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Blog: Catalysts & Connections

Pitch Shifting Pop Songs….

Both digital and analog pitch shifting have been used for years by musicians to alter the sound of original musical material. Be it Ross Bagdasarian’s recordings of “The Chipmunks” , DJs using pitch shifting on a turntable to speed up or slow down a record in order to make it sync up with another record, or someone composing on a computer using digital pitch shifting software, the technique is widely used across musical genres. One recent application of pitch shifting… Read More »Pitch Shifting Pop Songs….

Online instrumental mentors?

The potential for collaborating with others is one of the most exciting and powerful aspects of the internet. Initiatives such as collective music education blogs, the Vermont Midi Project, The Mayday discussion forums are some different ways of collaborating online. Recently Owen Bradley over at The Digital Music Educator posted about the potential to have students mentored online through distance learning via the internet. The Music Educators Network could easily support an initiative such as this if people are interested.… Read More »Online instrumental mentors?

Summer Transitions…

I recently returned from the Mayday Group Conference held this past weekend. There were many excellent papers presented that have interesting implications for music education. I’ll be posting sporadically throughout the summer since I will be travelling around for much of it and will start posting regularly again in September. Enjoy your summer!

What music does the doctor order?

Whether in a car on a long trip or a surgery room, the conversation of what music should be listened to is a common one. Whether you are an anesthesiologist or a driver, deciding on music that works for the majority of people present can be a tricky task.  These conversations might spark some debate in our classrooms. Besides discussing taste, it might be interesting to have a discussion with students about what music best fits certain situations and why.… Read More »What music does the doctor order?