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	<title>Alex Ruthmann's Blog</title>
	<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog</link>
	<description>Thoughts and musings about learning and teaching music</description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:55:32 +0000</pubDate>
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		<copyright>&#xA9;Alex Ruthmann 2003-2006</copyright>
		<managingEditor>alex.ruthmann@gmail.com (Alex Ruthmann)</managingEditor>
		<webMaster>alex.ruthmann@gmail.com</webMaster>
		<category></category>
		<ttl>1440</ttl>
		<itunes:keywords>music education, music technology, composing, </itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:subtitle>Thoughts and musings about music education</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>Thoughts and musings about music education</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:author>Alex Ruthmann</itunes:author>
		<itunes:category text="Education">
  <itunes:category text="Higher Education"/>
</itunes:category>
<itunes:category text="Arts">
  <itunes:category text="Performing Arts"/>
</itunes:category>
<itunes:category text="Education">
  <itunes:category text="K-12"/>
</itunes:category>
		<itunes:owner>
			<itunes:name>Alex Ruthmann</itunes:name>
			<itunes:email>alex.ruthmann@gmail.com</itunes:email>
		</itunes:owner>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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			<title>Alex Ruthmann's Blog</title>
			<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog</link>
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		<item>
		<title>UMass Lowell music ed students work with local middle school students</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/03/18/umass-lowell-music-ed-students-work-with-local-middle-school-students/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/03/18/umass-lowell-music-ed-students-work-with-local-middle-school-students/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:44:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Workshops and Teaching</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
	<category>Student Projects</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/03/18/umass-lowell-music-ed-students-work-with-local-middle-school-students/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Over the past year, senior music education majors have been taking General Music Methods I and II with Dr. Gena Greher and me at UMass Lowell. Since October of 2008 these students have spent Wednesday mornings teaching 3rd, 6th and 7th grade classes at the Bartlett Community Partnership School here in Lowell, MA. Last week [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img align="right" title="Improvising in the hallway" id="image72" alt="Improvising in the hallway" src="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/3346729371_f2606a2476_m-jpg.jpeg" />Over the past year, senior music education majors have been taking General Music Methods I and II with Dr. Gena Greher and me at UMass Lowell. Since October of 2008 these students have spent Wednesday mornings teaching 3rd, 6th and 7th grade classes at the Bartlett Community Partnership School here in Lowell, MA. <img align="left" title="Rehearsing" id="image74" alt="Rehearsing" src="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/3347566360_bc14df03dc_m-jpg.jpeg" />Last week one group of our students invited the 7th grade class from the Bartlett School to spend the day at UMass Lowell recording a song the class arranged in the UMass Lowell recording studio.</p>
<p>Students spent the morning rehearsing their arrangements and taking turns leading peer-conducted free improvisations. Once rehearsed, they spent the balance of the morning laying down the vocal tracks, classroom instrument and guitar tracks followed by the piano accompaniment.</p>
<p><img align="right" title="Singing in the studio" id="image73" alt="Singing in the studio" src="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/3346728409_1591504ef7_m-jpg.jpeg" />The rehearsing and recording was facilitated by UML graduate sound recording technology major Tim Brault and UML music education majors Jo Price, Lindsey Sherman and Zach Cooper.</p>
<p>After the recording session, the Bartlett School students experienced a rare treat&#8230; a live lecture demonstration of vintage Edison wax cylinder recording. UML Sound Recording Technology Professor Alex Case made arrangements for Gerald Fabris, curator of the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nps.gov/edis/photosmultimedia/the-recording-archives.htm">Edison National Historical Site</a> in West Orange, NJ, to visit and present the lecture/demo. Virgin wax cylinders were flown in from the United Kingdom and UMass Lowell SRT major Brian Corey composed a piece to be used in one of six live takes directly to wax cylinder.</p>
<p><img align="left" title="wax recording" id="image75" alt="wax recording" src="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/3346707975_7e7a39482c_m-jpg.jpeg" /> </p>
<p>Each of the takes were recorded directly to wax cylinder as well as digitally in mono, stereo and surround sound mic-ing. After each take, the composer listened back to the wax cylinder performance and physically readjusted the placement of the musician&#8217;s closer or further away from the recording &#8220;horn.&#8221; We take for granted today that we can simply move a microphone to achieve a different sound. Back then you had to move the musicians!</p>
<p>I am told that all of the wax cylinder recordings from the session will be digitized and the audio will be posted side by side with the digital mono, stereo and surround sound versions on the Edison National Historical Site webpage in the near future. I&#8217;ll be sure to post a link when that goes live.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.lowellsun.com/ci_11894614">Click here for the article</a> and more information about the project in the Lowell Sun.
</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>New Music Performamatics projects launched for the Spring 2009 semester</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/02/07/71/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/02/07/71/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2009 17:15:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
	<category>Student Projects</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2009/02/07/71/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[During the Spring 2009 term, two music performamatics projects will be underway at UMass Lowell. As part of a National Science Foundation CPATH grant several of my faculty colleagues from the Music, Art, English and Computer Science departments are allied in collaborative interdisciplinary projects designed to attract more students to computer science majors through arts-focused [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.performamatics.org/"><img id="image70" alt="Performamatics Logo" src="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/Picture%202.thumbnail.png" /></a>During the Spring 2009 term, two music <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Performamatics/index.php?n=Main.Performamatics">performamatics</a> projects will be underway at UMass Lowell. As part of a National Science Foundation CPATH grant several of my faculty colleagues from the Music, Art, English and Computer Science departments are allied in collaborative interdisciplinary projects designed to attract more students to computer science majors through arts-focused experiences.</p>
<p>This semester, I am collaborating with computer science professor <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/~heines/91.462/91.462-2008-09s/teaching-frames.htm">Jesse Heines</a> as part of a synchronized course. My General Music Methods II students will be working together with students from Prof. Heines&#8217; <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/~heines/91.462/91.462-2008-09s/teaching-frames.htm">GUI Programming II</a> course on a project to collaboratively develop online music composing software with middle school students at the Bartlett Community Partnership School in Lowell. Currently, the middle school students are coming up with ideas for music software they would like to have. They are sharing these with my General Methods Students, who have been working with them one day a week since September 2008. Once public beta versions of the software are up and running, I&#8217;ll post them here for you to try out and use with your students.</p>
<p>An additional structure for this project involves a social music component. Following the model of projects such as the <a target="_blank" href="http://unesco.uiah.fi/water/">UNESCO Sounds of our Water Project</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ccmixter.org/">CCMixter.org</a>, the project will involve creating an online social music/sound repository where the middle school students can upload sounds and musical samples.  These sounds and samples will serve as the source materials for the software the computer science students will design.</p>
<div>
<div>This semester my music education colleague <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Performamatics/index.php?n=Main.Personnel">Gena Greher</a> and computer science professor <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Performamatics/index.php?n=Main.Personnel">Jesse Heines</a> are also collaborating on a general education course entitled <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/~heines/91.212/91.212-2008-09s/teaching-frames.htm">Sound Thinking:</a></div>
<div />
<div>
<div>
<div><span style="font-weight: bold" class="Apple-style-span">Course Description:</span></div>
<div>What is sound?  How do we capture it, manipulate it, and harness it in the digital world?  The field for multimedia applications is expanding, creating new challenges for artists, technologists, and educators as well as consumers.  This course will explore the intersection of the arts with technology, where students majoring in the arts will interact with those in computer science to explore the art and science of digital audio from the perspective of basic end-user applications.  The specific applications to be examined will be chosen based on their abilities to promote creative expression and exploration.  We will also consider the underlying code that allows these programs to run and function.  This course will use a learner-centered approach that emphasizes project-based experiences.  It will provide students with multiple opportunities to explore, create, and solve problems with music technology.  The concept of collaboration is integral to this course.  As the workforce moves to a more collaborative structure, it is important that students learn to work in groups with others who may not share their skill sets and levels of expertise, and that they gain experience in problem-solving the myriad issues that arise when using technology.</div>
<div />
<div>Examples of class projects and student work will be posted here throughout the course.</div>
<div><hr /></div>
<div>
<div>
<div /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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		<title>Music, Creativity and Technology: An Example from Actual Practice</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/11/13/music-creativity-and-technology-an-example-from-actual-practice/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/11/13/music-creativity-and-technology-an-example-from-actual-practice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:46:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Curriculum Ideas</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/11/13/music-creativity-and-technology-an-example-from-actual-practice/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Step 1: Find music notation scribbled on a bathroom wall.
Step 2: Take a picture of it with your cell phone camera and post it online to ImageShack:
http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture1ix9.jpg
Step 3: Post a link to that photo on Reddit for others to see and discuss:
http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7bqjc/music_found_in_the_toilet/
Step 4: Transcribe melody into Noteflight and create a custom arrangement of &#8220;Toilet Melody&#8221;:



click [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><b>Step 1:</b> Find music notation scribbled on a bathroom wall.</p>
<p><b>Step 2:</b> Take a picture of it with your cell phone camera and post it online to ImageShack:</p>
<p><a href="http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture1ix9.jpg">http://img120.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture1ix9.jpg</a></p>
<p><b>Step 3:</b> Post a link to that photo on Reddit for others to see and discuss:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7bqjc/music_found_in_the_toilet/">http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7bqjc/music_found_in_the_toilet/</a></p>
<p><b>Step 4:</b> Transcribe melody into Noteflight and create a custom arrangement of &#8220;Toilet Melody&#8221;:</p>
<p><object width="640" height="442"><br />
<param name="movie" value="http://www.noteflight.com/scores/embed"></param>
<param name="FlashVars" value="id=ac06c327a8822119de443f04076e904b2832abff&#038;scale=1"></param><embed src="http://www.noteflight.com/scores/embed" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="id=ac06c327a8822119de443f04076e904b2832abff&#038;scale=1" width="640" height="442"></embed></object><br />
<i><font size="-1">click on Noteflight logo to launch score at Noteflight.com</font></i></p>
<p><b>Step 5:</b> Repost Noteflight arrangement back on Reddit for others to discuss:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7bqjc/music_found_in_the_toilet/">http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/7bqjc/music_found_in_the_toilet/</a></p>
<p><u>Credits:</u><br />
Photo = <a href="http://www.reddit.com/user/trippingchilly/">TrippingChilly</a><br />
Music Arrangement = <a href="http://www.myspace.com/skynare">Skynare</a></p>
<p><b><br />
<h1>If this is how young people are using technology in their lives, how can we draw on this in the classes we teach?</h1>
<p></b> </p>
<p>Bonus points for identifying the origin of the tune in &#8220;Toilet Melody.&#8221; <img src='http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />
</p>
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		<title>Using Noteflight in and outside of the music classroom</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/10/27/using-noteflight-in-and-outside-of-the-music-classroom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/10/27/using-noteflight-in-and-outside-of-the-music-classroom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Oct 2008 18:55:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Cool Sites</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/10/27/using-noteflight-in-and-outside-of-the-music-classroom/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Earlier this month Evan Tobias posted about Noteflight, a new online flash-based notation application available at http://www.noteflight.com/. Over the past few weeks I have been exploring this software with college students in my Technology in Music Education course and with high school students enrolled in a beginning piano class at Lowell High School (LHS). Those [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.noteflight.com/" title="Picture 3 by sruthmann, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3205/2979218562_8c0d9d3b39_o.png" align="left" width="226" height="80" alt="Picture 3" /></a>Earlier this month <a href="http://etobiasblog.musiced.net/2008/10/07/flash-based-notation/">Evan Tobias posted</a> about Noteflight, a new online flash-based notation application available at <a href="http://www.noteflight.com/">http://www.noteflight.com/</a>. Over the past few weeks I have been exploring this software with college students in my Technology in Music Education course and with high school students enrolled in a beginning piano class at Lowell High School (LHS). Those of you who know me know how apprehensive I am when it comes to using notation software with students in general music or other technology classes in K-12 schools. Most of my concern centers around the common conflation of &#8220;notation software&#8221; with &#8220;composing software.&#8221; All too often I see teachers using notation software as a technological <i>endpoint</i> rather than as a <i>means</i> to the musical end of live performance. However, Noteflight is not your ordinary notation software.</p>
<p>What interests me about Noteflight is not the notation component. Instead, it is in the social tools that surround the notation engine. When you sign up at Noteflight.com (currently free) you create personal profile, just like you would at a social networking site like Facebook, MySpace or custom sites created at <a href="http://www.education20.com">Ning.com</a>. Once signed in, you can create a new score, view existing scores, or scores created by other users. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexruthmann/2978095915/" title="Picture 2 by sruthmann, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3156/2978095915_93efa59350_o.png" width="445" height="455" align="right" alt="Picture 2" /></a>Built in to the web application is the ability to share your scores with other users. These scores can be easily embedded just like a YouTube video in a class website. The embedded score can be played back by clicking on the play button and additional interactive functions are being planned which could be helpful in guided listening activities. Coming from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)">constructivist perspective</a>, this functionality enables teachers to give students the opportunity to share their musical understanding in interactive ways within and beyond class time. For example, a band director could post a Noteflight score without added articulation. Students could then be assigned to add their own articulations to the score. During the next class, the students and director could choose a few scores to play through. This approach gives students the opportunity to make creative articulation decisions as composers, rather than traditionally learning it through listening and performing.</p>
<p>A variation on this assignment could be to post an audio file of a musical line performed with different articulations. Below the audio file, a director could post the notation for that performance, but again without articulation added. As an assessment, students could then open the score and add articulations that in their mind matched the recorded performance. </p>
<p>Right now, there are some limitations to accomplishing this, but I&#8217;ve been assured by Joe Berkovitz, CEO of Noteflight, that these functions are currently in development. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexruthmann/2978095865/" title="Picture 1 by sruthmann, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/2978095865_20a9801f46_o.png" align="left" width="439" height="446" alt="Picture 1" /></a><br />
This screenshot shows the &#8220;version&#8221; function for Noteflight. As you work on a score in Noteflight, it periodically saves a snapshot of your piece and gives you access to it as a different &#8220;Version.&#8221; If you open your score up to be added to by others, their versions show up in this box as well. At any point you can go back (revert) to a prior version. This is a cool function, not only because you can go back, but as a window into your students&#8217; compositional processes. Though not a full account of their process, these snapshots can provide an opportunity to have discussions with your students about the changes they made in their composition and are great starting points for assessment. </p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a short piece I notated in Noteflight:</p>
<p><object width="640" height="253"><br />
<param name="movie" value="http://www.noteflight.com/scores/embed"></param>
<param name="FlashVars" value="id=4ba89b3ced8a64677f8c369c067913db3500f70b&#038;scale=1"></param><embed src="http://www.noteflight.com/scores/embed" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" FlashVars="id=4ba89b3ced8a64677f8c369c067913db3500f70b&#038;scale=1" width="640" height="253"></embed></object></p>
<p>Right now, the interactivity is limited to simple whole piece playback and playback within measures (click above the measure). Soon, functions will be added that will enable the composer to add additional interactivity through scripting. Very cool. <img src='http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<h3>My students and Noteflight</h3>
<p>My college students have been using Noteflight with beginning piano students at Lowell High School (LHS) for the past few weeks. Students in my class created incomplete duets to be co-composed and performed with their partner students at LHS. The music teacher at LHS has for the most part have been using Alfred&#8217;s Adult Beginner Piano book to structure the curriculum. My college students wanted to add a composing/creativity aspect to the lessons. To do this, they created simple piano scores with either a chord progression in the bass clef or a melody in the treble clef (or some combination of the two) as a compositional frame to help scaffold the LHS students. Because the scores are online and viewable by the LHS students and my college students, both can practice alone and make edits to their duet scores. Tomorrow, they will meet again in person for a final run through and performance for the class. I&#8217;ll post some of the pieces and performances here soon.</p>
<p>Because Noteflight is an online application, the potential for collaborative work and learning with other students is high. I&#8217;m in the middle of planning a distance composing project with another school later in the term through Noteflight. Facilitated by a custom Ning.com social network, students at LHS will notate compositions in Noteflight and share them with other students at a distance site. Ning will enable them to post their files and provide peer comment and critique. This use is inspired in part by the work at the <a href="http://vtmidi.org/">Vermont MIDI Project</a>, but instead centers on the students as providers of compositional critique and feedback, rather than professional composers. </p>
<p>I&#8217;m very excited to see how this technology develops. If you are interested in collaborative projects using Noteflight with your students, drop me an email.</p>
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		<title>Copyright: Ben Stein vs. Yoko Ono - Implications for &#8220;fair use&#8221; in music education?</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/06/03/copyright-ben-stein-vs-yoko-ono-implications-for-fair-use-in-music-education/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/06/03/copyright-ben-stein-vs-yoko-ono-implications-for-fair-use-in-music-education/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:05:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Musings</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/06/03/copyright-ben-stein-vs-yoko-ono-implications-for-fair-use-in-music-education/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Caveat # 1:  I am not a lawyer and do not pretend to be one.
