SmartMusic on iPad’s! Demo Video

 

I thought I was done posting for the day….

and then….

SmartMusic sent an email with a link to an online demo of the SmartMusic iPad app in action! Now I’m really getting excited!

Chromatik in the Band Room

No, no, I am not talking about the chromatic scale! I m talking about the online music website for “learning music together”. Well, that’s what THEY say on their web site! Practice, Share, Record and Collect your music online – those are the highlights of what this site is about.

What Chromatik allows us musicians to do is to put our PDF sheet music online and access it from a web browser. Once that PDF Sheet Music is online then you are able to view and practice with that acting as your sheet music instead of actual paper music. But it does get better than this! As you practice you are also able to record yourself! After recording your self you can share your recordings with other people. Another possibility is that you can create playlists of your PDF Sheet Music and share those playlists with others. So that way we can all work on that music in an online environment and give each other feedback on how we are doing. Here is the link to their information page that just so happens to have a video on it – we all like a little TV right?

Of course, since I am tech minded and always searching for new and different ways to teach and learn music, I am starting to use this web site with my band students. So here starts my journey of sharing about this process online! Look forward to more posts about this resource over the rest of this school year!

First thing I would like to share is the best method I have discovered for uploading my files to the Chromatik web site.

BACKGROUND: All of my Band Music I am digitizing slowly. Each piece we play gets scanned and stored in our digital music library. I end up with two PDF files, one for the score and another for the parts. Each file actually contains the words – “Score” or “Parts” in the filename. This makes it very simple to do a spotlight search, find the appropriate file and make use of that file.

WHAT NOT TO DO: The first things I have discovered that is a horrible, horrible situation is for me to take that PDF file with ALL the band parts and upload that file to Chromatik. when I try to access that PDF (even though it is usually only a 3-4 megabyte file) it is painfully slow to deal with online. I am not sure if it is an issue with the file size or because there are so many pages involved. Either way… don’t do it! I’m sure this situation will only improve over time.

WHAT DOES WORK: I upload each part individually as a separate PDF file. This means that I open the Parts PDF in preview, I am working on a mac here but the process and ideas are the same for windows. Then I select the flute pages and drag them out into the finder to create a new PDF with only the flute part in it. I then do the same for the Clarinet part and so on until I have a new PDF for each instrument. This is a bit of a hassle but in reality it only takes about 5-10 minutes max to drag each part out and re-name it so I know which PDF contains which instrument. Then each PDF gets added to my library in Chromatik.

TRICK: This is the part where you need to pay attention folks! Chromatik does not make it obvious as to the best practice in this process. I did discover though, by accident, that I can have ALL the different instruments show up in my Chromatik library under ONE Piece Name vs every PDF showing up and creating a VERY long list! See the screenshot below… you see that I had uploaded Five Good Natured Variations BEFORE I discovered this process. I had a whole bunch of PDF’s showing up (with the instrument as a part of the title) creating a very long list in my library (I was already DREADING having very many pieces in my library because of this issue – Management was going to be a nightmare!)

Example of each individual PDF vs All PDF’s listed under one song title

Then I discovered that all I had to do was give each part the exact same Piece Name as I uploaded them to my library and then Chromatik created a folder for me and listed all the different parts under one Piece Name! This process was a bit hit and miss though – sometimes I had to type in the Piece Name twice to get Chromatik to pick up on the fact that this was a piece that was already in my library. Once Chromatik did pick up on that fact the name of the Author automatically popped into that field. Then I had to pick which part I was uploading. Then all the parts show up in my Library as a drop down menu list under the Piece Title as you see in the above screenshot for Variation Overture.

Here is a screenshot of the uploading process – you can see that I typed in the Piece Title and then Chromatik input the Author Name (that’s why it is a darker grey)

Naming uploads

There will be more to come as I work through figuring out this web site.

I am fully behind the ideas they are working to implement here. I also realize that this is in the early stages of it’s life. That is why I am willing to overlook some of the annoying issues I have run into. Things like it NOT being obvious of how to upload music and there not being a guide that describes the process. Or the fact that I cannot re-order the playlists, the fact that I have NO idea how they figure out the order in which pieces show up in your music library after you download them and the fact that it is a bit slow at times.

The service is free! Plus is you are a school they will donate a FREE iPad2 if you implement this at your school and get 100 students to sign up! Of course one of the reasons I am using this service is because they also have an iPad app, which is also free.

iOS6 Update and iPads in Education

iOS6 has been such a huge benefit to using iPads in class, and for that matter just in general. Let me tell you a couple of my favorite benefits.

