One of the more interesting tempo applications, Maestro, released a new version that is available on the AppStore this morning. Maestro takes a visual approach to tempo, showing various conducting patterns while also playing the requested tempo.
According to the improvement list at the AppStore, you can now change the color of the baton and tap a tempo into the program.
Maestro 2.1 sells for $1.99.
The folks at Music In Reach contacted me and wanted to let me know that they now have five new applications available on the App Store. Their latest applications are instrument-specific applications: saxophone, flute, clarinet, trombone, and trumpet. As I don’t directly teach band or play any of these instruments, I’m not going to review the individual programs, but if you are a band teacher or if you play one of these instruments, an investment of $1.99 per application is probably a good idea.
They do have some YouTube demonstrations of the applications available:
Trumpet – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JZ19AHV8vA
Flute – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfarA_hu9g
And, of course, you can always check out the applications on the Apple AppStore, or you can visit the Music In Reach website at http://www.musicinreach.com
One of my “wish list” items for the iPhone has been a tripod mount for the device. Without a tripod mount, you cannot take a timed picture or record video without holding the device in your hand. There are a number of educational applications for an iPhone with a tripod mount (recording a concert, for example). Several devices are out there that can be modified for a tripod mount, but the cost of them is prohibitive.
About a month ago, several iPhone blogs carried an article about a soon-to-be-released device called the “Blur” for the iPhone made by Mobile Mechatronics. For $14.99 plus $5.00 shipping, you can purchase a iPhone tripod mount and a mini-tripod. When I saw this device, I immediately ordered one. It arrived two days ago (it was not shipping yet at the time of order). http://www.mobilemechatronics.com/blur.html
iPhone Blue by Mobile Mechatronics
What are my initial impressions? First, it works. It seems to hold the device securely in portrait or landscape mode. The included tripod, in my opinion, isn’t very useful. I would have been happy to pay $15 for the device (including shipping) for the mount itself without the tripod, and to use my own lightweight tripod which can be purchased at any Wal-Mart). The mini-tripod cannot be used in landscape mode, as it tips over. The packaging isn’t impressive, either. The blur comes without packaging, shipped in a cushioned manila envelope with a Pay Pal receipt and a quarter page of instructions that was actually ripped in half from the other side. So in other words, not an overly professional package. In the big scheme of things, that doesn’t really matter.
Actually, I just looked at the mini-tripod, and it has already developed a crack in the casing where the “locking” screw is. So the mini-tripod is basically useless (not trying to be mean, just honest). However, the “blur” itself is a welcome addition for my iPhone.
How could the “blur” be improved? First, if the blur could be used with a case, it would be nice (develop a wider “blur” for use with a standard case, if there is such a thing). Also, a case where the iPhone could be charged while recording (video) would be useful for longer recordings. Granted, I’ve found that most of my “old” videos were often compilations of videos that were five minutes or less, but recording things, such as karate graduations, might tax a not-fully charged battery.
Still, for $19.99, considering that it is a “custom” accessory, and other solutions for iPhone tripod recording are in the $60-$90 range, the blur is a good addition to my iPhone accessory collection, and it will be used for timed photos (although there is a blur app soon to be released, Camera Genius also offers a timer function for the iPhone) and videos.
Note: there is a Joby Gorilla iPhone mount which sells for $40 (not including shipping), but no other iPhone tripod mount that I know of approaches the $20 range like the blur. Mobile Mechatronics is also selling an iPhone physical keyboard called the “iTwinge.” I’m interested to see what that is like, and am almost tempted to buy it and try it out.
My one “luxury” item which I ordered for use at the new high school came in last week Thursday…Freehand System’s Music Pad Pro Plus. You can see more about the device here: http://www.freehandsystems.com/.
It’s an $800 tablet computer that displays music (with battery) instead of using traditional sheet music. I am using it, and I will…extensively…but I’m just finishing my first few days with the device.