Today, I read an article posted on Ars Technica written by Timothy Lee detailing a recent &#8220;fair use&#8221; Copyright decision by Judge Sidney Stein of the U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York. 
From the article:
Judge Stein&#8217;s task [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Caveat # 1:  I am not a lawyer and do not pretend to be one.</p>
<p>Today, I read an article posted on <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080602-ben-stein-1-yoko-ono-0-in-expelled-copyright-spat.html">Ars Technica</a> written by Timothy Lee detailing a recent &#8220;fair use&#8221; Copyright decision by Judge Sidney Stein of the U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York. </p>
<p>From the article:</p>
<blockquote><p>Judge Stein&#8217;s task wasn&#8217;t to critique the dubious logic of this segment, but to evaluate the narrower question of whether the film&#8217;s use of &#8220;Imagine&#8221; is fair under copyright law. He noted that the film was focused on a subject of public interest, and that the film was commenting on Lennon&#8217;s anti-religious message. The excerpting of copyrighted works for purpose of &#8220;comment and criticism&#8221; is explicitly protected by the Copyright Act, and Judge Stein ruled that this provision applied in this case.</p>
<p>The decision quotes extensively from <i>Bill Graham Archives v. Dorling Kindersley</i>, a 2006 decision that allowed the reprinting of reduced-size versions of several historical posters used in a coffee-table book about the Grateful Dead. In that case, as in this one, the alleged infringers had used the works in a commercial product, but the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit found that &#8220;courts are more willing to find a secondary use fair when it produces a value that benefits the broader public interest.&#8221; Whatever the merits of its argument, Expelled is clearly commentary on an issue of public concern, and the use of &#8220;Imagine&#8221; was central to its argument. Those facts weighed heavily in favor of a finding of fair use.</p>
<p>Stein and company were defended by lawyers from Stanford&#8217;s Fair Use Project. In a blog post announcing their decision to take the case, executive director Anthony Falzone wrote that &#8220;The right to quote from copyrighted works in order to criticize them and discuss the views they represent lies at the heart of the fair use doctrine,&#8221; and argued that Ono&#8217;s actions threaten free speech.</p></blockquote>
<p>This decision and the 2006 decision referenced above cause me to ask a few questions regarding the implications for music education:</p>
<p>In the 2006 decision, the use of reduced sized Grateful Dead posters was upheld as &#8220;fair use&#8221; within a <i>commercial</i> product because &#8220;courts are more willing to find a secondary use fair when it produces a value that benefits the broader public interest.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the Sidney Stein decision, the use of an excerpt from John Lennon&#8217;s <i>Imagine</i> used in a <i>commercial</i> film for the purpose of criticizing and commenting on issues that &#8220;benefit the broader public interest.&#8221;</p>
<p>So, what are the implications of using copyrighted samples or excerpts of commercial music or videos as part of our students&#8217; educational pursuits? Is careful musical and educational use of commercial music and video in school projects of &#8220;benefit to the broader public interest?&#8221; If our students are utilizing these materials (including YouTube videos) for the purpose of artistic, musical &#8220;comment and criticism,&#8221; would that not also be considered &#8220;fair use&#8221; in light of these decisions? </p>
<p>What is particularly interesting to me is that both of the approved uses described above - using a copyrighted image in reduced resolution and using an excerpt of a copyrighted and performance-righted musical recording - were found to be &#8220;fair use&#8221; in two <i>commerical</i> settings. Also, both uses of copyrighted material seem to have been interpreted b the Judges as a &#8220;transformative&#8221; use (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use">Wikipedia entry on Fair Use</a>). It would seem to me (again I am NO lawyer) that similar uses and creation of original multimedia using music and popular commercial and non-commercial video for &#8220;comment and criticism&#8221; of &#8220;benefit to the broader public interest&#8221; where the work has been &#8220;transformed&#8221; and not wholly-duplicated within an non-profit educational setting of a school would now be permissible as documented by the above case law.  </p>
<p>Let&#8217;s take a look at the &#8220;fair use&#8221; section of the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107:</p>
<blockquote><p>Notwithstanding the provisions of sections § 106 and § 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include:</p>
<ol>
<li>the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;</li>
<li>the nature of the copyrighted work;</li>
<li>the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;</li>
<li>and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.</li>
</ol>
<p>The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.</p></blockquote>
<p>Since the above uses were found to be &#8220;fair use&#8221; within commercial settings, factor #1 in the Copyright Act of 1976 would seem to provide students and teachers working in an educational context even <i>more</i> protection under &#8220;fair use.&#8221; I find the Sidney Stein ruling of particular importance to music educators because it provides case law that extends the &#8220;fair use&#8221; of images to copyrighted and performance-righted musical recordings. </p>
<p>In light of the cases described here, I feel more comfortable letting my students use copyrighted images and musical excerpts in the creative and educational work they do in my K-College music and music ed courses, with the following caveats:</p>
<ol>
<li>The use of the works is in part, and not in whole (e.g., reduced resolution or size)
</li>
<li>The use of the works for the purpose of &#8220;criticism and commentary&#8221;
</li>
<li>The use and <i>creation</i> of the works results in a &#8220;value that benefits the public interest&#8221;
</li>
<li>The use of the works is &#8220;transformative&#8221; such as in a parody or for &#8220;criticism and commentary&#8221;
</li>
<li>The use of the works do not devalue or negatively impact the market of the original copyrighted works
</li>
</ol>
<p>And, I might even be inclined to allow them to put together a compilation CD or DVD and sell them as a fundraiser&#8230;.</p>
<p>What do you think?
</p>
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		<title>Spring cleaning &#038; new beginnings&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/05/10/spring-cleaning-new-beginnings/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/05/10/spring-cleaning-new-beginnings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2008 21:39:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/05/10/spring-cleaning-new-beginnings/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Now that the semester is finished, papers marked, and grades assigned, I am starting to clean out my office at Indiana State. However, instead of sorting, reorganizing and planning for next year, I am boxing everything up in preparation for my upcoming move to beautiful Lowell, Massachusetts. 
Beginning September 1, I will join the faculty [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Now that the semester is finished, papers marked, and grades assigned, I am starting to clean out my office at Indiana State. However, instead of sorting, reorganizing and planning for next year, I am boxing everything up in preparation for my upcoming move to beautiful <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/madeinlowell/sets/72157594579474272/">Lowell, Massachusetts.</a> </p>
<p>Beginning September 1, I will join the faculty at the <a href="http://www.uml.edu/music/">University of Massachusetts Lowell</a>. I am so excited to join my good friend and colleague, <a href="http://www.uml.edu/College/arts_sciences/music/Faculty/Gena_Greher.html">Dr. Gena Greher</a>, at UMass Lowell. Over the past 6 years, she has helped to build a phenomenal music teacher preparation program. One of the most impressive aspects of the program is the depth and breadth of the partnerships among the music department and local schools. In each music education course, students have extensive experiences in the local schools applying what they learn on campus to real-life situations with real students. During one of my campus visits, I was impressed by the number of local K-12 students on campus after school. Almost every night of the week there are local students participating in after school <a href="http://www.uml.edu/College/arts_sciences/music/Community/outreach.html">honor ensembles</a>, <a href="http://www.uml.edu/Media/News%20Articles/article258.html">creative sound play classes</a> and the <a href="http://www.uml.edu/College/arts_sciences/music/Community/outreach.html">UML String Project</a>. Many schools have similar programs, but none that I know of are infused so extensively in the local community. And, very few music education programs truly integrate hands-on field experiences as extensively as UML. </p>
<p>Also of note are the innovative general education courses that bring together the arts, sciences and local community. Students can take interdisciplinary courses like <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Performamatics/index.php?n=Main.Performamatics">Performamatics</a>, <a href="http://artbotics.cs.uml.edu/index.php?n=Main.HomePage">ArtBotics</a>, and <a href="http://www.cs.uml.edu/radical-design/">Radical Design</a>. Each of these courses have major service learning components interfacing UML students with the local community. One project I hope to become involved with is their <a href="http://atp.caeds.eng.uml.edu/">Assistive Technology Program</a>. It would be great to work with the engineering students on developing music specific assistive technologies for special needs students. I wish I had these kinds of courses in my undergrad! </p>
<p><center><img height="320" width="480" src="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Pictures/UMLCS/2008-02-Spring-91.462/images/2008-02-28/Dscn8644.jpg" alt="UML GUI programming and Music Education students working on creating graphic notation software" /><br />
<i>UML Music Education and GUI Programming students working together to create <br />original graphic notation software in the Spring 2008 <a href="http://teaching.cs.uml.edu/Performamatics/index.php?n=Main.Performamatics">Performamatics</a> course.</i></center></p>
<p>This Fall I will be teaching courses in music education research and technology in music education. I get a little bit of relief in my teaching load so that I can spend some time in the local schools getting to know the program and area. My Technology in Music Education students will be working closely with music technology classes at Lowell High School exploring innovative ways of using technology in their own teaching through working with real students and teachers in real classrooms.  I&#8217;ll be updating this blog much more regularly as a part of that course in particular. </p>
