Skip to content

performing

A Call For Collaborative Musical Engagement: The YouTube Symphony Orchestra and Your Music Program!

The creation of a collaborative orchestra project by YouTube, Michael Tilson Thomas and others is one of the most exciting classical music initiatives I’ve seen in a while. Harnessing the power of the internet, tapping into the notions of participatory culture, and drawing on the abilities of instrumentalists across the world, YouTube’s Symphony Orchestra project has tremendous implications for music educators. What role might music educators play in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Project? What role might our students play? Why… Read More »A Call For Collaborative Musical Engagement: The YouTube Symphony Orchestra and Your Music Program!

Does anyone play the laptop in your school?

The topic of composing and performing with a laptop will be a theme running through this blog I’m sure for a long time. Over at newmusicbox Marc Weidenbaum recently wrote an interesting article tracing the history of musciains using the laptop, focusing on some recent composers/performers making use of it in their own work. After getting a lot of feedback he wrote a short follow up with information that gives a fascinating insight into the possibilties that laptops allow musicians.… Read More »Does anyone play the laptop in your school?

Religious Music and December Concerts….

With many school concerts taking place around this time of year the issue of what music should or should not be played is a concern of many music teachers, students, parents, administrators and community members. A recent article in the Boston Globe about holiday music at school concerts takes a neutral look at some of the issues without delving too deep into them. MENC, the National Association for Music Education is currently conducting a survey of music educators regarding concerts… Read More »Religious Music and December Concerts….

Playing the Laptop

Does anyone have any students playing the laptop in school music ensembles? It would be interesting to find out how many programs include the use of the laptop as instrument. With more and more musicians such as Ikue Mori using the laptop as their primary instrument it only makes sense to start thinking about how to include it in our music programs. Just as any other instrument, performing the laptop live, requires skills and knowledge that can be developed over… Read More »Playing the Laptop