the changes I have made with regard to instructional strategies. This year has been biggie for utilizing web tools and software in and out of the classroom. As a consequence, I have been more connected to student’s real learning needs. I have also been able to effectively handle the massive ‘data pile’ of student work and assessments more efficiently.

Here are the top ten web tools/applications that made my list this year:

1- FIREFOX WEB BROWSER AND PLUG-INS

Why: Firefox is so feature-rich it’s impossible to capture why it’s indispensable as a web browser. The fact that CTRL-N loads a new page automatically, the fact that with one glance I can see what’s up with the weather (plug-in), and that I can read RSS feeds in SAGE (add-on) without leaving the browser are three important reasons why I love it.
http://www.mozilla.org/

2- GMAIL and GOOGLE WEB DOCS

Why: G-mail tracks Emails as ‘conversations’ this is extremely helpful. It’s labeling feature is primo which reduces the possibility of losing that important Email. Spam is kept way down, too.

Web Docs is the best thing that could have happened to me. Now, I do much of my spreadsheet and database management online. No need to transport files from computer to computer.
Google Accounts

3- SMARTMUSIC

Why: Makemusic, Inc. has cornered the music education market. It’s Impact grade-keeping system should become standard for all music program assessments before long. With thousands of exercises and music files to practice along with Smartmusic is serious stuff. And, oh yeah, students can Email their assessment data from home!!
http://www.smartmusic.com/

4- CANON LIDE SCANNER

Why: I promised myself that when the digital age was apparent that I would ‘digitize everything’!! This was about 8 years ago when scanners were way slower than they are now and when 8 MB was a tremendous amount of space. This is, of course, no longer the case. Scanning documents (student work, for example) takes seconds instead of minutes now and takes up considerably less space. Also, Finale Notation software (which I also use) allows importing of scanned music.
Canon Scanners

5- PDF CREATOR

Why: It creates a PDF of any file you have. For free. End of story.
Get PDF Creator

6- FOXIT READER

Why: It reads the PDF documents I have created using PDF CREATOR (scanned student work, for example again) and it takes up considerably less space on my hard drive than Adobe Reader. It’s also less intrusive.
Foxit Reader

7- BLOGGER 2

Why: Once Blogger Beta was released, blogging became so much more user-friendly which meant that kids could handle it. I use blogger as an informational resource for parents and students. Links include calendar of events, student assignment blogs and general information about our program. Students keep blogs as alternatives to practice plans. They answer specific music-based questions via their blogs and are free to comment on my blog and their classmate’s blogs. This has given students ownership of their work for which they seem grateful.
Blogger Tour

8- RSS READERS: SAGE READER, BLOGLINES and NETVIBES

Why: XML files rule. RSS has allowed me to scan news, education and music tech headlines quickly and easily, keeping me in the know. I also subscribe to my student’s blogs via RSS Readers such as Sage Reader (available for use with Firefox), Bloglines, Google Reader and Netvibes. As soon as students post a new item to their blogs I receive it in the Reader in real time.

Sage, Bloglines, Netvibes

9- i-TUNES AND MEDIA MONKEY

Why: iTunes- Excellent and quick importing and burning of CD’s.

Media Monkey- Extremely easy editing of ID-3 data and exporting of music lists. Supports flexible organization of any music collection and allows quick file conversion. Lifetime upgrade costs $35. Well worth it.
i-Tunes
Media Monkey

10- DIGITAL RECORDER-OLYMPUS-VN-3100PC

Why: Do you ever have a million ideas in your head after teaching a class or reading something compelling but you don’t really have the time to get it down? This is where a handheld digital recorder comes into play. In my case, I would speak into it after each class. I would record what we did, issues that came up and what the homework assignment was and what the follow up should be next class complete with resources I might want to consider. I’d be able to accomplish this before the next class arrived. Later that day or week, during free time, I could listen back and organize my follow up lessons.

Another excellent use is to record your performing ensembles on the fly. Then plug it into a nearby stereo for instant class-assessment. There's is nothing better at capturing music student's attention than a performance of what they REALLY sound like. My mantra is Digital Recorders Don't Lie.

Get a good one here-

Olympus VN3100PC Digital Voice Recorder

So there you are: The top ten web/tech tools that transformed my teaching this year. Go have a great summer.

-My Music Tech

Music, Technology and What's Possible: Part 1

What Is Music Technology?

What is Music Technology when we are talking about a class with the same name?

There are many ways to answer the question but for the purpose of refining the focus of this blog and for the benefit of those who are left wondering, here's a concise definition.

Music Technology by itself can mean digital musical instruments such as digital keyboards and sequencers. In Education though, music technology refers to technological applications (computers, software, digital sound machines, keyboards, etc..) being used to learn about and to create music. The term Music Education Technology might be more accurate but Music Technology works just as well.

Most elementary classroom music programs in the U.S. are still called General Music. This is where basic fundamentals of music are taught and learned. Increasingly, music technology labs are being adopted in secondary music classrooms (Grades6-12). These classrooms usually contain MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) labs where computers are connected to digital keyboards. Software is usually loaded onto the computers that allow for the learning of music via the direct manipulation of keys on the digital keyboards or via the computer mouse.

Some Music Notation programs will actually display notes on the computer screen that a music student plays on the digital keyboard. In this context the keyboard is called a MIDI instrument since it is connected to a computer. Other programs are focused on music literacy and offer game-like lessons that allow students to learn about musical elements such as music notation, scales, key signatures, clefs, time signatures and timbre.

With the increased use of technology in Education and in student's lives, it is well worth a school district's time and expense to gradually adopt music technology programs. The ubiquitous nature of the i-pod is reason enough to go this route. Performing programs such as Band and Chorus should always be a part of every school in the country but music technology programs should also exist to serve the musical interests of non-performing students. In terms of enrollment, these students usually outnumber the performers 3:1.

To learn more, try giving a Music Education Technology Magazine a read. There are many articles and examples to sample.

'Music' Among Most Viewed At You Tube

At first it seems like no surprise that music (videos) would be among the most viewed at You Tube. But as a representation of a particular mo(ve)ment in history, music being 'viewed' is significant. It means several things, all of which disrupt the "usual way" of doing (the music) business. The most significant point is this:

Distribution of the music is free!

As Radiohead has proven and as David Byrne has pointed out in an excellent article in Wired, the new way of doing music is here to stay. And as Seth Godin has said, the new way of doing any business is here to stay.

My Music Tech is happy to chronicle these exciting times. Happy New Year. Here are the Top 10 You Tube Videos of all time.

Teaching Music Over the Internet

Here's a guy who is using technology to teach music very effectively..

The Ultimate Music Student