<p>Dr. Greher and I are already starting to brainstorm new professional development and Masters-level courses in composing and technology for Summer 2009. Dr. Greher brings extensive experience in technology and creative musicianship as a former music producer for the advertising industry and from her work with the <a href="http://www.tc.columbia.edu/centers/cal/CreativeArtsLaboratory.html">Teachers College Creative Arts Lab</a> in New York City. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!</p>
<p>With the change in job comes a change in contact information. My new email address is Alex_Ruthmann @ uml.edu.  I will continue to check my ISU email through the end of the summer, however. </p>
<p>See you online!
</p>
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		<title>A new international social network for young professionals in music education</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/a-new-international-social-network-for-young-professionals-in-music-education/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/a-new-international-social-network-for-young-professionals-in-music-education/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:24:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Curriculum Ideas</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/a-new-international-social-network-for-young-professionals-in-music-education/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Young Professionals Focus Group (YPFG) of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) has just launched a new online social network - http://ismeypfg.ning.com/ where music educators from around the World can come together to share research, lessons, music, and educational strategies with each other.  
This site was launched as part of a pilot [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="http://www.isme.org/en/membership-information/young-professionals-focus-group.html">Young Professionals Focus Group </a>(YPFG) of the <a href="http://www.isme.org/">International Society for Music Education </a>(ISME) has just launched a <a href="http://ismeypfg.ning.com/">new online social network - http://ismeypfg.ning.com/</a> where music educators from around the World can come together to share research, lessons, music, and educational strategies with each other.  </p>
<p>This site was launched as part of a pilot project using the <a href="http://www.ning.com/">Ning social networking platform</a> to bring together music educators in advance of the <a href="http://www.isme.org/2008/">2008 ISME World Conference</a> this July in Bologna, Italy. Even if you can&#8217;t attend the conference in Italy, please stop by and join. </p>
<p>To start, we have a number of projects integrated into the website:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Research Mentoring</strong> - This group is for you to post questions and abstracts and to discuss anything related to your research or research in general. As the conference approaches, we will post the exact times and presentation schedule for our research sessions.</li>
<li><strong>Social Lounge</strong> - Use this space to talk about anything and to get to know each other. Post your itineraries, places to stay in Bologna, and anything else you&#8217;d like.</li>
<li><strong>Sharing Practice</strong> - This project will be formally launched in a month or so. We are looking to gather stories and examples of what music learning and teaching are like across the World from the perspective of ISME young professionals.</li>
</ol>
<p>Stop by <a href="http://ismeypfg.ning.com/">http://ismeypfg.ning.com/</a> to meet other music educators from around the World!</p>
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		<title>Summer course on using Ning, podcasts, wikis, and blogs in music education</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/summer-course-on-using-ning-podcasts-wikis-and-blogs-in-music-education/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/summer-course-on-using-ning-podcasts-wikis-and-blogs-in-music-education/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:10:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Workshops and Teaching</category>
	<category>Assessment</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/04/23/summer-course-on-using-ning-podcasts-wikis-and-blogs-in-music-education/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This July, I will be teaching a week-long summer course at Central Connecticut State University entitled Podcasts, Blogs, &#038; Wiki&#8217;s&#8230; Oh My! This summer&#8217;s course will focus on using Web 2.0 tools and Ning social networks to extend and support K-College music classes. These tools provide an easy and collaborative way to get your music [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This July, I will be teaching a week-long summer course at <a href="http://www.ccsusmi.com/">Central Connecticut State University</a> entitled <i>Podcasts, Blogs, &#038; Wiki&#8217;s&#8230; Oh My!</i> This summer&#8217;s course will focus on using Web 2.0 tools and Ning social networks to extend and support K-College music classes. These tools provide an easy and collaborative way to get your music program online, to create online communities of practice, and to support student assessment.</p>
<p>Come on out to beautiful New Britain, Connecticut. Tuition, including <em>2 graduate credits</em>, is only <strong>$500!</strong></p>
<p>Here&#8217;s the official blurb:  </p>
<blockquote><p><b>Podcasts, Wikis &#038; Blogs—Oh My!</b><br />
In this hands-on class music teachers will develop strategies to support and extend student learning with online collaborative tools such as social networks, blogs, podcasts, and wikis. These tools provide easy ways to get your music classes online integrating text, video, and audio. Strategies for using these tools to facilitate assessment, writing across the curriculum, and reflective journaling, as well as to support performing, rehearsing, practicing, and composing will be explored. Applications of these tools in settings from elementary through college will be shared and developed. Prerequisite: None. Examples of tools for both Macs and PCs will be shared. Targeted for elementary, middle, high school and college levels, general music or ensembles.</p>
<p><b>50096 MUS 536, Sec 04, 2 credits, $500<br />
July 7-11, 1:15–5:45 pm &#038; Thurs 7-9:30 pm</b></p>
<p>More information and registration available at <a href="http://www.ccsusmi.com/">http://www.ccsusmi.com/</a>
</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Imbee - Social networking for K-12 schools</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/21/imbee-social-networking-for-k-12-schools/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/21/imbee-social-networking-for-k-12-schools/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:12:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Cool Sites</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/21/imbee-social-networking-for-k-12-schools/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve blogged before about using social networking technology to extend and support learning in music classes. When I was teaching middle school general music, I used a custom website with a third-party blog, multimedia player, and wiki. Since then, I&#8217;ve continued using social technologies with my college classes, and most recently with Ning. 
Ning has [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve blogged before about using social networking technology to extend and support learning in music classes. When I was teaching middle school general music, I used a <a href="http://www.cranbrookcomposers.com/">custom website</a> with a third-party blog, multimedia player, and <a href="http://cranbrookcomposers.pbwiki.com/">wiki</a>. Since then, I&#8217;ve continued using social technologies with my college classes, and most recently with <a href="http://www.ning.com">Ning</a>. </p>
<p>Ning has been a great platform for setting up private social networks for my college classes. I use it as the online presence for all the classes I teach, rather than courseware tools like Moodle or Blackboard, because of its ease of use, clean design and integrated audio and video players and storage. What before took a lot of third party tools and time to code and program a website is simplified with Ning. My students and I log in to one site and set up our own personalized profiles to share, discuss, collaborate, and reflect on our compositions, teaching, or readings for class. Anecdotally, my students spend more time on class material responding to posts, sharing their music and providing feedback to each other on their peer teaching videos&#8230; most of it outside of class time. </p>
<p>I recently shared how I have been using these social networking technologies with faculty and students at <a href="http://www.su.edu/">Shenandoah Conservatory</a> and at the <a href="http://www.uiuc.edu/">University of Illinois</a>. When speaking with music education majors and local teachers, many saw the potential of sites like Ning to support learning in K-12 schools, but <strikeout>rightly expressed reservations about the advertising and some of the design features of Ning</strikeout>. <font color="blue">(Thanks to <a href="http://www.stevehargadon.com/">Steve Hargadon</a> at <a href="http://education.ning.com/">http://education.ning.com/</a> for sharing that Ning now will eliminate the ads for K-12 Ning sites!!!) </font>These concerns may now be set aside with a new private social network platform designed specifically for K-12 at <a href="http://www.imbee.com/">http://www.imbee.com/</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.imbee.com/themes/imbeeTheme/images/home/imbee-logo-238nue.jpg"/><br />
Imbee has many of the same features of Ning, including blogs with integrated audio and video players/storage, but without advertising. Imbee also has intriguing and extensive parental and teacher controls. Each student account is connected to a &#8220;parent sponsor&#8221; who has ultimate administrative control over the content for his or her student or child. The design of the site is also kid friendly with bright colors and a clean layout. Take a spin over to <a href="http://www.imbee.com/discover/tour">Imbee.com and take their tour!</a></p>
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		<title>WHAT DOES IMEA MEAN 2 U?</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/18/what-does-imea-mean-2-u/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/18/what-does-imea-mean-2-u/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2008 13:15:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Workshops and Teaching</category>
	<category>Student Projects</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2008/02/18/what-does-imea-mean-2-u/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[INDIANA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION, JANUARY 16-19, 2008
This multimedia project was created by Northwest High School Multimedia Artists    

