Music Apps

Here are two great apps that I am using in my music classes: NotateMe and ScoreCloud.

NotateMe

Available on the App Store

For iPad, iPhone 4 and later

$21.99 (yes... I know that's expensive, but is worth it for one or two iPads)

There is a FREE version called "NotateMeNow" which is a simplified version of this app (only a single staff of notation possible)

This app will turn handwritten music into printed score notation.  THAT's RIGHT!!!  Scribble down a quick melody on your iPad and it will turn it into print quality notation!!!  The program recognizes your hand writing and will find the correct musical symbol to correspond to your sketch.  And it's smart... the more you use it, the quicker it is at picking up your handwriting!!!  You can compose for a solo instrument/voice, or piano, or even an entire orchestra.  AND it will play back your sketches for you immediately.  You can add chord symbols, dynamic markings, etc...  VERY POWERFUL

In my opinion, the BEST part about this is that you can save/export your files as a PDF (ready for printing), MIDI file (so you can hear your creation) or as a MusicXML file - which is compatible with the Finale series of music notation programs!!! (which is also a ministry licensed software package and available for FREE to any school in Ontario).  You can then manipulate your quick sketch on a desktop computer and be ready to publish your own creations.

ScoreCloud 

(thanks to Melissa Stephens at HHSS for this recommendation)

Available on the App Store

For iPad, iPhone 4 and later, and I THINK for the iPod

FREE!!!

This app is awesome!!!  Have a tune in your head that you need to get down on "paper"?  Great idea for a melody in the middle of math class?  ScoreCloud will NOTATE a melody that you sing or play into the iPad!!!  YUP!  It's true!!!  This is a great tool for students during the brainstorming part of composition.  They can get all those ideas down on "digital paper" in a quick and really easy manner.  It acts like recording software... just press record and start to sing/play.  The app analyses the performance and produces a notated version of the performance.  

It can be a bit frustrating at times.  You need to keep a steady pulse and play/sing in tune, or you can get some "interesting" versions of your song.  However, for short melodies, and little musical ideas this is a really useful app!  A great tool for the beginner composer!

OMG - it's MAGIC!!!

So in 15 years of teaching - music theory has always been a bit of a struggle...  I see the value in theory - my students have learned to see the importance of theory - but it's difficult to teach (and learn) this part of the course - mainly because both the students and I would rather be actively involved in playing music.

For the FIRST time EVER I had an entire room of music students TOTALLY enthralled in THEORY - to the point where I had 3 of them staying into the next period (their spares) to work on theory on the iPads!!!  Even the kid who usually instantly gives up on "paper work" was totally absorbed in what we were doing!  And I had a number of them asking if we could do theory again tomorrow!  WHAT???  This has happened before with PERFORMANCE but never with THEORY!!!

They were so excited!  And now I'm even more excited!  I'm looking forward to sharing some of their projects with you.

Fun things happening with Garage Band, and music on iPads at LCVI :)

Smiles,
Sheri