Parents, welcome to the blog for Highland Band Boosters fundraising. We will be using this to communicate with you, and you will be able to give us feedback on each post we make, to let us know if you will be able to be involved with certain activities, or with suggestions, or anything else you would like to say. Throughout the year we will have many fundraising activities, from carwashes to special events at restaurants, and other things that might crop up. Almost everything we do needs a lot of help from parents as well as students, so please help out as you can! And keep in mind, the money you fundraise can be applied towards your student's band fees, so the more you raise through our activities, the less you have to pay.
We are having a big push right now to raise money for some computer equipment and software that we need. The school provides the same computers to every classroom, but in a music room we need some specialized things. Most of your children probably play video games on the computer, and if you took band in high school, you probably didn't have a computer in the room, but I assure you that it would aid the education process immensely. Let me explain why we need these things.
First, let me tell you what we are planning on buying. The first thing we need is Sibelius 6, a professional-grade music composition and playback tool that is one of the two standards used by practically all modern composers who write on the computer. Band class is about performance, but I strongly feel that every performer needs to be familiar with composition, in order to understand what they are performing. People can compose music without hearing it, or they can use pianos or other instruments to write, but only computer software can take written music notation and turn it directly into the sound of any ensemble you care to write for. Especially when you are just starting out, there is no substitute for actually hearing what you are writing. A computer also plays rhythms perfectly every time, so you can hear right away if you have something written down wrong. I have used this program for years, but I can't legally install my copy on another computer. We can get a scholastic rate, and I will outline the prices in another blog entry. The second piece of equipment we need is a MIDI controller for the computer. Essentially, this is an electric piano that outputs notes that the computer can understand. Combined with Sibelius, this will let you play music that will directly show up as written notation, which can then be edited the way you would any notation. These vary in price, but are usually much cheaper than a normal electric keyboard.
Music education on the computer can take various forms. Let me give you some background on two theories about learning, called "objectivist" and "constructivist." Both have some truth and are useful in their own way. At the most basic level, the "objectivist" concept is that the teacher has some knowledge, and he wishes the students to have that knowledge, so he finds a way to give it to them. "Constructivist" learning, on the other hand, emphasizes how the students must arrive at their own conclusions. It's easy to see how both of these show up in teaching music: the notes of the Bb major scale are Bb, C, D, Eb, F, G, and A, and as a teacher I need a way to transfer that information to my students. Objectivist methods, such as drills and memorization, are ideal for this. On the other hand, much of the expressive quality of music is in things that can't be learned just by memorizing what your teacher tells you, and a lot of the more interesting music lessons have to be taught with constructivist methods, that allow students to draw their own conclusions.
The MIDI controller can be used very effectively for objectivist teaching. We already have two pianos, and all students are required to know how to play at least a little bit, but they can't record what you play, show it to you on a music staff, transpose it, change the tempo, or any of the dozens of things that the MIDI controller can do. Students will be able to use it to prepare for any piano tests they have, and it gives them instant feedback on a wide range of issues. Sibelius, as a composition tool, is naturally suited very well to constructivist learning. It's easy to become frustrated when starting out in composition, if you don't have a way to hear what you are writing. If you are not a talented piano player then it can be even worse. I teach the "rules" of composing, but they are not like the rules of assembling a table. You can follow them all and still end up with bad music. Sibelius lets you hear right away what you are writing, so you can decide whether or not you like it. This is something students have to do for themselves, and it's an important part in developing their own style, the way they each sound unique on their instruments.
I'm afraid this first entry is a bit long-winded, but I think it's an exciting opportunity, and I hope we can get these materials as soon as possible. A few students have already tried out my own personal copy of Sibelius, and I know they want to get it as soon as possible too! Please comment if you have any questions or ideas about this. We will be letting you know what the first fundraiser will be very soon.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is an assignment for an educational technology course at National University. It is not a real fundraising blog.