Sarah Beaty
Chet Patterson
Jeremy Pierson
Tiarress Stokes

Under the expert supervision of Jacquie Dennis, Director of Choral Music at NWHS, with assistance from Kenneth Sallaz, ISU Music Business Major. 
IMEA Technology Chair/Indiana State University:

Dr. Alex Ruthmann

Butler University:

Dr. Tim [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>INDIANA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION, JANUARY 16-19, 2008</h3>
<p>This multimedia project was created by Northwest High School Multimedia Artists    </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Sarah Beaty</strong></li>
<li><strong>Chet Patterson</strong></li>
<li><strong>Jeremy Pierson</strong></li>
<li><strong>Tiarress Stokes</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Under the expert supervision of <strong>Jacquie Dennis</strong>, Director of Choral Music at NWHS, with assistance from <strong>Kenneth Sallaz</strong>, ISU Music Business Major. </p>
<p>IMEA Technology Chair/Indiana State University:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Dr. Alex Ruthmann</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Butler University:
<ul>
<li><strong>Dr. Tim Brimmer, Andrew Cunningham</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Special Thanks to Apple, Inc:
<ul>
<li><strong>Joseph Lee &#038; Dick Hamstra</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>This project was created, edited and produced with four MacBooks using Apple’s iMovie, published on the internet using Apple’s iWeb.</p>
<br/><a href="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/imea2008.mov">Download Podcast Video</a><br/>]]></content:encoded>
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			<enclosure url="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/imea2008.mov" length="5498066" type="video/quicktime"/>
<itunes:duration>5:46</itunes:duration>
		<itunes:subtitle>INDIANA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION, JANUARY 16-19, 2008

This multimedia project was created by Northwest High School Multimedia Artists    
    Sarah ...</itunes:subtitle>
		<itunes:summary>INDIANA MUSIC EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION, JANUARY 16-19, 2008

This multimedia project was created by Northwest High School Multimedia Artists    
    Sarah Beaty

    Chet Patterson

    Jeremy Pierson

    Tiarress Stokes

Under the expert supervision of Jacquie Dennis, Director of Choral Music at NWHS, with assistance from Kenneth Sallaz, ISU Music Business Major. 


IMEA Technology Chair/Indiana State University:

