iPhone

I know this doesn't exactly pertain to the readings this week, however, I would like to talk about one of the most well-rounded and most used devices in may classroom, the iPhone.  I use several apps on my iPhone everyday.  The Cleartune app, is a chromatic tuner, which makes easier tuning sections and/or individuals.  Tempo 2, a metronome app, is very similar to a Dr. Beat with the multitude of subdivisions and meter options.  But Tempo 2 allows you to set play lists of for specific tempos, this is a great options during musicals or, as a professional musician, at gigs.  FingerCharts is my favorite app, because it has all of the brass and woodwind instrument fingerings, as well as, alternate fingerings.  As a percussionist teaching at the high school level, this is a great app to have for helping students find better fingerings and/or difficult notes in the higher range.  Chords is a guitar chord guide app and I use it primarily in my jazz ensembles when chord changes become more difficult.  Chords is also nice because it allows you the option to play back the chord or play each individual note.  For bass guitar, I have Fret Surfer Bass.  This app allows my to check out bass positions to help with difficult runs during my jazz ensembles.  I use iTalk a lot to record my rehearsals.  I can record, listen, and email with this app.  It is nice to be able to hook up my phone on the way home and evaluate a rehearsal.  The iReal Book is a great app for any "jazzers" out there.  I have to list what this app can do:

• Create, collect and share chord charts or your favorite songs for reference while practicing or performing.
• Practice with a full rhythm section (Piano or Guitar plus Bass and Drums) with realistic sounding accompaniments for any properly formatted chord chart.
• The play along feature includes Jazz Medium Swing, Bossa Nova and Rock styles.
• In-App Purchase is available for: Jazz Styles Pack (12 styles), Latin Styles Pack (7 styles) and Pop Styles Pack (10 styles). See demos below.
• Includes 50 exercises for practicing common chord progressions.
• Each song can be transposed to any key or to number notation (Nashville system).
• Eb, Bb, F and G global transpositions for horn players.
• Create multiple editable playlists.
• Create new chord charts or edit existing ones with the built-in editor.
• Share individual songs or playlists with other iReal b users via email or through the forums.
• Share printable versions of individual songs via email.
• Print any chart using AirPrint (requires iOS 4.2).
• Export audio as WAV and AAC (requires iOS 4).
• Loop a number of bars for focused practicing.
• Customizable color themes.
• Support for iRig/AmpliTube and other guitar connection kits using the Background Audio setting.
• Universal App: runs on any iPhone or iPod Touch device as well as running optimized on the iPad (Requires iOS 3.1 or higher).

As you can see this app is great for not only my own personal use, but can be and is used in my classroom to for improv in my jazz ensembles.  Also having the power of iTunes is great, it allows you to pull music examples.  I don't know how many times I have been in a class and I think of a tune that I could reference something from and I just pull my iTunes library up and show them.  It is also nice having the power to download songs instantly.  I could go on more about the iPhone but I will just leave you with this last thought.  We live in a world and are educating students that have immediate information at their finger tips, we need to use this technology to keep up and give relevance to our students.  I feel the iPhone and iPad are two of the most prolific inventions of our time and can be used for great things within our classrooms, we just have to finds creative ways to use them.