Unlocking Musical Creativity With Technology
Funded Oct 17, 2009Wow, is all I can say! Since the arrival of the keyboards that you helped provide for my students I have witnessed a transformation in my music classroom. I used to study composers with my students and have them memorize dates and facts about them. It was normal for students to be bored in my room, or complain about what we were doing. This year I decided to pursue an active approach to learning music straying from history and moving towards performance and creativity. I organized a book of simple piano songs for the students to learn. The students have been playing the books and enjoying the process of music making on the keyboards that your donation provided for us.
In addition to keyboarding, I have also taught my students to use a computer recording program called MusicMaker. With this software they have been using music loops to create music based on compositional skills that I have taught them. As I near the end of the term I plan to marry the keyboarding skills with the loop software assigning them to create their own short music excerpts complete with performances by themselves on the keyboards. This is an exciting assignment and one that will surely inspire the musical geneous in all of my students.
Music is alive and well in my school! Thank you!”
With gratitude,
Mr. Nelson