First of all, I’ve been a bit disappointed in both the size (external) and screen image size of the device. I would think that a dedicated device like this would be able to benefit from much of the netbook craze, as well as the innovations in thin computers like the MacBook Air and similar Dell systems (the name escapes me at the moment). It’s big, it’s bulky, and it doesn’t project the same image as a 8.5×11 sheet of paper. Not so good. I also would like to lock the device to show the music fit to screen as a default…there seems to be no way to do that.
Second, I’ve been a little unhappy with how slowly the device turns pages. It seems to take part of a second longer to refresh a page…or a few seconds longer to load…than I would expect. In performance, it works well enough while directing, but I expected a near instantaneous page turn.
Third, I’ve been a little unhappy with the quality of writing I get from the device, such as when I make a circle, try to write something (text), draw an arrow. I did a better job with a trackball and a Radio Shack computer in the 1980s.
However, scanning works very well, and I’m going to put every score we buy for this new school into this device. It is nice to have access to your music all the time. And ultimately, I can also pull up the music on my MacBook if necessary, too. Other musicians are impressed with the device, too. And it is clearly the future of music publishing. I foresee a future where you purchase a subscription which gives you access to all music in a catalog (e.g. Hal Leonard), and then composers are paid based upon what music is actually downloaded to be used by performers. There will also be better links to playback technology (like SmartMusic), rehearsal parts, and so on. But the difference is that all computers will eventually become tablet computers…Apple’s coming device is going to make this a reality. It is a matter of time, but it is coming.
So, the Music Pad Pro does have some issues…but it is a very cool device, and as I learn to use it (and to work around its issues…which is part of the process of using technology), I’m sure I’ll be able to make good use of it for myself as well as for my choirs. You can project out to a LCD projector…I need to learn how to project two pages in landscape mode and then talk to my class about the score. I also wish there was a quicker way to switch to annotation mode…but I need to read the manual.
I’ll write more about the device in the future…mine was backordered, and my colleague ordered the “big” double page unit for his use in directing bands, so I’ll comment about that at a later time as well.
For those of you who know iTunes, it is a very powerful program…more powerful than you might think. I wanted to mention a couple of features that you may or may not know about, that I find useful.
1) Set your import settings to import your music as mp3s, at 160 kbps or higher. Yes, Apple’s AAC or Lossless formats are probably better for the audiophile, but an mp3 is playable in pretty much every music player. We used to worry about the size of these files, but as hard drives (even in the new solid state hard drives) come in sizes of 120 GB (often larger), we’re not so worried about 4MB audio files any longer.
2) If you do this, you can record files right out of Finale, import them into iTunes, and then right click on that .aiff track to make an mp3 of the file, which can be shared (CDs, e-mailing mp3 files, etc). This is very, very easy to do.
3) You can sort your display by type and eliminate all those .aiff files.
4) You can import CDs. Yes, that’s standard. But did you know that you can highlight a number of tracks, go to ADVANCED in the menu bar, and choose “Join Files” so they import seamlessly as one file? I use this a lot as I work with accompaniment tracks from music publishers, which are often “broken up” to allow for rehearsal with a CD. Jumping around on a CD is a pain…doing so with a computer or mp3 player is easy, so you don’t need (or want) those breaks. So I can import a single mp3 instead of five. I actually just learned about this capability this morning.
5) Have a song you want to edit down? You can right click on a song, choose “info” and then go to Options, and you can choose start and end times. Then go back to your file, right click, and save as an mp3. That will make a duplicate file of the shortened clip. I’d suggest renaming your new file, and then going back to the original file and removing the start and stop times you edited. That way, you have the original and a shortened version.
None of these are earth-shattering ideas, but they are capabilities that iTunes has the you might not be aware of. iTunes makes my life as a music teacher MUCH easier.