    Dr. Alex Ruthmann

Butler University:
    Dr. Tim Brimmer, Andrew Cunningham

Special Thanks to Apple, Inc:
   Joseph Lee &amp; Dick Hamstra


This project was created, edited and produced with four MacBooks using Apple’s iMovie, published on the internet using Apple’s iWeb.
Download Podcast Video</itunes:summary>
		<itunes:keywords>Workshops and Teaching, Student Projects</itunes:keywords>
		<itunes:author>Alex Ruthmann</itunes:author>
		<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
		<itunes:block>No</itunes:block>
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		<title>Using Amazon&#8217;s UnSpun with classroom blogs</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/12/10/using-amazons-unspun-with-classroom-blogs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/12/10/using-amazons-unspun-with-classroom-blogs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:29:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/12/10/using-amazons-unspun-with-classroom-blogs/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Today, I came across a new Amazon.com service called UnSpun. UnSpun is a social list creation and sharing site with some unique possibilities for supporting learning in classrooms. 
For a while now, I have been looking for a Web 2.0 tool that would enable my students, after reading a post or article on one of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.pastorblog.com/wp-content/uploads/unspun.jpg"  />Today, I came across a new Amazon.com service called <a href="http://unspun.amazon.com/">UnSpun</a>. UnSpun is a social list creation and sharing site with some unique possibilities for supporting learning in classrooms. </p>
<p>For a while now, I have been looking for a Web 2.0 tool that would enable my students, after reading a post or article on one of my course blogs, to be able to easily post their own questions and/or comments to be shared with the whole class. The architecture of blogs inherently supports readers adding comments to posts. However, when you have a lot of posts to read from a large number of students in a course, it takes a long time for the instructor to read and synthesize the themes and issues that emerge in students&#8217; responses. As a teacher, I often base my class discussions on the topics raised by students in their blog post responses. Since I began facilitating my classes through blogs and social networks, I&#8217;ve wanted an easy tool where students could centrally post their questions and comments and vote the most important questions/comments (to them) higher and lower (similar to Digg.com).  Amazon&#8217;s UnSpun now gives me that functionality.</p>
<p>Check out an embedded UnSpun list in this blog post:</p>
<p><script type="text/javascript" src="http://unspun.amazon.com/widget/embed/wide/11700?width=448&amp;height=360"></script></p>
<p>Now, UnSpun looks to be quite nice for what I&#8217;d like it to do. However, as with many third-party social networking and Web 2.0 tools, there are pros and cons:</p>
<p><strong>Pros:</strong> Readers can easily add their own questions and comments, these are placed in a central box which can easily be placed anywhere on a blog through the widget/embed code functions, readers can vote questions and comments they view to be more relevant to them higher on the list.  Voting up or down an existing comment or question does not require signing in.</p>
<p><strong>Cons:</strong> Readers have to have an Amazon.com account, they have to sign in to that account when adding a question.</p>
<p><strong>Middle Ground: </strong>If you click to add another question or comment, you are taken to your list on Amazon&#8217;s UnSpun website. Once on this site, you can edit your questions, merge duplicates (a good function for the teacher), and add comments. It might get a little complicated and confusing if students decide to add comments on this page&#8230; there seems to be no indication on the embeddable widget that comments exist on the UnSpun website. </p>
<p>So, UnSpun looks to be a promising tool at least worth trying with my students this coming semester. If anyone knows of other Web 2.0 tools with similar functionality, please let me know.</p>
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		<title>ATMI 2007 Pre-conference Technology Bootcamp</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/11/14/atmi-2007-pre-conference-technology-bootcamp/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/11/14/atmi-2007-pre-conference-technology-bootcamp/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:40:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/11/14/atmi-2007-pre-conference-technology-bootcamp/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Using Blogs to Facilitate College Courses - 2006-2007
ISU Music in Special Education
ISU Technology for Musicians
ISU Elementary General Music Methods
Using Social Networks to Facilitate College Courses - 2007-2008
ISU Secondary General Music Methods
ISU Technology for Musicians
Other Examples of Online Collaborative Tools in Music and Music Education
Wiki - Cranbrook Composers&#8217; Emergent Encyclopedia of Composing
Online Collaborative Composing Communities - [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Using Blogs to Facilitate College Courses - 2006-2007</strong><br />
<blockquote><a href="http://isumus418.blogspot.com/">ISU Music in Special Education</a><br />
<a href="http://isumus204.blogspot.com/">ISU Technology for Musicians</a><br />
<a href="http://isumus392.blogspot.com/">ISU Elementary General Music Methods</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Using Social Networks to Facilitate College Courses - 2007-2008</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://isumus393.ning.com/">ISU Secondary General Music Methods</a><br />
<a href="http://isumus204.ning.com/">ISU Technology for Musicians</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Other Examples of Online Collaborative Tools in Music and Music Education</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><strong>Wiki </strong>- <a href="http://cranbrookcomposers.pbwiki.com/">Cranbrook Composers&#8217; Emergent Encyclopedia of Composing</a><br />
<strong>Online Collaborative Composing Communities</strong> - <a href="http://www.funkdammen.fi/">Funkdammen</a>, <a href="http://www.dbass.org/">dBass</a>, <a href="http://www.acidplanet.com/">Acid Planet</a> &#038; <a href="http://unesco.uiah.fi/water">UNESCO Sounds of our Water.<br />
</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Blogging Resources</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Blogger</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wordpress.com/">Wordpress</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Social Network Resources</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.ning.com/">Ning</a><br />
<a href="http://www.kickapps.com/">KickApps</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>Online Multimedia Storage and Sharing Resources</strong></p>
<blockquote><p>Audio - <a href="http://www.odeo.com/">Odeo</a><br />
Video - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a><br />
Video - <a href="http://video.google.com/">Google Video</a><br />
Multimedia Annotation - <a href="http://www.mojiti.com/">Mojiti</a></p></blockquote>
<p><strong>New Book</strong></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-Education-Digital-Technology-Finney/dp/0826494145/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1195060566&#038;sr=8-1">Music Education with Digital Technology</a> - J. Finney &#038; P. Burnard (Eds.). Continuum Press. ISBN: 0826494145. Ruthmann, A. Chapter 11: Strategies for supporting music learning through online collaborative technologies.</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-Education-Digital-Technology-Finney/dp/0826494145/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books&#038;qid=1195060566&#038;sr=8-1"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31iOmpAWHdL._AA240_.jpg" alt="Music Education with Digital Technology" /></a></p>
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		<title>Article on Wikis in School Library Journal and the new Mojiti.com</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/04/07/article-on-wikis-in-school-library-journal-and-the-new-mojiticom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/04/07/article-on-wikis-in-school-library-journal-and-the-new-mojiticom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 07 Apr 2007 20:44:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Musings</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/04/07/article-on-wikis-in-school-library-journal-and-the-new-mojiticom/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Back in the Fall of 2005 when I was first experimenting with Wikis in my middle school classroom, Eric Oatman, a news and features editor at the School Library Journal interviewed a number of teachers across the country (including me) about how we were using Wikis with our students. 
The product of these interviews was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Back in the Fall of 2005 when I was first experimenting with Wikis in my middle school classroom, Eric Oatman, a news and features editor at the <em><a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/">School Library Journal</a></em> interviewed a number of teachers across the country (including me) about how we were using Wikis with our students. </p>
<p>The product of these interviews was an <a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6277799.html">article on their website</a> sharing a number of cool ways to integrate wikis into classes of all sorts. Though this article was written in 2005, it still provides a good overview of the possibilities of using wikis in your classroom. Since 2005, there have been many innovations in Wiki technology, most notably that many sites such as <a href="http://www.pbwiki.com">PBWiki.com</a> and <a href="http://www.wikispaces.com">Wikispaces.com</a> easily allow you and your students to create and manage wiki entries without having to know the special &#8220;markup&#8221; language many wiki interfaces required back in 2005. As with any technology, innovation continues and many become easier to use. Such has been the case with wikis over the past three years. </p>
<p>Back when I originally created the <a href="http://cranbrookcomposers.pbwiki.com/">Emergent Encyclopedia of Composing</a> for my middle school students, I browsed around and tested a number of free wiki sites and finally settled on PBWiki.com. I still use PBWiki today for my college classes because of its ease of use and multimedia features.</p>
<p>Since installing their new &#8220;point and click&#8221; interface back in January, users can now easily upload and post photos and streaming videos from YouTube, streaming audio from <a href="http://YackPack.com">YackPack.com</a>, add a chat room, install Google Gadgets, among other things. </p>
<p>As I have continued to experiment with wikis in music-related classes, the ability for students to create entries embedded with video and audio has become important. Though most wikis are optimized for textual and, to an extent, photographic-based collaboration, my students are moving toward conveying their ideas  in audio and video form. Earlier this week <a href="http://www.Mojiti.com">Mojiti.com</a>, previously featured on my blog <a href="http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/08/two-new-and-intriging-collaborative-web-tools/">here</a>, released a new set of features that my students are already beginning to take advantage of. </p>
<p>The latest updates to Mojiti include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Multimedia annotations. Users can overlay/embed their own audio or video into a video.</li>
<li>Freehand drawing support. Users can add their own Madden-style writing overlays.</li>
<li>Mojiti-to-go Bookmarklet. This feature enables you to add a plug-in to your web browser which allows you to add Mojiti features to any streaming video hosted on the web.</li>
</ul>
<p>Watch below or <a href="http://mojiti.com/kan/3218/7576">click here</a> to see the new features in action.</p>
<p><object height="381" width="425"><br />
<param name="movie" value="http://mojiti.com/bofangqi/3218/7576"></param><embed height="381" src="http://mojiti.com/bofangqi/3218/7576" width="425"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>12-year old investigates music participation</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/22/12-year-old-investigates-music-participation/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/22/12-year-old-investigates-music-participation/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2007 13:47:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Musings</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/22/12-year-old-investigates-music-participation/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I just received a fascinating email from Cambridge Journals, the publisher of one of the leading music education research journals, the British Journal of Music Education (BJME). BJME just published a research study conducted and written by a 12-year old student, Eleanor Denny. Working with researchers and other children at Open University, Eleanor designed, conducted, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I just received a fascinating email from <a href="http://cup.msgfocus.com/c/18GvW7Mv9zdezt">Cambridge Journals</a>, the publisher of one of the leading music education research journals, the <em><a href="http://cup.msgfocus.com/c/18GtwLYdCLoOvh">British Journal of Music Education (BJME)</a></em>. BJME just published a research study conducted and written by a 12-year old student, Eleanor Denny. Working with researchers and other children at Open University, Eleanor designed, conducted, and wrote up a fascinating study about why students participate in musical experiences. </p>
<p>Here is her abstract:</p>
<blockquote><p>I undertook this project as a 12-year-old student while studying research methods at the<br />
Children’s Research Centre at the Open University. It has already been shown that doing<br />
music improves children’s Mathematics and English scores. The aim of this study was to<br />
find out if it also raises the aspirations of the children taking part. A questionnaire was<br />
given out to 80 Year 7 children at two schools in Milton Keynes. Questions investigated<br />
the children’s musical participation and future aspirations as well as their parents’ attitudes<br />
and education.</p>
<p>The most important findings are that the musical participation of the children is<br />
positively correlated with their future aspirations. Musical participation is most closely<br />
linked with parental enthusiasm for it. Parental pressure and education were found to<br />
have no link with musical participation, but families with low incomes may find affording<br />
musical activities hard to maintain. </p>
<p>It is recommended that more money be put into music education so children of low<br />
socio-economic backgrounds can have more of a chance to play musical instruments. </p></blockquote>
<p>You can download and read the full research article <a href="http://cup.msgfocus.com/c/18Gu86Vi0sQV1k">here</a>.  Dr. John Finney from the University of Cambridge wrote a wonderful response to her article <a href="http://cup.msgfocus.com/c/18GuJrSmoaj1xn">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Implications for music education</strong></p>
<p>Why don&#8217;t we involve our students more in our research?  Is the traditional &#8220;top-down&#8221; approach the best way to affect change in music education? I love John Finney&#8217;s idea that we should involve our students as &#8220;co-enquirers&#8221; in our research.  All too often, we place ourselves as teachers and researchers in the role of &#8220;most knowledgeable&#8221; when, perhaps, our students should be seen in that role.  </p>
<p>It is a great day in music education when one of the world&#8217;s leading music education research journals publishes a research study conducted and written by a 12-year old. Congratulations Eleanor!</p>
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		<title>Two new and intriguing collaborative web tools</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/08/two-new-and-intriging-collaborative-web-tools/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/08/two-new-and-intriging-collaborative-web-tools/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:27:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Computer-supported Collaborative Learning</category>
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Cool Sites</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/03/08/two-new-and-intriging-collaborative-web-tools/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mojiti.com and Ning.com
Mojiti.com is a useful tool for those of us who need to annotate video clips.  You can either upload your own video to Mojiti or link to another video online (perhaps stored over at youtube.com or video.google.com) and add your own text and graphics as a layer on top of the video. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Mojiti.com and Ning.com</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://www.Mojiti.com">Mojiti.com</a> is a useful tool for those of us who need to annotate video clips.  You can either upload your own video to Mojiti or link to another video online (perhaps stored over at youtube.com or video.google.com) and add your own text and graphics as a layer on top of the video. As your video plays back, your subtitles, or comments, or graphics appear and disappear. Here are some ideas for the music classroom:</p>
<ul>
<li>Post a video of your rehearsal and invite your students to create their own overlay/spot organizer adding comments about the rehearsal</li>
<li>In music education methods courses and student teaching supervision, videos of student teaching could be uploaded to Mojiti and both the student and the teacher could provide embedded comments right at the spot in the video where the comment was relevant. I have started having my student teachers upload their video and add their comments before I watch and give my own. </li>
<li>In a technology-infused music class, you could ask your students who were creating original soundtracks to video clips or creating multimedia projects involving video to add their own directors/composers commentary layer describing the processes they used as well as their expressive intent.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://mojiti.com/kan/941/1204">Click here to see Mojiti in action.<br />
</a></p>
<hr /></p>
<p>
<a href="http://www.ning.com">Ning.com</a> <em>(special thanks to Steve Bizub for showing me this site)</em> is a free social networking site that you can set up for your music classes.  It enables you to create a collaborative web site for your classroom similar to myspace.com or facebook.com while keeping everything private. Students can create their own profiles and blogs, as well as upload photos and videos. One feature they plan on announcing soon is the ability to upload streaming audio files which would be perfect for a music class. Not only will you as teacher be able to upload audio files, but the students will as well&#8230; all within a private, password-protected space.</p>
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		<title>How to listen to music like a teacher of composing&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/13/how-to-listen-to-music-like-a-teacher-of-composing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/13/how-to-listen-to-music-like-a-teacher-of-composing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:44:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Curriculum Ideas</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/13/how-to-listen-to-music-like-a-teacher-of-composing/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Writing workshop educator Katie Wood Ray has written a great chapter on how to read like a teacher of writing.  It has always been a challenge for me and with the methods students I work with to know how to find good pieces of music that can serve as models of compositional process for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Writing workshop educator <a href="http://books.heinemann.com/authors/1636.aspx">Katie Wood Ray</a> has written a <a href="http://pd.heinemann.com/shared/onlineresources/E00364/chapter6.pdf">great chapter on how to read like a teacher of writing</a>.  It has always been a challenge for me and with the methods students I work with to know how to find good pieces of music that can serve as models of compositional process for young composers. </p>
<p>An approach I have found useful in my own teaching has been to read Katie&#8217;s chapter, but instead substitute the word &#8220;listening&#8221; when she writes &#8220;reading,&#8221; substitute &#8220;piece of music&#8221; when she writes &#8220;text,&#8221; and substitute &#8220;composing&#8221; when she writes &#8220;writing.&#8221;  The pedagogical models used in process writing classrooms and approaches to &#8220;listening&#8221; by Katie Wood Ray can have tremendous results when adapted for use to support student composing in music classes.  Give it a try!</p>
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		<title>What is the Web 2.0?</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/web-20-explained/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/web-20-explained/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:40:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Musings</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/web-20-explained/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many people have asked me to define &#8220;Web 2.0.&#8221; In attempting to answer this question, I often ramble way too long about how about collaboration, rich media, blogs, wikis, and social networking sites.  However, the other day on YouTube, I found the following video created by Professor Michael Wesch from the Digital Ethnography Project [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Many people have asked me to define &#8220;Web 2.0.&#8221; In attempting to answer this question, I often ramble way too long about how about collaboration, rich media, blogs, wikis, and social networking sites.  However, the other day on YouTube, I found the following video created by <a href="http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?author=1">Professor Michael Wesch</a> from the Digital Ethnography Project over at Kansas State University. This video entitled: &#8220;The Machine is Us/ing Us&#8221; sums it up!</p>
<p><object width="425" height="350"><br />
<param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6gmP4nk0EOE"></param>
<param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6gmP4nk0EOE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>My students&#8217; work featured at ATMI 2006.</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/loop-based-composing/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/loop-based-composing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:29:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/loop-based-composing/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[At the 2006 ATMI (Association for Technology in Music Instruction) conference, Dr. Jay Dorfman and Dr. Marc Jacoby featured some of my middle school students&#8217; compositions and wiki entries from our Cranbrook Composers website as part of a panel discussion entitled: Loop-based Software: Philosophy and Practice. 
Download their Powerpoint presentation here.

