Being a Music Teacher

The story of a boy without armhair

[nikkystyx]

SCANSCORE

scan your score in seconds

Here is a link to ScanScore, which I just reviewed if you’d like to check it out.

[nikkystyx]

ScanScore Review

Musicians are often asked to do more than just play the music they are given: we are asked to transpose music to fit our instrument’s key; we are asked to re-arrange music for ensembles with different instruments; we are asked to prepare music that was hand-written decades ago for our ensembles. We are capable of these tasks, but they are incredibly labor-intensive and, often, not a good use of our time, or our skills. 

We can use the notation software of our choice, like Forte, Sibelius, Finale, as we long for something to give us any assistance. Thankfully, there is a program for Windows OS called ScanScore that was designed to save us all a lot of hassle. 

Through ScanScore, I can import a PDF, JPEG, or other picture file to scan the music. The software accurately scans the music for its features: notes, key signatures, times signatures, clefs, accidentals, and more. It also has impressive playback features including accurate note recognition from the key signature, and a variety of on-board sounds and MIDI capabilities. 

I am a full-time music teacher so I am constantly creating arrangements of music for my students, sometimes very quickly. I have to transcribe the music so it is suited for the instruments that my students play. Thankfully, ScanScore makes this process much easier. I simply scan the sheet music and complete my transcription from there. This software also enables students to listen to their parts and play along with music easily.

The editor was really the best part for me. After the music is imported, the scanned file shows up on the left portion of the screen, and the interpretation on the right side. When editing, there are parallel lines that function as a “tracker” so you can see where the original music compares to the scanned result, making it very easy to fill in any notes or rhythms that may have been overlooked or misinterpreted.

Even though the program is quite impressive, it does leave a little to be desired when recognizing complex rhythms, percussion parts, and musical navigation. Thankfully, even if something is deciphered incorrectly, it is very easy to edit. The software is laid out very intuitively and is easy to figure out even if you aren’t familiar with any standard notation software. It is also noteworthy that importing PDF files can be a bit of a process the first time; an extension from Adobe called Ghostscript will need to be downloaded.

I also appreciate this software as a composer. I can use ScanScore to digitally catalog my written music, and it allows me the opportunity to create flexible arrangements for my compositions. I can’t wait to use this software more and explore more of its features.

[nikkystyx]

Testing ScanScore

Stay posted for a review of some very fun software!

[nikkystyx]

Music Blog #1

Alright! So here we go, this is my first blog and its intention is to spread knowledge and actually help people with information. Specifically, this one is for music teachers out there who are working with young students. 

I have been playing rock, pop, R & B, metal, alternative, and myriad other styles of music on drums, guitar, bass, and keyboard since I starting playing an instrument–around 13 years. I continued my journey in performing music, decided to make dedicate my life to music and eventually became a music teacher; that is quite possible the most condensed version of how I became a teacher that there ever will be. Now, there are only three possible paths for a music teacher to follow–band, orchestra, or chorus–and since there’s no “rock path” I had to take the band route. This enabled me to learned all of the conventional band instruments (saxophone, flute, clarinet, bassoon, oboe, trumpet, horn, trombone, tuba) and has given me the tools to be a band teacher, which I have been for a few years. 

The dust has settled, my first years of teaching have passed, and I’ve noticed some quirks in our little world music education that I would love to help patch up. Inevitably, many teachers will be faced with important decisions involving purchasing or recommending popular instruments such as guitars, keyboards, drums, and related equipment or software for some of the new movements in music education that we are seeing: modern band; informal music groups; songwriting; music technology, for example. So I am here to share some information to help teachers make these tough decisions, after all these are the instruments that I’ve held so dearly long before I started teaching music. 

Alright, so let’s get into this. This idea to spread knowledge in this area is inspired by a recent trip to one of the well-known music store franchises in the US. I don’t feel the need to justify my business, but for what it’s worth its proximity was a convenience to me. It seems, though, that every-single-time I go in this shop someone will help me who doesn’t know much about music or instruments. In fact, the only thing they appear to have memorized are the stores protection plans and financing options. 

Now, I’m a very reasonable guy and I’m very patient and I understand how retail works. But still, the customers who come in this store are very impressionable: young children looking for a way to perform music and express their creativity; adolescent teenagers looking for a musical gimmick to brighten their dimly lit reality; parents that may buy instruments for their kids as a present; and yes, even music teachers who may not have time to order something through their local music shop -_-

Either way, these customers are going to trust the employees of this store to recommend an instrument or device to them that will do exactly what needs to be down. Customers also may not know exactly what an instrument or device needs to do, which is where the employee should really be able to help. As an example, a student of mine went to purchase an audio interface earlier this year so she could record her self playing guitar and singing at the same time. I was so excited that she asked me about, and since she gave me her price range I recommended a few different interfaces for her; all she would need is one microphone input since she plays acoustic guitar while she sings, but two would be better so she could track them with individual microphones. Of course, her parents bought one for her from the same franchise that I mentioned before, and it was one that had no input for a microphone. The only input available was for a quarter inch jack, like for a guitar or electric keyboard. This still cost her parents a good chunk of change, and she couldn’t even use it! 

Now, that’s all that I know about that story–I hope that they returned it and got one that had the correct type of input available–but this certainly can’t be the only ill-advised purchase that these service clerks have influenced. On the contrary, my experience with employees at local music stores are usually trained in the qualities and features instruments and equipment that they sell. Better yet, if they aren’t sure about something, they will help you find the answer! 

I know that’s a long story to share but it’s important to know that cheap and convenient doesn’t usually last long with equipment. It’s a pricier approach, but if you want something that will make your art actually seem like art, you need to have the right tools. And I don’t want to just point out the problem, I want to be part of the solution as well: in my next entry I want to help by sharing my experiences with equipment, books, tools, accessories, etc. And just to be clear, everything that I will mention here I have personally used, gigged with, purchased, loved, and I completely vouch for. 

Thank you for reading, stay tuned for an update with some of my recommended gear for common situations in school music programs.

[nikkystyx]

Test Blog

Before I write a whole thingy I want to make sure that this works, it’s been so long!