The Technology in Music Education blog has been very quiet over the last weeks, and I hope to get back to writing some more entries soon. I’ve been busy as we’ve just opened East Ridge High School, a new high school in Minnesota, which is teeming with technology. My job is actually split into thirds…1/3 Choir, 1/3 Guitar, and 1/3 Technology. The technology part has been taking a lot of my available time, as some things haven’t quite worked the way we had hoped, and we continue to develop ways to help teachers achieve what they need to achieve. My role is that of a Technology Integration Specialist, somewhere in between the actual technology (IT) support people in our school/district and teachers. I’ll write more about these struggles in coming weeks, as there is probably a lot of valuable information for other schools wishing to pursue a technology-based curriculum. At any rate, that is why the blog has been so quiet. Don’t expect it to remain so.
As technology marches forward, it is clear that we will begin to rely more on “cloud” storage than on personal hard drive storage. In particular, as the speed of connection (wireless in particular) increases, it makes more sense to store data in the “cloud” where it will be preserved by multiple-times redundant backup systems, and available to the user anywhere, anytime, at the same basic speed a user can pull it off their own hard drive. We’re almost there, quite frankly.
There are a number of services that offer cloud storage for a fee, including Apple’s own MobileMe, which I have not yet bought into. If they offer me enough space to backup every computer I own for $99 a year, I’m in. But at the moment, the offering is 20GB. There are other providers that offer more storage for less, but as a Mac user, I’m inclined to trust the manufacturer of my computer before trusting an outside source, if I have a choice. At the moment, I’d need about 2 TB (Terabytes, 2000 GB) to back up all my data and have room for more (my collection of personally owned movies in iTunes format accounts for much of that space). Nobody’s offering that level of storage–yet. It will come. And with that advancement in storage, we will also see a return to smaller hard drives…the ultra-fast SSD hard drives (now available on netbooks and the Apple MacBook Air) will replace the larger, slower physical drives we own today.
Now, if you’re a person with files and multiple computers (perhaps even multiple platforms), is there an answer for you rather than e-mail or a USB drive? Yes, and it’s free. A number of services are offering 2GB of storage for free, with the tempting offer of additional space if you get others to join (and why wouldn’t they?). There are no caveats, no hidden fees, and no credit cards involved. Yes, they offer larger plans for those that need them…but for most of us, we can carry most of our important documents in 2GB of space. For the music teacher, that might be audio files between home and class, PowerPoint Presentations, or SMART Notebook presentations. It doesn’t matter. Here are two programs that I’m using, and I’ll be honest…my opinion isn’t set one way or the other, as I need a service that can link my iPhone, MacBook, home PC, and school PC to the same files. These programs will both do this (or will at least both do this soon, as Dropbox has an iPhone app set being reviewed by Apple at the moment). Here they are:
SugarSync
SugarSync (http://www.sugarsync.com) is a cloud storage program that offers subscriptions, but if you read the fine print at the bottom of their start page, they also offer a free 2GB storage program (You can also get 30GB for $50 a year, 60GB for $100 a year, and 250GB for $250 a year). These offerings are competitive, and in time, you’ll get more storage for less money. However, you can purchase a 1TB hard drive for less than $90 on a regular basis at Buy.com. But your data is not guaranteed if your hard drive fails (whereas unless the online company fails, you will never lose your data). It’s a matter, I guess, of how secure you need your data. But for argument’s sake, and remembering that most of us are just fine with 2GB of immediate storage for daily tasks, let’s focus on that particular plan. SugarSync can install on Mac, PC, or iPhone. SugarSync has its own data manager and its own “look,” but it allows you to choose to share specific folders on your devices, or to upload items to a “Magic Folder.” These documents are then accessible to any of the other devices in your account, or by logging in to the service. There are some tutorials provided by SugarSync to make the program easier to use for the user. You can make anything a shared file, and you can access your files in a web browser should you be on another computer than your own.
Dropbox
Dropbox (http://www.getdropbox.com) is a very popular program which also offers subscriptions (50GB for $9.99 per month, 100GB for $19.99 per month), and a free basic subscription of 2GB. Dropbox’s brillance is that it installs itself on your Mac or Windows computer as a taskbar icon, and when you open Dropbox, it appears as a “standard” folder on your computer. There is no need to learn a separate “managing program” for Dropbox. You can also access your files on any computer through the web, and make files public for sharing. A iPhone application for Dropbox is imminent, and I learned about Dropbox through David Alison’s Blog as well as the writings of David Pogue. I need to say this again…I really, really like how Dropbox acts as a normal “folder” or “drive” on your computer (PC or Mac). There’s hardly any learning curve.