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>At the 2006 <a href="http://atmionline.org/">ATMI (Association for Technology in Music Instruction)</a> conference, <a href="http://dept.kent.edu/Music/faculty_pages/dorfman.htm">Dr. Jay Dorfman</a> and <a href="http://www.wcupa.edu/CVPA/som/me_faculty_mjacoby.htm">Dr. Marc Jacoby</a> featured some of my middle school students&#8217; compositions and wiki entries from our <a href="http://www.cranbrookcomposers.com">Cranbrook Composers</a> website as part of a panel discussion entitled: <em>Loop-based Software: Philosophy and Practice</em>. </p>
<p><a href="http://atmionline.org/Conferences/Conf2006/Presentations/DorfmanJacoby.ppt">Download their Powerpoint presentation here</a>.
</p>
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		<title>MusicalCreativity.com</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/musicalcreativitycom/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/musicalcreativitycom/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Feb 2007 06:15:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Resources for Teaching</category>
	<category>Cool Sites</category>
	<category>Announcements</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/11/musicalcreativitycom/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The MENC Creativity Special Research Interest Group (SRIG) just launched their new website: http://www.musicalcreativity.com.  This website is a great resource for teachers and researchers who are interested in issues related to musical creativity and resources for the classroom. 
The first featured newsletter is written by Dr. Susan Mills from Appalachian State University. Be sure [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The MENC Creativity Special Research Interest Group (SRIG) just launched their new website: <a href="http://www.musicalcreativity.com">http://www.musicalcreativity.com</a>.  This website is a great resource for teachers and researchers who are interested in issues related to musical creativity and resources for the classroom. </p>
<p>The first featured newsletter is written by Dr. Susan Mills from Appalachian State University. Be sure to check out her ideas for arranging and composing in the classroom</p>
<p>I currently serve as Web Editor for MusicalCreativity.com. So, if you have any feedback or suggestions for content, please feel free to email me and let us know. Also, if you have something to contribute, please email our Creativity SRIG Chair <a href="mailto:kaschub@usm.maine.edu">Michele Kaschub</a>.<br />
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		<title>Composing music based on the actual processes of composers</title>
		<link>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/09/30/</link>
		<comments>http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/02/09/30/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 09 Feb 2007 21:13:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Ruthmann</dc:creator>
		
