3Schools are connecting to the National Grid for Learning and teachers are being trained, but what software, materials and support will be out there for them? George Cole investigates the role of good content for the cyberschool generation, followed by a subject-by-subject stock-check
Andy Murray, a freelance music consultant, says: “The web is breeding a generation of music consumers rather than producers. Few sites are dedicated to education, so teachers need to adapt the content to suit their needs.”
A good example is the Movietunes site, which contains samples from a range of music scores: “You could select, say, the excerpt from the shower scene in Psycho to demonstrate how music is used to create tension and terror, and compare it with say, the music from Jaws.”
There are many thousands of sound samples available on the Internet, but downloading them can take time and the quality is variable. Murray believes schools should look seriously at using streaming audio technology like Real Audio. As the name suggests, streaming audio is sent to a PC as a constant stream of sound, which is played in real time. This is faster than downloading a large music file on to a computer hard disk and then playing it. And in order to get the best sound quality from online music, schools should get the fastest Internet connection they can afford.
Andy Murray is co-author of a book Music Technology Inspected: good teaching at Key Stage 3 (an OfstedBECTA publication) and can be contacted at: andy@musicwing.com
10 websites
Excerpts from film scores, put into various genres
www.movietunes.com
Classical music MIDI files
www.prs.net
25 website reviews by Andy Murray
http:vtc.ngfl.gov.ukresourcecitsmusicreviews
Useful resources and links music site by Rob Jones, head of music at St Mary’s College, Hull.
www.softnet.ukjonesmusic.htm
Andy Murray’s web site.
www.musicwing.com
Music teachers’ resource site.
www.bobchilds.co.ukmtra
Support site for The Arts Inspected book. www.ofsted.gov.ukartinsp
Piano resources and links.
www.uk-piano.org
National Association of Music Educators.
http:schoolsiteedex.net.uk279
US site of Music Education Online with links to US schools.
www.geocities.comAthens2405
10 resources
Music Box, pound;35 from Topologika.
Tel: 01326 377771 www.topologka.com
Compose World, pound;48 from Topologika (details as above)
Music Games, pound;29 from Inclusive Technology.
Tel: 01457 819790 www.inclusive.co.uk
RM Music Explorer, pound;99 from RM. Tel: 01235 826060 www.rmplc.net
Sibelius, pound;339 from Sibelius. Tel: 0800 458 3111 www.sibelius.com
Computer Music Starter Kit, pound;69.99 inc VAT from et cetera. Tel: 01706
228 039 www.etcetera.co.uk
Logic, from pound;79 to pound;349 from Sound Technology.Tel: 01462 480000
www.soundtech.co.uk
The Arts Inspected, pound;14.99 from Heinemann. Tel: 01865 888080.
Music Technology in Action teacher support materials consisting of five booklets, video and CD-Rom, pound;19.50 from BECTA. Tel: 01203 416669
www.becta.org.uk
Lives of the Great Composers, pound;69 from AVP. Tel: 01291 625439
www.avp.co.uk
