Making Music Labs Work in the Modem Classroom ee CR ec coe By Danielle Teagarden ducators of all subject matters face the difficult challenge of developing the skills of the individual student within the context of the group environment, But for music educators, this tends to be an even more formidable challenge. Apart from the universal need to tailor their teaching approaches to each student, music teachers find that private lessons and various pats of formal training outside of school often create a much more diverse landscape of backgrounds than those you'd find in classrooms of grade-to-grade subjects, such as math and science. So, what then isthe music educator to do? Modern technology has responded to this question with an interesting answer. I's an answer that i, in short, revolutionizing what's possible within today’s music classroom environment — from early learners al the way up tothe most advanced, professional- ‘rack students, And so, we'd lke to take a few minutes to explore this breaking technology and to utimately shine a ight on how easy it is to use, how exiting itis for students, and how far reaching its potential applications truly ae. ‘What we're discussing here is music lab technology. ‘Vern Crews, the Director of Sweetwater’s Music Education Technology | Division, descrites a music lab as a series of “virtual classrooms or Workspaces.” Inside the itera classroom, each student wears a pai of headphones and sits before his ar her own Keyboard instrument — much | like being in a private lesson room, only siting among other peers who are stationed insie their own virtual lesson rooms. inthe front ote class, the teacher sits behind a master keyboard, wearing a par of microphone equipped headphones to address the class. This scenario may appear somewhet familiar, until you put the Yamaha LLC contralir system at the classroom’s heart. The LC system links each student's virtual classroom tothe instructor's main controle, ikewise inking the instructor to each student. This makes it possiole forthe instructor to push a button and instantly drop into an individual student's virtual classtoom, to hear how he or seis doing — without ever leaving the front of the lass. What's more, both the instructor and the student wear microphione- equipped headphones, so they can work tagether to discuss lessons and questions, one on one. “Instructors can also oreate virtual study groups where they might put certain students together fora group assignment,” | GE me student has the ability to work and study undisturbed, and, importantly to not be affected by the pace of the entire class... it’s like having a private tutor in class. : '— VERN CREWS, DIRECTOR OF SWEETWATER'S MUSIC EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY DIVISION Crevss adds. “t's easy to select who can communicate with whom, orto even allow the student to be heard by the entre class.” Both the possibilities and the benefits of leaming within the music lab environment are incredibly far reaching Crews cites one major advantage: “The student has the ably to work and study undisturbed, and, importantly, o not be affected by the pace ofthe entire class” Crews aso adds tat, with the 2-way communication, “t's ike having a private tutor in cass.” Luke Horst, a music instructor at New Yorks May‘eld Elementary Schoo), echoes this sentiment. Crews helped Horst put together a17-station (16 student, one teacher) LC system at Mayfield in July 2007, which Horst has been using to instruct his tir through sixth-grade classes. “Students can excel at their awn rate, without being held up by athers in the class," says Horst. "Most ofthe students in our goographic area would never be able to afford private piano lessons, so this gives an opportunity otherwise not avaiable” Horst uses the LC system to address the entre class when he has musical concepts he wants to be sure averyone knows. However, he states, “Most of actual practice takes place individual.” As students progress through their individual studies, hel often have them play their completed pieces or the entie class, Sometimes, Horst wil alsa take advantage of the LC system's group function to pair a more advanced student with a new student coming into a class. n all, Horst has seen real benefits flowing from this style of learning: *They are becoming much more proficient musical, which benefits my other performance groups.” Part ofthat rapid development may be due to the uniqueness ofthe music lab environment itself. "The fist reaction is always great excitement, because i's new and different than anything else bE)‘hey do," says Horst. "The overall majority of students really seem to look forward to this pat oftheir week. While Hors fines success in his elementary school classes, educators working with a range of ages and proficiency levels are also experiencing the benefits of music lab technology. Infact, Virginia Houser, Associate Professor of Piano, Group Piano, and Pedagogy at Kansas State University, relies on an LC-based music lab to prepare ‘music majors forthe plano proficiency exam, Sweetwate's Vern Crews helped Houser put together the university's. 13-station (12 student, one teacher) LC lab before the 2008 fall semester began, In the lab, Houser has found that she’s been able to diversity her tegching methods, using the LC systems many diferent functions. To start