Web 2.0 Tools for Music

I recently researched some Web 2.0 tools online that could be used for music and I found some pretty neat ones. Here are ten that I found, what they are, and how they can be used in the music classroom.

1. Classic Cat - http://www.classiccat.net/#black

Classic Cat is a tool that can be used to look up classical music files. You can look up a multitude of composers and listen to various pieces of their work. You can even look up composers based on the type of instrument. This would be a very useful tool in the class for listening to different composers being studied or different types of styles being studied. It is also useful for listening to examples of pieces your band might be performing.


2. Musopen  -  https://musopen.com

Musopen is a Web 2.0 tool that allows you to find sheet music and music downloads. There is a radio option that selects a random composer to play music from and gives  a condensed bio about that composer. You can search by composer, performer, genre, and other various categories. This tool would be very useful in the classroom for finding sheet music and listening to that piece. The radio feature would also be good in the classroom for giving the students a variety and also a background on the composer.


3. Noteflight  -  http://www.noteflight.com/login


Noteflight is a tool that allows you to compose music online. It is created to work with all age levels including small children. Noteflight is interactive and allows you to share your work with friends and the world. This would be a great tool in the classroom especially for melodic dictation. This tool would give students the freedom to express their musical ideas through music and put it on paper. The interactive aspect of it also makes it easier for teachers to interact with their students.


4. Music Theory  -  http://www.musictheory.net/


MusicTheory.net is a great tool for doing lessons and drills online. You can go through lessons like you would in a classroom on this site. After you or done with lessons you can then move on to doing drills. It is available online or on a smartphone. This tool is a great resource for students to do practice lessons at home. As a teacher I would use this site to encourage my kids to use for extra drill practice. It is also great for refreshing on basic music theory lessons. It is a tool I have used myself and I highly recommend it.


5. Musipedia  -  http://www.musipedia.org/

Musipedia is an online encyclopedia of musical numbers and tunes. It allows you to go on and enter a tune in several different interfaces in order to identify the song. Even if all you know is the beat Musipedia will find it. In the classroom this would be great for students who know songs but can not remember who they are by or even the name of them. Having a musical library in your brain can be very difficult but Musipedia helps make it easier by identifying a piece if you only know parts of the song.


6. Jam Studio  -  http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm


Jam Studio is a unique tool that allows you to create your own digital music. With this tool you do not have to know how to read music to create your own music. There is a detailed blog on the page with step-by-step details and ideas to help you get started. In the classroom this tool could be used as a fun assignment to get the students creative juices flowing. One great thing about this tool is your kids do not have to be able to read music so you could start this assignment with early learners and still have fun.


7. Songza  -  http://songza.com/

Songza is a tool very similar to the well known Pandora App. This tool allows you to pick from various genre's of music ranging from Classical to Hip-Hop. It is laid out very well and is very user friendly. For a classroom this tool would be great for broadening a student's musical library. In a band setting the students could go on Songza and listen to various Classical songs, both instrumental and vocal, or if you were studying different types of music they could find that genre on the site and become familiar with it by listening to various pieces.


8. Purple Planet  -  http://www.purple-planet.com/#

Purple Planet is a site created by Chris Martyn and Geoff Harvey that contains their own composed and copyrighted pieces. They allow public use of the music as long as you credit the source or you make a donation. They have several different genres of music to choose from and all of the music has a more acoustic sound, not digital. This would be a great site for students to use if they were doing a presentation on different types of music and how they affect a person's mood. Included in the genres are relaxing, dramatic, and heavy duty so there would be many options for the kids to choose from. The best part is all of the music is free to download as long as they credit their source.


9.  Blip.fm  -  http://blip.fm/

Blip.fm is a fun tool that lets you be the DJ. All you have to do is sign up for a free account and then you can become a DJ for your own radio station. With your station you have access to millions of free songs to choose from and you can share your station with friends via social media sites. Creating a station where the student was the DJ would be a fun activity for kids in the classroom. The teacher could have the kids create stations based on specific genres of music and have the kids share all of their stations so they broaden their horizon of different music. This would be an activity that could range from middle school to even college level students.


10.  Soundzabound  -  http://www.soundzabound.com/

Soundzabound is a site that gives you the option to purchase volumes of music for use in schools. You can buy the music on cd for lifetime use of you can get access to the volumes online for a year. The music is free to use for projects by students or teachers and can be used in projects to sell as long as it is profiting a school. In the classroom Soundzabound would be worth purchasing so your students have a supply of music to choose from for projects such as PowerPoint, podcasting, or for listening enjoyment. When your students are getting run down on the repetitiveness of rehearsing, Soundzabound could be a great tool for giving more option in the classroom to take a break from rehearsing, and create a project or just listen to different styles of music.