Box.net
The final “cloud” program I want to discuss is Box.net (http://www.box.net). Box.net acts is an online storage program, with no added manager or other applications for your computer…you just access it through a browser or through their iPhone app. I have to admit that I only used Box.net on one occasion…it only allowed uploading of pictures via the iPhone app (no videos), and uploading through the app seemed to be a tedious process to me. Nonetheless, it’s another 2GB of free storage, and free is always worth checking out.
There are other programs that allow for online storage, but few interact with your computer (and iPhone) as well as SugarSync and Dropbox. These programs offer rewards (additional storage) for referrals, so if you plan on starting a Dropbox or SugarSync account, please contact me–or any other subscriber if you know them–for a referral. It doesn’t take anything away from your own account, and it helps someone else out. (I’d also suggest doing the same at an AT&T store if you refer someone to an iPhone…there is a customer reward for a referral).
In fact, my referral links are:
- Dropbox: https://www.getdropbox.com/referrals/NTE1NzgxMTA5
- SugarSync: https://www.sugarsync.com/referral?rf=d9ddmq94xko9m
And if you have any other suggestions for cloud storage options that integrate with your computer and iPhone (other than MobileMe), please leave a comment and talk about it!
A couple of weeks ago, Music in Reach sent me a promo code to demo their newest release, Rhythm in Reach.
Rhythm in Reach
This iPhone App is intended to help musicians build their skills with rhythm. When the program opens, you are given a choice to practice or test yourself in time signatures of 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8…and there are ten levels to choose from in each time signature of advancing difficulty.
Different Time Signatures to Choose From
You are given the choice to practice in that time signature and skill level, or to test yourself in that time signature and skill level. In my own case, I tried different time signatures, immediately testings myself in level 10.
Testing Rhythm in Reach
You simply tap in the designated area, which counts down to the start of the exercise, establishing the tempo for the beat pattern, and then you tap the pattern represented on the screen. The most difficult thing to do is to hold the “tap” button for longer notes (quarter notes, half notes), as most music majors (current and former) are familiar with clapping rhythms instead of accurately giving longer notes their actual value. As you tap, you generate a tone on the device. I typically began each test (there are a sequence of tests at each level) earning scores in the 80% range, quickly adapting to achieve scores of 100% on subsequent tests.
At face value, the program does what it says it will do…it has the potential to help music students develop better rhythm. As I make a point to be honest in my reviews, I have to admit that this is an app that I don’t see a lot of potential for in my own choral classroom. We study some rhythm, but in general, vocal rhythms tend to be far less complicated than instrumental rhythms. This program is better suited for instrumentalists, particularly those needing drill time due to rhythm inaccuracy in their playing.
I do have some suggestions for the program. First, the program is visually sparse. I don’t know how to qualify that, or how to fix the issue…but graphically, the program isn’t soothing to the eyes (neither is Music in Reach’s other program, Instruments in Reach). Perhaps the designers should meet with a graphic designer to come up with a more visually appealing template. Mind you, it doesn’t impact the functionality of Music in Reach’s programs…but there are people that will assume the programs don’t work because of their appearance, and additionally, if you want students to use a program, you want them to be as visually interested in it as possible. Second, I did not see a setting to change tempos on the exercises…and in my experiences, All-State Choir Auditions allow you to choose your own tempo for sight-reading, and I think that even most other programs give you a suggested tempo, but it is up to you to choose your own. The program should allow you to select your tempo. Finally, there should be a set of choices for the tone that is created as you complete the exercise. The generated tone is harsh, and wore on my nerves (and the nerves of my wife, who had to listen to me tap out rhythms) quickly. I think students would feel the same way. Perhaps some other tones could be added, such as a clarinet, flute, or even trombone.