of atypical class session, she engages the class in a group warm-up on her keyboard, which they then practice indivially. Then, she introduces new concepts or reviews concepts from nomework assignments ‘tat need tobe repeated or clarified As students work through the new skills, she finds thatthe instruments Vern helped her selat forthe lab also help to engage students. “The keyboards add intorest to practice,” she says, adding that “the instrumental sounds and built- in rhythms make repetition so much moce fun.” Houser ‘mentions that repetitive exercises, in particular, seem to really work better in the musi lab. She lists scale playing and chord progressions among skils made easier and more interesting when compared to atractional environment, Using the LC system, Houser is also able to stop by each students virtual lesson room and hear individuals perform select graded portions from the homework assignments, all while the res of the students practice on their awn, ‘Sometimes, she'll group students together to accompany ‘one another of to work in small ensembles. When asked how university students responded tothe new ‘music lab environment, Houser replied with enthusiasm, Totaly postive.” she says, “There was a surge of practicing!” She also notes that the students learning pace has continued to prove more effective. “Last but not least,” she says, I l0ok forward to teaching the class more than | have in years!" Through Grews's years of working closely with schools in signing an implementing their music lab systems, he has also noted increased teacher enthusiasm stemming from the technology. "Teacirs rave about their experiences using a music lab system,” he says. Crews also adds that, in some cases, music labs have helped schools develop their programs. “After puting a lt in place, many schools have «rawn mors interest than they ever expected. Some even, have a waiting lst to take the technology class. Schools considering a new music lab system, however, ‘needn't fel obligated to predict that future growth, In adeition to an LC-equipped labs rich educational benefits, ‘one ofthe system's bost features i that i's easily expandable, ale to grow all the way up to accommodate 48, students and one teacher station. Schools can implement a system now and then seamlessly add on more student stations as their needs and budgets alow. Its also worth noting that, while expandable in scale, music lap systems are also expandable in their capabilities to cover additional content and to play host to classes ather than keyboard instruction. By adding computers to each student workstation, students can interact with music theory software programs or record, sequence, and produce their own songs. Crews also mentions that “integrating computers allows the instructor to use self-assessing Keyboard instruction Laty software with record-keeping capabilities”; this can be a ore re time-saving way to keep track of student progress, helping MEN Te RSet teachers to zer0 in on a students areas of confidence and to CLAUS el identify were a student may naad one-on-one guidance, Students virtual lesson Ronee ‘Music Theory Lab ‘Add computers to your Cees that students can work with rr) Ene Music Lab Systems “Many schools are using music labs inthe traditional sonse, ‘to teach piano, theory, and music appreciation,” says Crews. “However, some of the more intresting uses ae for guitar and bass guitar labs, as wal as for electronic percussion No extra pieces of technology are neadod to make tho LLC system work for diferent kinds of ciasses, Teachers can easily plugin varying electronic instruments at each Workstation and use the system in the same way, opening up the doors to additional engaging classroom experiences. In theory, schools could easily create mult-instrument classes or even virtual ‘practice spaces” for ater-school enrichment, where some students play guitar, some bass, some electronic percussion, and others keyboard. The teacher could use the LC system to divide the class into smaller groups, lke virtual “bands,” where students could then collaborate on songs and projects with classmates of i similar skil levels pene emt tea eng rd Mle th posites of mu ab entonments re catered tsrotaticat oaidassen an reere e tary tng ctl cy Because stents wet oo Aaa lessons though adores. fvsesson is roaic tout a thesuneaneuntotrlses @eguarcassuom. Scale, ae can‘edl confident tht hey can vansom an aicoe Eat space oz muse a, tad ol oyegena on vin Ac ue cs pocereieeene The lab itself also requires minimal furniture and cabling, ea ae apart from a teacher workstation area and individual student stations. And mary Keyboards thal work wel inthis environment even include an integrated stand, a bench, and a bwil-in music stand, so schools wil have al the furniture necessary to get started Toald in the process of designing a music lab, Crews has helped put together special complete packages — in popular sizes and with popular keyboard instruments, Which are shown on the following pages. He notes, however, that there are many options availabe when choosing the right keyboard, and he encourages speaking with your Sweetwater representative for help throughout the entire proves. "At Sweetwater," he says, "we have the ability to match you with the Tight keyboard and overall system to meet your specific needs and goals. Call us anytime.”