Students Explore Tech Behind The Music

Students at Drexel University are leading the way in creating new music technology.
At the school’s Summer Music Technology Program in Philadelphia, students are encouraged to take risks and try new things – and according to an article posted on Technical.ly, some students took that challenge to heart.

The free program is run for a week out of the University’s Philadelphia campus, where high school students can come to learn about technology in the music industry, and how to use the most cutting edge hardware like 3D printers, the author writes.

Graduate and undergraduate students teach courses on the evolving music technology industry, and allow ninth and tenth graders access to iPads, where they are introduced to apps created by Drexel students. The program, which has accepted close to 20 students each year for the past 8 years, then allows the participants to compete, using their newfound knowledge of music technology to create an invention of their own.  Fifteen year-old Malcolm Lampkin created a keyboard… but not just any keyboard.  He used only a banana, apple, and a kiwi, hooked them up to Apple’s Garage Band App, and called his invention “Fruit Loops.” “Fruits are great conductors,” Lampkin told reporters, “because of the juices.”

Lampkin wasn’t the only one with an impressive invention (though his may have been the most unorthodox); according to the article, other students created things such as a 3D guitar and guitar pick, a robot controlled guitar which could tune, finger, and pick the instrument, stuffed animals that made animal noises, and small keyboards with pre-set recordings, like the Super Mario Bros theme.

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Technology and the Future of Opera

Opera prides itself on tradition. The art form has adapted with technological advancements in set design, lighting, and costuming, but has remained hesitant to change the way the sounds are heard by the audience. While other performance-based arts, such as musical theater and dance, have embraced the use of microphones, digital sound effects, and even fully digital scores, the opera has tried to remain sacredly acoustic, especially in its classical venues. Even while embracing audio-visual technology to expand opera’s audience (streaming iconic performances to off-site venues), the space within the opera house itself still remains sacrosanct to opera lovers. A recent article in The New York Times tells the tale of man with a revolutionary idea – replacing the normal orchestra pit with sampled instruments played by machines. The experiment was not met with the open arms the producer, Charles M. Goldstein, was hoping for. Instead, individuals took to social media to voice their anger, and some musicians from the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra claiming that if the singers in the cast did not resign, they would be ostracized by the live music community and would forever be labeled a “traitor.”

Some of the more well-known opera singers in the production decided to leave the show. But for those singers at the beginning of their career, the choice was more difficult. Do they take the threats seriously and agree with their musical counterparts and give up a chance to perform their craft because of a conviction, or do they take the chance that it might be the last time they do so?

Mr. Goldstein brought his idea to life because of the high costs associated with putting together an opera. He recognized that small companies simply cannot afford to hire the large number of musicians needed to give the full depth of an opera’s musical score. Many of the smaller companies reduce their musician  costs by simply having a piano, or a couple of pianos. Goldstein’s vision took shape after buying access to the Vienna Symphonic Library, a huge collection of sampled sounds recorded from orchestral instruments. For years he has been manually entering each note of the production of the “Ring” into musical software, choosing the tempo with his singers, and drawing up plans to set up 24 speakers to mimic the positions of the pit instruments, and the way their sound would carry to the audience. Yet, for all his hard work, Mr. Goldstein has received the largest backlash from unions – both the leaders and their members. A president of the American Federation of Musicians, in New York, likened the process to operatic karaoke. The president of the Local 400 in Connecticut asked, rhetorically, “If you’re going to have a computerized orchestra, why don’t we just put robots in the seats?”

Mr. Goldstein insists that the show will be continuing on. Change never comes without strife and struggle, and this may be a prime example. I, for one, will continue to follow this story and the what seems to be the imminent change in opera’s musical landscape, and the way opera reaches audiences across the world.

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Technology Helps Students Find Their Musical Voice

Oftentimes the talk surrounding technology revolves around how it brings cultures from across the globe closer together and allows us to break down cultural barriers inherent to different societies. But for one high school in Queens, New York, iPads are allowing its students with physical and mental challenges to connect with their classmates, and to their inner artist.

An article on NPR.org details one band teacher’s incredible work with the school’s “Technology Band.” The band is a mix of traditional instruments and iPads. All the members have disabilities, some on the autism spectrum. Their teacher, Adam Goldberg, is a classically trained pianist with a degree from the Manhattan School of Music. 20 years ago he began substitute teaching at P.S. 177 while playing jazz and rock gigs around New York City. Not long after, he was offered a job at the school, and he’s been there since.

He is a self-proclaimed “hesitant technophile” because of the amount of work involved in ensuring the technology worked properly. These days, however, he finds that the music applications used on the iPad have reached a level of workability that makes it easier for the band to produce complex orchestral-esque arrangements. As a classically trained musician, Mr. Goldberg understands the necessity of learning technique, but as a teacher of disabled students, it makes it easier to produce music without being bogged down by the technical aspects of learning an instrument that many of his students have trouble with. It helps him teach his students about the art behind the process of music-making.

