The following listed tech tools are commonly used by Music teachers. The videos below demonstrate how each tool is used on an iOS device.
Screen-recording on a Mac
In this video, a teacher demonstrates how to record the entire screen and a portion of your screen on your Mac using QuickTime.
Open QuickTime Player from your Applications folder, then choose File > New Screen Recording from the menu bar. You will then see either the onscreen controls described in the video or the Screen Recording window.
IMovie
With iMovie for iOS and macOS, you can enjoy your videos like never before. It's easy to browse your clips and create Hollywood-style trailers and stunning 4K-resolution movies. You can even start editing on iPhone or iPad, then finish on your Mac.
Watch the teacher video clip to learn how to make basic edits on videos. >>
Garage Band
GarageBand is a fully equipped music creation studio inside your Mac — with a complete sound library that includes instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and an incredible selection of session drummers and percussionists.
MuseScore
Create, play back and print beautiful sheet music with free and easy to use music notation software MuseScore. For Windows, Mac and Linux.
In the following videos, a teacher demonstrates how to insert chord boxes and change keys using Musescore 3.
Audio Editor - Timestretch
TimeStretch Player is a free online audio player that allows you to loop, speed up, slow down and pitch shift sections of an audio file. This makes it a great tool for practicing or transcribing music. It is developed by Jonas Wagner.
Watch a teacher transposing a phrase using the audio editor >>
Audacity
Audacity is a free and open-source digital audio editor and recording application software, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems.
Features of Audacity include:
- Record live audio
- Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together
- Numerous effects including change the speed or pitch of a recording
- Convert tapes and records into digital recordings
Learn how to edit a track, bring music into Audacity, and trim an audio file by watching the videos created by the PDST Music team.
The following listed tech tools are commonly used by Music teachers. The videos below demonstrate how each tool is used on a Windows device.
Screen-recording on a Desktop
In this video, a teacher demonstrates how to make a screen recording on a Windows PC using iSpring Free Cam. iSpring Free Cam is compatible with Windows operating system.
iSpring Free Cam allows you to record any part of your screen, edit recorded video, and upload it directly to YouTube. The software is incredibly easy-to-use thanks to the clean, intuitive interface.
Windows Movie Maker
Windows Movie Maker is a discontinued video editing software program by Microsoft. It was a part of Windows Essentials software suite and offered the ability to create and edit videos as well as to publish them on OneDrive, Facebook, Vimeo, YouTube, and Flickr.
Audio Editor - Timestretch
TimeStretch Player is a free online audio player that allows you to loop, speed up, slow down and pitch shift sections of an audio file. This makes it a great tool for practicing or transcribing music. It is developed by Jonas Wagner.
Watch a teacher transposing a phrase using the audio editor >>
Audacity
Audacity is a free and open-source digital audio editor and recording application software, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like operating systems.
Features of Audacity include:
- Record live audio
- Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together
- Numerous effects including change the speed or pitch of a recording
- Convert tapes and records into digital recordings
Learn how to edit a track, bring music into Audacity, and trim an audio file by watching the videos created by the PDST Music team.
MuseScore
Create, play back and print beautiful sheet music with free and easy to use music notation software MuseScore. For Windows, Mac and Linux.
In the following videos, a teacher demonstrates how to insert chord boxes and change keys using Musescore 3.
The following listed tech tools are commonly used by Music teachers. The videos below demonstrate how each tool is used on a phone.
Screen Record on an iPhone
In this video, a teacher demonstrates a tech hack shortcut for screen recording on an iPhone or iPad.
Go to Settings > Control Centre > Customise Controls, then tap on the Screen Recording. Now the screen recording icon will be added to your controls.
To record simply swipe up from the bottom edge of any screen. Tap Start Recording, then wait for the three-second countdown. Your recording will be saved to your Photos app.
Correcting on a Phone
In this video, a teacher demonstrates a tech hack shortcut for screen recording on an iPhone or iPad. The demonstrating teacher uses this tech hack shortcut when correcting homework sent to her from students.