	<category>Curriculum Ideas</category>
	<category>Pedagogical Ideas</category>
	<category>Musings</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.alexruthmann.com/blog/2007/01/21/30/</guid>
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In my middle school classes, my students often began composing after analyzing an existing piece of music to serve as a model or example to get their own compositional ideas. Because my students were working with loop-based software, I tried to find intriguing pieces of music that were based around loops or extended ostinati. When [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.cellobop.com/images/bioright.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.cellobop.com/images/bioright.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.cellobop.com/"></a></p>
<p>In my middle school classes, my students often began composing after analyzing an existing piece of music to serve as a model or example to get their own compositional ideas. Because my students were working with loop-based software, I tried to find intriguing pieces of music that were based around loops or extended ostinati. When I was listening to the CDs that accompany the new Silver Burdett <em>Making Music</em> series, I ran across a track in Grade 2 entitled <em>Fish Food</em> by electric cellist Gideon Freudmann. </p>
<p>I tracked Gideon down on the web through his website and asked him about his process for creating Fish Food:</p>
<blockquote><p>I recorded Fish Food with my electric cello and a <a href="http://www.loopers-delight.com/tools/jamman/jamman.html">Lexicon JamMan</a> - a nice rack-mounted looper that has not been on the market for several years. Lately I have been using a foot peddle looper - the <a href="http://www.loopers-delight.com/tools/RC20/boss-rc20.html">Boss Loop Station (RC-20)</a>. It&#8217;s not stereo, but very easy to use and has some other nice features.</p>
<p>Fish Food is from my CD, <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=81598683&#038;s=143441">Hologram Crackers</a> which is an entire album of loop based electric cello instrumental tunes (all original. It&#8217;s available, along with my other CDs at <a href="http://www.cellobop.com/">http://www.cellobop.com</a>. Fish Food is an unusual tune in that the &#8220;verse&#8221; has three measures in 7 and one in 6.</p>
<p>The tune was recorded mostly in one pass with the looper - playing the the strum phrase first and then building the layers of the loop on top of it.  Once it was all there I improvised some leads over the top - again, all in the one pass. When I mixed it down, I started the piece at a point where the loop with all the layers were established (as opposed to some other tunes where left in each layer as they get added) and at the very end I overdubbed a few of the weird atonal sounds. The big chord that begins and ends the tune came from another tune and those were the last sounds to be added.&#8221; (<span style="font-style: italic;">personal communication)</span></p></blockquote>
<p>Not only were my students informed by analyzing the recording of <em>Fish Food</em>, but they also were informed by Gideon&#8217;s personal process of working with a stand-alone loop-pedal and production process in his studio. </p>
<p>I wish as teachers we had access to more stories of the actual production and composing processes musicians use to create music today. I did find a few older sources, such as writings by Igor Stravinsky (Poetics of Music) and Aaron Copland (What to listen for in music.) but what about more contemporary music and musicians?</p>
<p>In the bargain bin at a Tuesday Morning, I found a great book entitled: <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Off-Record-Songwriters-Graham-Nash/dp/0740726781/sr=8-4/qid=1171742546/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/103-7923320-7360669?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books">Off the record: Songwriters on songwriting</a></em> by Graham Nash. This book and set of audio CDs includes interviews with Randy Bachman, David Crosby, John Lee Hooker, and others. </p>
<p>Another interesting book is <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Music-Conversations-Generations-Experimental/dp/0306808935/sr=8-1/qid=1171742836/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-7923320-7360669?ie=UTF8&#038;s=books">Talking Music: Conversations With John Cage, Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, and Five Generations of American Experimental Composers</a></em> by William Duckworth. This book shares interviews and conversations with the above mentioned composers and others. I have found great quotes and descriptions of process in this book to share with my students.</p>
<p>For the most up-to-date examples of process, I have found <a href="http://www.jsavage.org.uk/">Jon Savage&#8217;s</a> <a href="http://www.sound2picture.net">Sound2Picture</a> resources to be most intriguing. In this resource and in his own <a href="http://81.179.47.224/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&#038;task=section&#038;id=41&#038;Itemid=86">personal blog</a>, Jon shares detailed notes and videos of sound designer Andrew Diey. In these notes, Andrew talks about his composing process for each of the films and computer games he composed for in the Sound2Picture and Sound2Game projects.</p>
<p>Lastly, <a href="http://www.samreese.com/">Sam Reese</a> pointed me in the direction of a great article by University of Illinois composer <a href="http://www.music.uiuc.edu/facultyBio.php?id=86">Stephen Taylor</a> entitled: <a href="http://www.sibelius.com/articles/translating.html">Translating unapproachable light: How composers write music.</a> This article describes his own process composing a piece entitled: <em>Unapproachable Light</em>. Lots of great insight here that should be shared with student composers.</p>
<hr />
<p>If you are interested in listening to <em>Fish Food</em> or using it with your students, check out the following information:<br />
<a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=81598683&#038;s=143441&amp;i=81598675">Fish Food</a><span style="font-style: italic;">  </span><span style="font-size:78%;">(click to listen to and/or purchase from <a href="http://www.itunes.com/">iTunes</a>)<br />
</span>Gideon Freudmann - <a href="http://www.cellobop.com/">http://www.cellobop.com</a><br />
2005 album <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=81598683&#038;s=143441">Hologram Crackers</a></p>
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