Primary Music Magazine
Issue 1.0 Spring 2018
What’s that App? With ever more primary schools utilising iPads in the classroom, music technology expert David Ashworth shares his insights into apps to try in your music lessons. Why use apps? Apps usually upload much more quickly on tablets compared with software on computers, they rarely crash, and are intuitive to use. Although Apps are becoming more expensive, they are still far cheaper than most music software computer programmes, and the added bonus of using iPad apps is that the built in microphones, speakers and camera ensure that you have everything that you need to create, record and play music! Getting the best and most from your apps. When considering apps for classroom use, try to look at them with more of an ‘agnostic’, open minded approach. The app designers will have produced their apps with certain uses in mind, but also consider how they might best work for you in supporting your curriculum work. How might the features they offer support your teaching and learning needs? The examples which follow provide some pointers to thinking and planning in this way Bloom is a generative music application for iOS created by Brain Eno and Peter Chilvers. The software plays a low drone and touching the screen produces different tones, which play in a loop. The fact that it provides an instant display on the screen makes it ideal for working with graphic notation. It can also be used for live improvised performance and its use of simple modal scales makes it a great app for aural work with older students. The fact that it is easy to play and produces beautiful sounding melodic lines makes it an ideal application for use with younger students and in some SEND contexts. SampleToy The first thing to note is that you can ignore the word ‘toy’ in this app’s name. What makes it so useful is the speed at which you can record and play back a sampled sound. A great way of bringing more interesting unusual sounds into the classroom which are often beyond the reach of students in terms of affordability and playability. iReal Pro is a real time-‐saver. Simply type in chord progression for any song to instantly create an accomplished sounding backing track comprising guitars, bass, keyboards, drums etc. The songs can be played back in any key and at any tempo. Great for rehearsal, improvising, composing and performance activities. The tracks can also be played back in different musical styles. So students can get a feel for stylistic conventions and also have a lot of fun devising interesting cover versions of well known tunes. I find Scarborough Fair as a reggae number particularly engaging!
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