Rhona-Mae Arca Named Tech Teacher of the Year

It's official, I've been named Tech Teacher of the Year by Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children. Click here for the official press release.

Applicants had to submit a three-minute clip describing how digital technology is used in their music studio, as well as how digital technology impacts their students as well as themselves. Here is my submission:

This announcement comes on the heels of my latest music and technology project. Last week, my students and I prepared, recorded and submitted videos for Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 4.0 - Bliss. A record number of over 8,200 videos from nearly 6,000 singers and 100 countries were submitted. Some of my students and I even helped out on  tech support during the final days prior to the submission deadline.

Thank you so much to the sponsors: Roland Canada, Conservatory Canada and Music for Young Children for this opportunity. Hats off to my fellow teachers who also made a submission as they are also leaders in working technology into music education.

See you all in Halifax!

Incorporating Music Theory into a Student Request

One of my students has been on my case for weeks, if not months for sheet music from the Bionicle Heroes video game. He even researched information about composer Ian Livingstone to include in my year-end studio recital. I could not find any sheet music in my travels, so I decided to contact the video game composer and inquire. Ian informed me that he didn't have sheet music for Bionicle Heroes. However, he did send me sheet music for No Adrenaline, a piece he dedicated to his son who has the genetic condition CAH - Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

My intermediate and advanced students jumped on the opportunity to play it. However, my "Bionicles" student is only in Grade 1 piano. I was thinking of making a Big Notes arrangement but something stopped me.

This particular student is has rhythm and detail issues. His theory book? Doesn't always make it to lessons.

On a lark, I decided to get my student to write out his own arrangement. He's starting to get that key and time signatures are important and that if he transcribes notes on a different line, it completely changes the sound:

I emailed this photo to Ian Livingstone. My student was shocked. Ian thought the music theory project idea was "fantastic".

Making Use of Music Festival Comments

You have survived this season's run of music festivals and competitions. You have your certificate. Maybe you even earned an award.

Perhaps now you're asking yourself, "Now what?"

Please bring your written adjudication sheet(s) to your next music lesson. If your music teacher was unable to attend your music festival performance - and your parents recorded your performance - do bring the recording to your next music lesson to review with your teacher.

Your music teacher can help decipher the adjudicator's handwriting and discuss with you how to incorporate some of the ideas that you picked up at the music festival.

I put the word "some" in italics. Bear in mind that music is a personalized experience, not just for you but for the listener. Your adjudicator is giving comments based on their skills, experience and educated opinion based on your playing at that moment. You may agree with some comments, but not all. The same goes for your teacher.

Your music teacher, the adjudicator and the examiner have similar "hot buttons" that they listen for: rhythm, pedalling, fingering, balance, technical fluency, command of the style. In basic terms, they are listening for whether you know the piece and if you're telling us a story.

What will differ are some of the ideas that they each have for you to try. Each of your musical mentors have a different set of skills and experiences.

Take the ideas that each have to offer and try them. Give them a solid effort. Keep what works for what you're trying to say with the piece and file away the rest. Who knows? It may work with another piece better.

On Group Classes, Edutainment and Playful Learning

Another Group Class Week has come and gone. As I sit here trying to get my brain around next year, I'm mulling over how to approach group classes going forward.

Some students just aren't into group classes. While some like the idea of trying out something new (e.g. trying to make a radio commercial) but aren't really that interested in learning and honing their skills in those areas. Some like the ensembles. While some are just too busy for group classes and have missed every single one. You get the idea.

I know, we can't please everyone. To that end, I'm contemplating the idea of making the group classes optional and available to outside students.

Now, one comment that I usually hear from students and parents is how "X has so much fun at group classes." Well that's fine and dandy, but as an educator, I feel duty bound to teach them something. I'd like for them to learn something that will help them become better musicians and listeners.

The classes that they enjoyed the most weren't necessarily the ones where they actually learned anything. The aspiration of having the students create a video game theme, record, edit and then present it at the year-end recital? No dice. All the dreams of having them do a singing and accompanying project throughout the year and then perform it at the year-end recital? Nyet.

They fiddled, they made noise, they laughed a lot. Some made a 30-second radio commercial and saved a file. Others spent 90 minutes learning three types of beat patterns, while others played in a piano combo for the first time.

Is anything perform-able in public? Not without hours of tweaking (practice, editing, rendering and re-recording, etc.). Did they learn something that they can execute on their own? Uh-uh.

At least, they tried something new.

One area that started really slowly but gathered momentum was my Music Appreciation 101: Music & Technology class. It evolved each time a little bit to adjust to the next group of students. The students were fascinated with how music listening devices have evolved, especially with the addition of my retro-player:

Not only did this capture their attention, but the topic of copyright interested them too.

Now, the only group activity that saw any thread of progress and continuity was my student band WEDG as they prepared for the Long and McQuade Music Education Contest and later, the  APTA Festival. That was an optional activity, which impacted only four students - profoundly enough that they are continuing to work together.

My challenge becomes one of creating group classes that will generate enough interest, yet from a pedagogical standpoint, teach them something useful. I've heard the term "edutainment" thrown around in relation to TV shows. However, that doesn't quite sit right with what I'm trying to do here. I suppose that "playful learning" or "learning through play" would be a closer fit. I suppose that really, they're just different terms on the same continuum of learning.

It's a lot of food for thought.

Summer Workshops for Music Teachers

Our music teacher organizations and the Calgary Arts Summer School Association do a wonderful job at offering professional development opportunities for music teachers through workshops and conferences.

One thing I would like to get into more is to go away to study music teaching and performance. Here are some summer music programs for music teachers that caught my eye:

Adult Continuing Education Courses in Music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music

Boston University Summer Music Courses

Summer Workshops for Musicians and Music Teachers at MSU

Summer 2013 Workshops for Music Teachers at the University of Wisconsin

University of Delaware Workshops for Music Educators

University of Massachusetts Amherst Music and Drama Workshops and Courses

Video Conferencing and "Live" Music Technology and Jazz Education Workshops at Western State College