Will Hay

Tag: technology

  • Sea-side composition

    An update on the Sea Idylls Composition Project 2012

    v1.1 of the video template is now available. The format and structure remains unchanged but the video track now includes some moving images amongst the sequence of stills.

    To use the updated video template in your noteflight composition, you need to delete the current video from your score, then copy and paste the new template URL ” http://youtu.be/hQd0TtVF38w ” as a video track on your sea idylls score.

    I am really pleased with the amount of effort going into the current composition project. There are 31 scores currently in progress, many are nearly finished and will soon be ready to record the audio and render the final videos.

    Starting this coming week, I will be incorporating listening activities into the curriculum I teach in piano lessons. The listening material will be available through an evernote shared folder which students can access on their iPods/iPads etc. Visit the folder link above on the device and it should open the link in Evernote and give the option to link to your evernote account so that it is always easily accessible within the app. Listening for the rest of the term will be around the nautical theme to fit around the Sea Idylls project and thereafter will be tied in with the theme of study/composition project for the term.

  • Audio Targets with Evernote

    The traditional paper lesson notebook has finally come of age. Many students regularly use their mobile devices for purposes other than just playing games.  Now they are encouraged to use the iPod, iPad, iPhone, Android Phone, Android Tablet, Blackberry, Windows or Mac Laptop to help with  piano practise.

    I have been using Evernote to keep student lesson notes since September. The best thing about the app is the way it instantly synchronises the notes between all of my devices so whether the lesson is carried out in school and I’ve made notes on the laptop or at my home studio and I’ve made them on the desktop, I know they’ll always be wherever I need them.

    This technology enables the use of “audio targets” in lessons. During the lesson, I will demonstrate to the student the section of the piece they need to learn and record it at the speed that I expect them to be able to play it. The audio clip goes into the lesson note in Evernote and is instantly and automatically synchronised with their iPod at home (once the notebook is shared). When they come to practise, they can be reminded exactly what the piece they are doing should sound like and can tell whether they can meet the target. If not, it is clear that they need to practise more until they can play along with the audio clip on the iPod at the target speed.

    If you have already had an email through about evernote sharing and have a question, or if you would like to use this facility and haven’t yet had a sharing email through then please get in touch.

    Evernote Sharing