The tools I found while doing this assignment were all very unique and fun. Some I have used before and some I will look into using. I highly recommend choosing at least one and using it. They are great, fun tools and the best part is almost all of them are free!

Social Media Effects on Society

We are all familiar with the sites Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They are social media sites that most of us can not even go 24 hours without visiting. Has social media overtaken society? Is social media a good or a bad contribution to society? Well, I looked at two articles and here's what they had to say.

"The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals"
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html

In this article it discusses the way social media has put a negative role on society.

The first point they make is that our relationships are compromised by social media. We spend so much time involved in the casual relationships that we compromise our actual close relationships.

The second point they discuss is cyber bullying. Children are among the easiest to be subject to this. Cyber bullying can lead to mental scars, depression, and even suicide.

The third point they discuss is decreased productivity. People these days are spending time on social media websites instead of actually doing their work. Even the slightest amounts is costing businesses big bucks.

The fourth point they discuss is privacy. People are less likely to filter themselves on social media than they are in real life. People will put comments and pictures online that years down the road they will not want potential employers to see.

"Social Media’s Top 5 Contributions to Society"
http://socialmediatoday.com/slrupert/1393636/social-media-top-5-contributions-society

In this article it discusses the ways social media plays a positive roll in society.

The first positive contribution is communication in times of crisis. During the Boston marathon bombing police tweeted up to the munute details and encouraged patrons to use social media to free up phone lines. Social media was even a form of fundraising when Twitter donated an estimated $200,000 from the use of #OneBoston.

The second positive contribution is using social media for fighting crimes. Cops have tracked criminals tweeting or posting about gang related activity. Cops have even tracked down drunk drivers after they posted on Facebook boasting about it.

The third positive contribution is a larger political floor. Patrons now have access to more information on different political platforms.  Social Media is so influential it has the power to change the outcome in some situations.

The fourth positive contribution is bringing people together that are seperated by miles. People can now share pictures, video, and messages to friends and family miles away. Gone are the days of  long distance phone calls and snail mailing photographs.

The fifth positive contribution is through the marketing industry. Brands can now advertise through social media and can personally engage customers. It is estimated ad revenue from social media will reach 11 million by 2017.

I agree with both views. I think social media has definitely improved our society through communication and the marketing industry. Now I can share family photos and events with friends and loved ones far away and it is so simple. Seeing ads I am interested in is also nice and convenient.  However I do think social media has a negative side as well. In the workplace it is very disruptive when one is on their phone on some social media site instead of doing their work. I also agree that some relationships are compromised due to the other's time spent on social media sites. So even though social media is beneficial to society I also feel there are negative aspects as well.

A Look into My Life

When I was growing up I always wanted to be a cardiologist. The heart amazed me and the thought of saving a person's life was inspiring to me. When it came time to choose a college I had my college picked out, my plan for med school, and how my life was going to be. Then one day that all changed.

I was a senior in high school band, playing the clarinet, when I was approached to give a younger student private lessons. I agreed and worked for the student for weeks. She was a couple years behind the curve due to starting band late and had never made All Region. Auditions came and went, and that year she made All Region. I  had never seen her more excited and the parents wrote me a letter thanking me for what I had done, and that day I realized what my calling in life was. I had been given this gift of music and I realized that day I needed to share it with others. The satisfaction I felt from helping this girl far exceeded what I could have ever imagined.

So right before I signed my letters to my first pick college I put in an application to Henderson State University to be a music major, and I got accepted. In fall 2005 I entered my freshman semester immersed  in music and I loved it. But in the back of my mind I still wondered about my love for cardiology and was torn on what I was going to do. I switched to Pre-med my sophomore year and quickly realized I was being pulled away from where my heart was with music. I finished my year out and had plans to come back as a Junior back in the music program. Until another day changed my life. I found out I was going to be a mother.

Six years have gone by and I have raised a beautiful little girl named Lydia. I got married in 2010 and we bought our first house in 2012. I work at a local pharmacy as a pharmacy technician and I enjoy it, but in the back of my mind there is still that calling for music. So in fall 2013 I enrolled back into Henderson State University with the help of grants and aid, and decided to finish what I had started.

It's hard working full time, being a mother and wife, and going to school, but I know it will all be worth it. Yes I'm older than everyone in my class by a few years and I have went through struggles that have matured me beyond my years. Everyday I am stressed and sometimes I wonder why I decided to go back, but all I have to do is think back on my days giving lessons and I know why. I have been given a second chance. A chance that a lot of people never get. I know I am fortunate, and for this I am determined to walk across that stage, no matter the struggle and sacrificed time along the way, so that I can share my passion with others. 

My Beautiful Daughter