Putting Music to a Video
This is a set of instruction videos along with written instructions that a teacher made for her second year students. The lesson shows them how to add music and sound effects to videos on their phone using an app called 'Video Music'. There are many other apps that will do the same thing. Sometimes, apps are free at a certain point but then they charge. When the teacher made this video, the app used was free. You may need to search in the app store for the best current option.
Step 1. How to record YouTube on your phone. See tech hack above.
Step 2. Download an app to add background music. I used 'Video music' for iPhone. I typed in 'Add background Music to Video, easy tiger apps' into my app store. If you have an Android phone, type the same thing in and make sure it is free. Do not get the subscription one that says 'free trial'. Get the one that says Video maker and Audio editor underneath. It may offer in app purchases. There is no need to buy anything.
Step 3. Using your screen record button and YouTube, record the first 25 seconds. Save this and it will save to your photos.
Step 4. Open the app.
Step 5. Select start new project. This will bring you to your phone's videos.
Step 6. Select the clip video and then select next.
Step 7. Give your project a name and pick an aspect ratio - it will highlight the most suitable one for you so pick the one that is highlighted.
Step 8. Select Create.
Step 9. Mute the sound from the original video by selecting the video and turning down the volume. (You select the video by touching the bar that the video is in and add sound by pressing the bar below the video and move chosen sounds around by pressing, holding and dragging the bar below the video).
Step 10. Pick Music or a Sound Effect from the bottom.(SFX)
Step 11. Add this to the video by holding and dragging the pink bar at the bottom. You can drag the sound to different stages of your video. Try to add appropriate sounds and effects to match what is happening in the video.
Step 12. When you are happy with your video save and send by email.
Videos numbered 1-5 give an example of adding sound and sound effects. Watch and then try it yourselves. Then pick another clip to add sound to.
Note: This example was done very quickly. If you spend some time on this, you could come up with something really good.
The following listed tech tools are more commonly used tools by Music teachers.
QR Codes
A QR Code, or quick response Code, is a Code that is quickly readable. When a QR Code is scanned, it directs the student to the content the teacher wants them to access/download quickly.
Some Possible Uses:- Presentation Events/Open Evening
- Dictation "Stations"
- Set Work Themes
- Perform/Record/Display/Store
Wacom Drawing Tablet
Create Khan Academy style videos with an app called Smooth Draw 3 and a Wacom drawing tablet.
Smooth Draw is a digital free-hand drawing software for your digital device and a Wacom drawing tablet is a responsive pad that allows you to sketch, draw and edit using a precise pen.
A music teacher created a video to show other teachers how she uses these tools to teach JC melody writing.
Graphic Tablet and Whiteboard
In this video, a music teacher demonstrates how she uses a graphic tablet to write on her Microsoft Office 365 Whiteboard. The teacher also uses Screencastify. Screencastify is an extension app that can be added to Google Chrome. It enables teachers to record their screen. A free screencastify account allows teachers to record up to 5 minutes.
Book Creator - Music Research Project
Book Creator is a simple tool for creating awesome digital books. Create your own teaching resources or have your students take the reins.
In the video opposite, a teacher demonstrates a TY music research project on the topic of an American ballad. The project was created by a TY student using an online tool called Book Creator.
Maestro - Music Composer
Write sheet music with various musical notations and symbols using the app Maestro.
Music teachers have found this app useful for for students who don't have a laptop/tablet and especially handy for students who don't have manuscript paper. Students can compose short pieces using this app.
Microsoft Forms
Microsoft Forms is an online survey creator, part of Office 365. Forms allows users to create surveys and quizzes with automatic marking. The data can be exported to Microsoft Excel.
Music teachers could use Microsoft Forms to create a test with a listening excerpt. Watch the video to see how.
YouTube
YouTube is easily accessible for students. Teachers can set up their own channels with playlists for different class groups. Teachers can also share and save unlisted (private) links. Here is an example >