As I’ve said, I have to be honest in my reviews. I don’t want to be negative. I appreciate Music in Reach, as they are making applications for Music Education for the iPhone, and their apps work (They also seem to have sponsored some good videos on YouTube). I’m very grateful for the opportunity to test drive Music in Reach at no cost to me. That said, Rhythm in Reach won’t be staying on my iPhone as a pedagogical tool. That doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be on your iPhone. If you have issues with rhythm, or your students do, it is probably worth investing the $1.99 for the program to improve your rhythm.
A colleague of mine purchased an iPhone yesterday, and although she’s been using a BlackBerry over a year, she has very quickly fallen in love with her iPhone. My wife and I love ours, but we’re having more and more issues with AT&T’s data network than we’ve ever had. While mobile (driving) we lose 3G data on a regular basis, and I’ll be calling soon with hopes of troubleshooting the problem.
Other than recommending a 3GS, using a FAN account number (we’re teachers, so there are usually discounts for cell plans), the subscription to the lowest text plan ($5 a month–soon to be MMS), and the negotiation of removal of activation fees (four things that anyone should and ought to do), my other suggestions for my colleague have been which applications to consider. I’ve got over 250 downloaded applications. Which ones would I recommend?
The first app I’d recommend to any iPhone owner is TextFree Unlimited. Even at $6 per year, it will pay itself back many times over versus unlimited texting with AT&T, and push generally works just as well (unless AT&T’s 3G Data isn’t working well).
One other quick tip: In a family, use one iTunes account for all your app purchases. Those apps can be used on a large number of devices (in my case, at least 8 devices) and only purchased once. If each person has their own account, and each person buys their own copy of the programs, you’re paying more than you ought to pay. Granted, you can run programs from different accounts on the same iPhone or iPod Touch…but that begins to get complicated when you want to restore a device.
My favorite apps for music education are reviewed on this blog, so I will not discuss those apps (you should see them in the column to the right). Here is a list of my favorite non-Music Education iPhone Apps. My wife added a few of hers as well. Any app labeled with a $$ is a paid app; I cannot tell you how much each app costs, as prices vary from time to time, and many developers offer sales. If you have Apps you would like to recommend, please feel free to add a comment (I do moderate comments, but post nearly all of them online).
Social Apps:
- Facebook FREE
- TweetDeck (Twitter Client) FREE
- Twittelator Pro (all possible Twitter updates) $$
- Skype FREE (skype unlimited and Skype-in recommended @ $60 per year)
Games
- Toki Tori $$
- Peggle $$
- Doodle Jump $$
- Dactyl FREE
- reMovem Lite FREE
- Wild West Pinball $$
- 300 Bowl $$
- 10 Balls, 7 Cups $$
Other Apps (in no particular order)
- MLB.COM ($10 year audio streaming of all baseball games) $$
- Night Camera (Helps to take pictures in dark settings) $$
- WunderRadio (Can find many radio stations online) $$
- iHeartRadio (local ClearChannel Stations) FREE
- TipStar (tip calculator) FREE
- Sportacular (Pushes game scores to your phone) FREE
- Put Things Off (Organizer) $$
- The Weather Channel (LITE) FREE
- Fluent News FREE
- Lose It! (Diet App) FREE
- Textfree Unlimited (Free Texting) $$
- Box.Net (Online storage – 2GB free) FREE (Dropbox is coming…soon)
- Olive Tree Bible Reader FREE ($$ Versions Available)
- Bump FREE (Transfers contact info between iPhones)
BONUS: My Wife Recommends:
- Flickster (Movies) FREE
- All Recipes FREE
- Big Oven FREE
- Camera Bag (Picture Editing) $$
- Photogene (Picture Editing) $$
- Urban Spoon FREE
Over the past week, I’ve had a chance to work with Linux (Ubuntu build) and Windows 7 (Release Candidate). For the record, my brother and sister-in-law moved to Texas, and left two non-working computers behind. My original intent was to repair both and install Linux, and to give them to another member of the family. One computer was in working condition, with the exception that it did not have an authorized copy of Windows (XP), so it wouldn’t load Windows (long past the grace period). The other computer had a dead power supply. Both of these were early Pentium 4 computers, so it didn’t make much sense purchasing a new power supply, so I took both computers and combined them into one. Basically, the failed power supply computer had a better case, so I gutted that, and then brought all the innards from the other computer into that case. In fact, I only saved three things from the gutted computer: memory, hard drive, and DVD-ROM drive. So the resulting computer is a Pentium 4 with 2GB of RAM, with both a 160GB Hard Drive and 60GB Hard Drive, plus a DVD-ROM and DVD+-RW drive. In other words, a very serviceable machine for most people.
