ETC_Final Project

Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenarios Planning
By Jermaine Evans
My learning scenarios will walk you through a “new school” way of teaching, “old school” mixing techniques, and keeping students motivated. These scenarios are based on using a DAW, computer, and SoundCloud. Students will learn techniques such as compressing vocals & instruments and Equalizing sounds.
1. Target Audience – College recording arts students
2. Materials –
• A computer
• SoundCloud
• A DAW
• An already mixed and mastered song.
3. Objectives – Students will mix and post their songs online.
4. Procedure – The teacher will have specific topics they will touch on such as Equalizers, compressors, reverbs, and more. Students will take notes and apply topics that were taught through out the week on a song of their choice.
• Students will then upload their mixed song to SoundCloud
• Students will then email the teacher a link to their post so it can be played in class.
• As students listen to their peers’ songs they will “blog” their feedback to the class board.

5. Web 2.0 Tool – http://soundcloud.com/: This tool allows you to upload your music. It will also allow you to post links of your music onto other websites and blogs.
6. Social Participation/Social Learning – For this lesson, the teacher will give the students a list of songs to choose from. Then students will have to pick a song, mix and upload it to http://soundcloud.com/. The students will have a week to complete this assignment by using what they learned in class. As a class we will listen to all of the students mixes and give feedback.
7. Making Connections – Recording arts students should be familiar with mixing a song. This will teach them new skills such as how to use compressors, EQs, and effects properly. With the peer-to-peer feedback this will motivate them to want to do this assignment and start taking their mixes seriously.
8. Create/Produce – The end product will be a mixed song by the student posted online for review.
9. Assessment – There will be grades given every Friday of each month. The grades will be based on the following:
• Utilization of lessons taught throughout the week
• Meeting an assignment deadline
• Overall end product
For example, one week the student will learn about compressors and controlling levels. During that week, students will work on a project that exhibits the lessons that were taught. When its time to listen their finished projects all students will start out with 25 points. The teacher will begin grading their assignments by deducting points every time the levels “clip” or distort. At the end of the week the points will be added to the other weeks. This will give the students their grade. If the student did a perfect job on their mix they will have all 25 points times 4 weeks equals 100 points. There will be a 10-point “bonus” in which the teacher will use the student’s feedback in your grading.

10. Reflection – Students will have an open discussion on their experience. As a class, we’ll talk about things we did and thing we can do better next time. As a self-reflection, I will take notes on what the student learned, what they liked and dislike about the assignment.

3_PE1_Garage_Band

PE5_SoundCloud

Since I started research music friendly web tools like WahWah.fm, UJAM, and SoundCloud. I am trying to come up with a mouth long class that will utilize these tools and some others too. I am drafting up a email that I plan on sending to all of the companies asking them how do they feel about some one utilizing and their apps as one. I’ll keep my blog update and let you know how it works out.

PE4_SoundCloud

SoundCloud is an application that allows you to record and post your music on the web. There is even a smart phone application for SoundClond. I am really looking forward to incorporating SoundCloud into my leaning environment. This will help motivate my students to want to learn and try something new. SoundCloud is available for MAC and PC, and it is free. Based on some research I did you will be able to upload your music to SoundCloud by way of recording it live or by using a USB cable.

2_BP4_SoundCloud

“Sound Cloud is a platform that puts your sound at the heart of communities, websites and even apps. Watch conversations, connections and social experiences happen, with your sound as the spark.” Sound Cloud is a great web 2.0 tool for sharing and promoting your music to others. With Sound Cloud you can upload your music to their site as well as pictures to the uploaded audio. People will have the ability to go to your Sound Cloud page and leave comments on your page about your music. Another nice feature Sound Cloud offers is the ability to record live directly into this web tool. Sound Cloud has applications available with all “major” phone companies such as AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. It’s also available on iTunes and Android networks. With this application you can record live through your phone and to the site in real time. For example, if you’re doing a live interview and you want to record and post it to your blog; you would be able to accomplish this with your phone by using the Sound Cloud app. You also have the ability to post your work to Facebook, Twitter, Sound Cloud Blog, Tmblr, a developer’s blog, and MySpace. Sound Cloud even has a Facebook player, which allows the user to blog their work easier and faster. In my opinion, Sound Cloud is a great tool to have in your toolbox. Grouping this tool with other tools such as UJAM will really help the user get their sound heard.

PE1_Garage_Band

2_BP7_UJAM

BP4_UJAM

UJAM is a great web 2.0 tool for teaching and learning. All you need is a computer to use this virtual studio. It’s perfect if you’re interested in learning how to produce and/or create your own music. UJAM is also helpful if you just want to record yourself singing or rapping. This web tool can be used to teach learners the steps that need to be taken in order to accomplish making a song. UJAM allows the user to record vocals live with a microphone plugged into your computer. It also allows the user to play a vast amount of instruments by using a midi controller. A few extra tools that come with UJAM have the ability to turn you recorded vocals into midi information which allows you to convert your vocals into an instrument. Your live vocals are now a guitar or keyboard. UJAM teaches users some basic music theory and keys. When playing notes on your midi keyboard this web tool gives you the capability to change and rearrange the notes. When moving the notes around it shows which note(s) can and should be used. UJAM provides templates of music to use and remix which teaches the user about different types and styles of music. UJAM has templates ranging from “Jazz Cat” to “Hard Disco” from “70s funk” to “Folk Group”. This tool teaches the learner about pitch, tempo, vocal styles, tune improving, reverb and effects. Using this free and private application will allow you to learn these techniques as well as enhance your engineering skills.

2_BP2_UJAM

UJAM is a cloud-based platform that empowers everyone to easily create new music or enhance their existing musical talent and share it with friends. This is a tool that allows you to make music without having any musical experience at all. You can sing directly into the web tool and it will record you. UJAM will also add harmonies to your vocals. This tool has a list of musical styles to choose from such as Cool House, Rave Signal, Hard Disco, Jazz Cat, Chill out and more. You even have the option to create your own musical style. It also has a function that will change your vocals into midi information. UJAM has music templates that you can remix to make your own music by changing chords and melodies. It provides users with the option to pick vocal styles, improve tuning, and adjust tempo. When recording, you can sing to a click track which will help ensure that you remain on beat. This web tool has been co-signed by some of the biggest composers and Grammy Award winning music producers today such as Hans Zimmer and Pharrell Williams. With UJAM no longer will you need a team of people to produce good music. It allows you to do it all, and even better, it makes it easy to share your hard work with the world. You will be able to create your own ringtones and add music to your videos. You will also have the ability to upload it to YouTube or your vlogs. I think this is a powerful tool that can be used by anybody.

2_PE3_Garage_Band

I had the opportunity to learn some more about Apple’s iLife software. I completed the Garage Band Essential Training on Lynda.com. Here’s my certificate of completion.

This was fun!!!!

2_PE2_Garage_Band

Damian Allen did a good job walking us through this tutorial.

In garage Band you can choose from a large number of instruments. You can pick what kind of drum kit you would like to play such as active, brushes, world percussion and simple. There are also more are available for downloading.

A new feature added to this version of Garage Band is Learn to Play. This is a program that shows you how to play a guitar or a piano. Learn to Play goes through some basic music theory and playing techniques. There are videos that go along with the training to give you a sense of one on one training or just being in a “real” classroom environment.

2_BP6_Link_to_Mark Lillquist's ETC Blog

Follow this link to my comments on Mark Lillquist's ETC Blog. 

2_BP5_Link_to_WOODenBLOG

Follow this link to my comments on WOODenBLOG

2_BP1_Welcome to My Blog

Jermaine_Evans shining a new light on teaching!!!!!