By Gary Heimbauer, PS317Q, Waterside Children’s Studio School, Queens, NY
Email: gary@littlekidsrock.org
What are your favorite ways to use technology in your room?
What technologies would you like to have, that you don’t
have?
As a music teacher, What technologies would you really like to
learn more about?
-Tips, not tutorials.
-Sharing possibilities so that you might see some value
and invest afterwards.
-At the end, we will have a more open discussion, at which
time we can go deeper into topics that you are interested
in!
- Take notes on anything you want to know more about
later.
Email me any questions, at any time, to
gary@littlekidsrock.org
What do Students in Classrooms
Look Like in 2014?
 Students are often sitting in groups
 Students are working collaboratively
 Students are working independently
 Each student or group of students are
working on something different, and may
rotate around the room (centers).
 Students are often noisy, partaking in
exciting discussions with their peers!
 No longer is it, teacher leads, children follow for
more than only brief instances of a mini-lesson and a
demonstration of how to successfully complete a
task.
 Now, teacher facilitates student-centered
project/task based learning for all learners on an
individual or small group basis.
 Factors include learning style, interest, strengths,
weaknesses, personality, etc.
 Teachers are often circulating the room, offering
their help 1 on 1 or to small groups.
 Teachers are observing and taking notes.
The use of technology is the only way to
effectively bring these progressive learning and
teaching scenarios happening in public school
classrooms, into a Modern Band room.
In my experience, unlike with other subjects, using
technology is the ONLY WAY to create opportunities for
PRACTICAL independent and small group musical
experiences in an enclosed space of 20 or more children.
Chaotic cacophony just does not work. It is tiring for the kids,
the teacher, and is not conducive to creativity and musical
achievement.
With electric instruments, headphones and splitters,
tablets, iRigs, Mini amps, computers, videos, software,
the internet, and silent rehearsal modules have opened
up a whole new laundry list of ways to teach and learn
in the music room.
You can average 2000 dollars a year or more in
funding through grants, with just a bit of
footwork!
1. Donorschoose.org
2. Target Grant
3. Daddario grant
1. Promote your project by making student videos and
sharing them with the whole community, who will also
share. Try to catch on to a trend or something popular.
2. Do a few small projects instead of one huge one.
3. Donate to other projects within your field or location.
4. Try to find special projects, and make yours fit.
Your school may very well have old (OR NEW) iPads,
MacBooks, and other useful technology not being used.
Last year I got 5 teachers to each loan me 1 ipad from
their classroom, and I borrowed 4 iPad 2s that were in
the main office, collecting dust.
 Do not be afraid to petition your friends on facebook
too!
In the following few slides you will
see a list of items that will be
discussed in this presentation.
Just dream for now, but with some
creative strategy, your dreams can
come true!
Keyboards, Electric Guitars, *ELECTRIC drum
kits, electric basses, microphones, cables,
amplifiers with aux in, and headphone out (most
LKR ones have this feature such as the Fender
Mustang)
•A great economical option that is easily stored
and fits on a snare stand - Yamaha DD-45, plus
any keyboard sustain pedal for kick drum feature:
• Drum Kit Vid
FROM MOST EXPENSIVE TO LEAST EXPENSIVE
4 – 6 iPads or tablets, but the more the merrier. ($1200-1800 for ipads,
Much cheaper for tablets) and/or Laptops (hopefully available at your
school)
 jamhub or mixer with headphone amp for silent rehearsals. ($80-$290)
Field Recorder (recommended Zoom H2N ) ($90-250)
HDTV, projector or smartboard. ($200-too much)
Loop Station to teach arranging, harmony, etc. ($150-500)
 iRig Pro for recording and playing on ipads. ($120)
Apple TV or Roku for wireless projection and audio playback ($100)
Bluetooth Speakers or Bluetooth Receiver ($50-100)
,Joyo Mini Amp for silent practicing ($12 each)
,Audacity Imovie, etc. for editing sound and video. (Free-$20)
Garage Band, Amazing Slow Downer and other apps. (Free-$20)

a YouTube page, and Facebook Page (Free)
• Lots of 3.5mm to 1/4 in adapters (more
info in next slide)
• A few mono to stereo 1/4 inch adapters
• Lots of Auxiliary Cables, both 3.5 on both
ends, and .RCA/3.5mm
• Lots of Instrument Cables
• Lots of batteries for all your gadgets and
keyboards!
Headphones
and
splitters.
Recommended: Belkin
Rockstar 5 way (12.50), and
any well reviewed 2 Way (Y
cable, $2-6)
Headphones: (search EBay
HOSA Headphone Lot) –
Seller has warehouse full at
up to 90% off retail price.
You’ve got 30 band kids in your room. All
of the following is happening
simultaneously, in the same room:
5 of your singers are learning the lower harmony and 5 are
learning the upper harmony of the song” Royals”.
One of your drummers is having a really hard time with
“Thank You For Being a Friend” (yep, from the Golden Girls)
and is working on it alone.
There’s a kid on keys and a kid on electric guitar trying to
lock up with each other on the bridge to the same song.
Another kid is learning the famous keys solo on “Green
Onions.”
3 other kids are working on guitar improv phrasing for
Green “Onions” by doing call and response, follow the
leader, etc.
5 others are working on their guitar chords for “Crazy”.
A
4 horn players are working on a
5
up
their original
in Garageon
harmonized
horn partrecording
as
improvisation,
Band.
an original student composition.
Many districts block YouTube, and some people don’t
have internet.