The Director of Technology for New York City’s Department of Education, Leslie Schect, has gotten behind the idea of iPads in the classroom. She claims that music is a “natural way in” – an avenue for students to connect with one another even if they have difficulties communicating. However, she states that the iPad is simply one part of the equation. Without the engaging demeanor of teachers like Adam Goldberg, the iPad simply does not have truly transformative power.

Mr. Goldberg puts the band into the context of the real world by explaining the lessons that the students are learning apart from the music; a sense of belonging, friendship, and personal accomplishment which is may be more difficult to garner in other education settings. Goldberg says this translates to a wider idea of socialization out in the general world. He has seen a huge leap in their social abilities since he started using the iPads in the band. And through their music education, Goldberg has noticed an anchor in reality to their dreams – no longer are they thinking of becoming Spiderman or Superman.

This new technology seems to offer more students an opportunity to learn through music, and that truly is a beautiful thing. It makes me think about what this can offer to the field of music education.

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Check out my article on Social Media Today

I am excited to announce that I have been published on Social Media Today! My article “Know Your Audience: How to Use Social Media Demographics to Market Efficiently” was posted a couple days ago and has been received well. I am really looking forward to continuing to contribute to this great online resource.

A screenshot of my article!

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Music Monday

May 5, 2014 was the ten year anniversary of Music Monday. The Coalition for Music Education in Canada celebrated this event with a performance of I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing). This event utilized a webcast to present a synchronized version of the song with Chris Hadfield, a former astronaut from the international space station and Maestro Bramwell Tovey from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

This anniversary was celebrated from “coast to coast as Canadians raised their voices to let the country know that we are passionate and committed to preserving, investing in and protecting music programs in our schools,” says Holly Nimmons, Executive Director of The Coalition for Music Education.

Newswire describes Music Monday, which was launched in 2005, as a simultaneous nationwide performance of an original song written by a Canadian. The Coalition for Music Education, which is the support for this event, is a group of interested members who both enjoy and support music education for all young people in schools, but is specifically focused on the Canadian youth.

Music Monday is not supported by the Coalition for Music education exclusively, but has a variety of investors interested in giving back to Canada. TD Bank Group is one such contributor that invests in support programs for their community. Senior Vice President Chris Stamper said, “TD loves music and the power it has to bring people together. We’re excited to be a part of this milestone event and we are proud to support programs such as this that provide youth with opportunities and access to musical education.”

Music Monday annually unites about 350,000 Canadians to enjoy and provide awareness about music education in Canada. This year the Canadian youth was more involved than ever before and there was a youth host at each instance of the event.

SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, has promised to support the winning artist next year with an experienced producer who will aid in the creation of the audio and video recording required to guide Canadians next year. Music makers from every walk of Canadian life are welcome to submit songs to join Luke Doucet, Serena Ryder, Dala and Chris Tait, as well as Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson as the artists that drive and inspire Canadian music education.

In addition to TD BANK, supporters like the NAMM FOUNDATION, YAMAHA CANADA MUSIC INC. and Long and Mcquade have made Music Monday possible.

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Music Education and the Brain

Music education is beneficial for everybody and not just the budding stars of tomorrow. Children with a musical background excel in other areas of learning as well. Listening and learning to play music is a very involved activity. Not only must people learn how to utilize different skill sets simultaneously, but integrating them into a symbiotic relationship from which those skills as well as others are able to grow.

According to PBS, music is very helpful in language development. Though children devoid of any sort of music exposure still have skills they need for development, music is an enhancement to these innate abilities. Mary Luehrisen, Executive Director for the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), says that the inborn capacity for language needs to be “reinforced, practiced, celebrated which can be done at home or in a more formal music education setting.” According to Dr. Kyle Pruett, a professor of child psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, “Language competence is at the root of social competence. Musical experience strengthens the capacity to be verbally competent.” Dr. Pruett is a practicing musician in addition to his career in education.

A study at the University of Toronto at Mississauga, published in Psychological Science in 2004 found an increase in the IQ of six-year-olds who had been receiving music lessons. Over the period of a year, the six-year-olds were split into three groups. One group received music lessons, while another group got drama lessons. The final group received no special lessons. The music group had an average increase of three more IQ points than either of the other groups.

Not only does music seem to raise IQ, but also increases certain neural pathways and development. In addition to heightened sound recognition, fine motor tasks can also be enhanced.

There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence. According to some research at the Performing Arts Medicine Association, understanding music helps children visualize various complementary elements and their relationships.

Though learning music can be very beneficial for children, Pruett stresses that music does not make children smarter, but simply helps train them to use their innate abilities much more comfortably. Music education is helpful when learning to learn and to think, but does not increase one’s capacity for thought as far as we know.

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New on Medium: The Changing Landscape of Music Ed. Through Social Media

I just wanted to share my newest post on the way that social media is changing the way we teach music.  Have a look below- thanks!