Originally, I had installed Linux Ubuntu on the system, having used a pendrive form of Linux in certain emergency situations when the Windows installation on a computer was messed up (virus or other reasons) to copy files to a portable or USB drive. I like Linux…it looks good, runs well (even on “old” machines), and comes complete as an OS with web browser (Firefox) and Open Office. In other words, it is a complete OS for free. Very nice. Two things caused me to leave Linux immediately. First, there is no iTunes for Linux, and that is a major issue for me. There are various media programs for Linux, but iTunes is my program of choice. Second, I started the process of updating programs on Linux…such as bringing Firefox 3.0 to Firefox 3.5. Upgrading programs that are not in the “standard” directory is a pain…you have to use Terminal and search for the proper syntax with which to install the program. This is very user unfriendly, if you consider that your average person doesn’t know much about terminal or terminal commands. Both OSX and Windows (any recent version) are much more friendly in terms of installation. It’s actually a travesty (in my mind) that it is so difficult to install or upgrade programs in Linux.
So I registered for Windows 7 Release Candidate to put on this computer. First I used Microsoft’s own upgrade test to see if the computer would run Windows 7, and it would. Installation was a snap. Only a couple of matters were difficult work arounds…both the network card and audio card were not automatically installed, and I had to mess around with a finding the drivers for those items (already part of Windows…just had to be properly selected)…there were no such issues with Linux, by the way.
Now this computer is running Windows 7 RC, and will be good until March. It is stable, runs well, and seems to be the long-awaited answer to Windows XP. Thank goodness. I just feel sorry that Vista was (is?) the failure that it was (is?). As long as your computer is capable of running Windows 7, I would suggest installing it on your computer when it is available later this year.
The other operating system I’ve worked on (and am typing on now) is OS X (10.5, to be exact, with 10.6 coming soon). I would say that OSX is by far the more friendly operating system…unless you’ve grown up on Windows. If so, there are a lot of differences. I still miss the ability to open a window in the entire monitor, and I hate that you close a program, but it doesn’t really close. OSX is the most stable operating system I’ve ever used. I’ve had three crashes in my time as a Mac owner…and my computer seldom is shut down all the way. My PCs haven’t handled “sleep mode” with any bit of the grace my MacBook has. Thankfully, there are a lot of PC to Mac instructions available on the web, and a lot of keyboard shortcuts are very similar on the Mac and PC. The Mac does struggle with Flash, whereas PCs handle Flash without problems (In SMART Notebook, for example), however, I expect HTML 5 to eliminate much of the dominance of Flash in the web community anyway.
So…are you choosing a personal computer? You can’t go wrong with any particular operating system. Linux is free, and comes fully loaded, but not all programs are available and updating individual programs (or installing loaded programs) is a hassle. Windows 7 looks to be all that Windows Vista never was. I have nothing bad to say about it. If you’re a Windows user, get it if your computer can run it. And my choice of operating system…something I would have never said even a year ago is OSX. Apple really has created a friendly operating system with layers like onions. It can be as advanced of a system as you need. The warning is that if you are a Windows user, you’ll need some help getting used to OSX. Installing programs, closing programs, and viewing things in the full monitor are some of the things that are very different about Macs. Most importantly, buy the computer that makes you happy. They aren’t as big of an investment as they once were (even those “expensive” Macs), but it’s still your money, and you want to make sure that you made the right purchase for you.