Options for no internet:
- Create your own videos and save to hard drive
- Keepvid.com
- Youtube Downloader apps
Options for blocked youtube with internet:
- upload to google “Drive,” share, and stream
5 of your singers are learning the lower harmony
and 5 are learning the upper harmony of the song”
Royals”.
Royals Harmony Video
Materials Needed: 2 ipads/ipods/laptops, 2 five
way splitters, 10 pairs of headphones, a video
explaining/demonstrating/teaching the harmony for
them to watch.
IMovie Demo 1
•
•
•
•
Selecting file
Overlaying words
creating title
editing start and end time
Note to self: use kids dancing in Movies
folder..
One of your drummers is having a really hard
time with “Thank You For Being a Friend” and
is working on it alone.
MATERIALS NEEDED: electric drum kit (DD-45 or better), double
AA batteries or power supply, auxiliary cable, sustain pedal,
headphones, iPad/iPod/laptop/tablet with previously made
instructional video using rubberBand, Audacity and iMovie, ( Build
a Beat Vid ), music stand, drum sticks
Steps
1. Change pitch of song with Rubberband or Amazing Slow
Downer
2. Rearrange song to make one minute long in Audacity.
3. Take screen shots of drum beats in Build a Beat
4. Combine screen shots and audio in IMovie
5. Overlay my own voice as a guide to following the beat
6. Overlay text
This girl spent many hours with this
video, and only about 1 hour with me, to
help her along. Here is the result:
Thank You Contest Video
There’s a kid on keys and a kid on
electric guitar trying to lock up with each
other on the bridge to the same song.
MATERIALS NEEDED: electric keyboard, electric guitar,
amplifier with auxiliary, and headphone jack (ex: LKR’s
Fender Mustang amp) OR Joyo Pocket Amp (think back to
Scenario 2).
To The NEXT LEVEL…
• What if they say they want to play along to
the record?
• What if they say they want to just play
along to the bridge part over and over and,
slow it down?
• Joyo Pocket amp
• Amazing Slow Downer
Another kid is learning the famous keys
solo on “Green Onions” by Booker T and
the MGs, in the key of E (instead of F).
MATERIALS NEEDED: keyboard, charts, Joyo
pocket amp, Ipad/Ipod/Tablet/laptop with
instructional video as well as the program
Amazing Slow Downer to control speed and
pitch of song, and to loop a section.
I might have spent a total of 10 minutes
helping Linda with this part. She learned
independently through the video and the
silent music workstation.
The result: Green Onions
3 other kids are working on guitar improv
phrasing for “Green Onions” by doing call
and response, follow the leader, etc.
MATERIALS NEEDED: JamHub or mixer
setup, 3 mono to stereo converters,
ipad/ipod/mp3 player with song, 3 instrument
cables, 3 guitars, 3 pairs of headphones, 3
3.5mm to ¼ in converters, optional mini
amps or effects processors, maybe spotify
for jamtrack
• Victor Wooten Jam Hub Video
5 others are working on their guitar chords for
“Crazy”.
MATERIALS NEEDED: Acoustic guitars and
charts, video source with splitters if requested
or needed
Justin’s Crazy Video
My Crazy Video with no major 7 chords
More Great Youtube channels
Guitar:
Justinguitar
Mahalodotcom
Piano:
For3v3faithful
BobGmbH3000
Drums:
Drumlessonscom
Please share your own favorites!
3 kids are recording their original song in
Garage Band using real keys, guitar, vocals
and drums, along with the programs virtual
instruments.
MATERIALS: keyboard, guitar,
microphone,electric drum kit, Irig pro, midi
cable, guitar cable, mic cable, iPad/iPhone,
GarageBand
Recording Examples
• Show process live..
• Show videos…
Geneva Final Product
Olivia Final Product
-upload to soundcloud or youtube from ipad!
Last Scenario
• Kids are practicing their harmony parts on
their horns.
• Materials: A ROOM FOR THEM TO GO IN
OR TIME IN MY DAY TO DO
SECTIONALS!
Without hooking anything up, it is still amazing!
-Start with free exploration and showing how to
open, save and close app correctly.
-Introduce features slowly over the course of a
few lessons.
-As students get to know features, add
parameters, create projects.
IPAD AS AMPLIFIER
• Irig or Apogee Jam
Field Recorder
Zoom H2n
2 separate stereo tracks..
-Overlay onto video


Turn anything with an auxiliary jack into a Bluetooth
speaker!
Or just buy bluetooth speakers!
-Apple TV or Roku
-Switch seemlessly between devices up to 100 or
more feet away!
-Bypass display to use sound only with optical
audio and optical converter.
-Use your device to stream video live!!
-Or, take video and instantly play back.
THIS IS AN OPEN DISCUSSION
HERE ARE MY FAVORITES:
1. Idoceo
2. Class Dojo
3. Doceri
Looping is a great way to show how parts
are put together, and also to practice and
demonstrate harmony. It is a way for people
to witness the process of composition in real
time, and it also invites creativity. Ostinato
projects are a great way for students to
begin composing.
In the same group of 5, please discuss the
following for the next 5 -10 minutes, and share:
1. What in this presentation did you see that
you would like to begin implementing right
away?
2. What kinds of challenges do you think you’ll
face, trying to implement this and how will
you meet those challenges?
3. Was there anything not covered that you’d
like to discuss?
Contact me anytime
Gary.heimbauer@gmail.com
gary@littlekidsrock.org