-Christine Holley

The Changing Landscape of Music Education Through Social Media

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Communities Recognized For Music Education

376 school districts across the country handed awards

Clairton City School District, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was recognized as one of the best communities for music education. 

The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation (NAMM Foundation) handed out the awards. Over 2,000 districts and schools were surveyed during the 2013-2014 school year. The survey was given to teachers, asking for details regarding graduation requirements, funding, instruction time, facilities, music class participation and community support. 

The National Association of Music Merchants Foundation is committed to philanthropic giving, advancing music-making through research and public service programs.

Clairton music teachers Kevin Danchik and David Geckle feel that the recognition is a huge bright spot, especially when so much light is shed on the football team instead of the marching band. Both teachers explained the significance of the award based on the fact that Clairton was going against larger, more affluent schools across the country.

Numerous studies have shown that studying music increases brain function. It helps develop more creativity, language skills, sequencing skills and more. 

Lynbrook School District

Lynbrook School District, located on Long Island, was also recognized. The school district stressed the fact that this is a team effort – not only does this represent the work of the teachers and administrators, but also the students and parents as well. 

This was the second consecutive year that Lynbrook School District was honored.

With more than 1,900 students contributing in over 50 different music programs throughout the district, it is no wonder why Lynbrook continues to be recognized. Lynbrook has concert and symphonic bands, wind ensembles, jazz and marching bands, brass ensembles, orchestras and more.

Everett Public Schools

Within the last month, Everett High’s Winter Guard and Percussion Ensemble have each captured New England Championships. Now, the district is celebrating another award. 

Everett is the only inner-city district in Massachusetts to be honored with the award. 

The honor was no-doubt deserved. Not only has Everett won championships within the last month, but it also has an immensely popular music program that spans across all grade levels. More than 470 musicians from kindergarten through high school held a string concert this year; it attracted more than 1,100 people.

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Is Your Heart Racing? Join a Choir

Choral singers have long known they feel better after a great rehearsal.   Science is now uncovering some of the reasons why.   A recent article in the Telegraph reports on new research which shows that singing in a choir can help stabilize your heart rate, leading to a number of health benefits.

The new study, published in the Frontiers in Neuroscience journal, found that when large groups of people sing together, their breathing and heart rates become synchronized.  Both the tempo of the piece they are performing and the breathing required by the phrasing of the music cause the hearts of the participants to beat at more or less the same speed. The main benefit of this regulation is the stabilization of the heart rate.  The result is that singing regularly in a choir can reduce the variability in your heart rate, long known to be good for your general health.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg, observed three different vocal activities of a choir of fifteen 18 year-olds recording the effect of each activity on the heart rates of the participants.  In the first one they sang a traditional Swedish hymn, then a humming exercise, and finally, performing a slow chant in which they were required to breathe exactly in unison.  While the structure and melody of the hymn had the effect of synchronizing the pulse rates of the subjects, the slow chant had the greatest effect because of the required unison breaths.

The leader of the study, Bjorn Vickhoff, believes the mechanism for this synchronization is the vagus nerve, the part of the brain which regulates our emotion and can even affect the timbre of the voice.

He also compared choral singing’s benefits in regard to breath control to those of yoga breathing.  He states that one can control their mental state through choral singing just as one does through the practice of yoga.  So the next time you’re looking to achieve a state of zen, leave the mat at home and find a choir that will let you join in.

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Using Music as Therapy

You’ve probably heard that laughter is the best medicine.  But what about music?  There is a growing group of professionals who think music is even more effective.  Music Therapy has been around for decades, but it has recently become a more independent field of therapy as opposed to an offshoot of psychiatry.

The Boston Globe recent interviewed Lisa Summer, a board-certified music therapist and the head of the Music Therapy program at Anna Maria College.  She feels one of the main reasons music therapy has developed into its own field is because researchers have realized that music can help people with internal issues express their problems and concerns in a way that they may not have been able to verbally.  Hearing certain kinds of music or particular musical pieces can unlock memories or emotions that have been repressed.

It’s not all about listening either.  Summer often has her patients create their own music by playing or learning an instrument or writing their own original songs.  She’s found that this type of expression can significantly alter mood for the better.

The field of music therapy came into the national spotlight several years ago, when Congresswoman Gabby Gifford, who had sustained massive brain trauma after a gunshot to the head reportedly used a regiment of musical therapy on her road to recovery.  The Globe piece warns that this event and other stories like it have caused “music healers” to come out of the woodwork in recent years.  Beware of these folks selling pseudoscience as healing.  Actual music therapists hold degrees and have been certified to practice.

One of the interesting methods that Summer mentions is the mimicking of a patient’s internal issues in song.  She cites one situation where she played a piece that began as a jarring and tense piece but then finally resolved itself for a college student who was feeling anxiety.  After a few more sessions, the patient felt that she was more equipped to express her true self.

Whatever your inner issues may be, it’s a safe bet that the right kind of music can help release some of your tension.  Check back soon for the latest in the world of music and education.

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