First there is the Open In menu, some people call it the Share Menu. It's the little icon with the curly up arrow in it that allows you to open/share a document into another app. I the past when you tapped on this menu you got a list of ten times and that was it. If the app you wanted was not in that list you had to delete an app or two until the desired app showed up. Now the menu is not limited to ten items! This is such a great thing! Plus we et the added benefit of having a much nicer menu to look at.

So why do I like this new menu so much? For instance, when I scan a piece of music into a PDF file and it is in my Mail app, I need to get that PDF into my music app. I will use UnRealBook usually, since this apps name started with a U, it used to be one of my trouble apps. Now it actually shows up and it is a simple click away. BUT the workflow I usually use is to take that PDF and drop it into DropBox first. When doing that make sure you save a step and actually put it into the correct folder. Then I can access that PDF that is now in DropBox from UnRealBook or ForScore. Of course it is a simple move to use a four finger swipe back to the Mail app and use the Open In menu to quickly open the PDF into either of those apps as well.

Usually if I have only one PDF I will open the PDF into each app real quick. The three apps I am putting PDF's into are DropBox, UnRealBook and ForScore. GigBook would be another great choice. If I have three or four PDF's then I usually just put all of them into DropBox and then use UnRealBook to download all files that are not on my iPad. I'm so glad Aron put that feature in his app!

One other feature I am using is the new way in which Messenger works. Now that I can have my phone messages also show up on my iPad my life just got a tad simpler. I can keep working on one device if a message comes through instead of interrupting and switching devices. Of course with the new notifications I can choose to simply ignore those messages as well but because it comes through on my iPad I'm not stopping work and checking the phone to see if it was important, because I'm sure every message coming through is absolutely important! ( and yes, it's only my wife that messages me so every message is THAT important!)

 

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ForScore 4.0.1 has arrived!

If you are not aware of what ForScore is and if you are a musician I am surprised! Unless of course you have never thought about using your iPad to read your from. This is the very reason I first wanted an iPad so badly. I wanted all that music I usually carry around with me and have had to keep track of every year while teaching, to be in my iPad. ForScore is one of those apps I use to make this dream a reality.

Whether you are teaching music with your iPad, a performer using your iPad in concert instead of paper music or just someone who enjoys playing your instrument, you should have PDF music on your iPad! It’s the best!

For those of you who are users of ForScore already this is a great update, with things like:

1. Setlist sharing
2. More responsive annotations and page turns
3. New multi-select menu
4. Better Bookmark metadata editing and
5. Better handling of non-standard and landscape oriented pages.

Many of these new updates are not things that would make you say “Oh, look at THAT!” when you open the app after updating. All of the updates are going to make your life easier though while using ForScore.

Here are a few screen shots and explanations:

Here is the main screen after loading up a piece of music…

The Pink arrow is pointing to a search tool to help you find music FAST. The yellow arrow is pointing to the new method of inputting metadata. The orange arrow is pointing to the toolbox that you used to have to dig into to edit metadata in the past. Jump down below this screenshot and I will explain further.

Once you get your music into PDF format and start putting it into your ForScore app you will find that soon there will be a bunch of music to wade through every time you want to find a specific piece. Although the search tool is not new to this update I have to mention it’s use because it is so very useful. There are multiple ways to organize your music and if you tap the little eighth note icon there are multiple ways to find pieces in that menu. It’s too slow though. When I want a piece of music I usually know the title so I simply tap the search tool and start typing the name and up pops a list of results (including a setlist even in the screenshot below!). It is fast and easy plus it looks really cool being all semitransparent like that! Take a look…

Now something else that is also now semitransparent is the annotations tool bar. This also looks very nice…

And finally for one of the new features. The PDF files you load into ForScore obviously all have a title associated with them, this should come as no surprise. Each PDF can also have other metadata associated with each file as well to help you in organizing and finding each song that you want. I have hardly ever used this metadata in the past for two reasons. First it was too hidden and was buried in the toolbox icon. Ok, Ok, I here what you are saying… HIDDEN? Two taps was all it took! I know but that’s my opinion. Now this excuse is gone because in each title there is now a drop down menu right in my face to input this metadata (check out the yellow arrow above.) That gives me this screen….

In OSX if you create a PDF file you are given the option to input Title, Author, Subject and Keywords. These are all the same sort of metadata but ForScore has renamed them to what you see in the screenshot above. This drop down menu also is where you will connect a song from iTunes to a PDF allowing you to play back a song while you follow along in ForScore. Saves you from having to hop out of ForScore app into the iTunes app. The song can play while you turn pages. If you happen to turn the page to a different piece that song would stop playing. I could never for some reason remember where to make association in the ForScore App. Now it will be much easier to remember.

One other reason I have not used this metadata in the past much is that ForScore doesn’t actually change the original PDF file to insert this metadata permanently. There is a great post about this and how to make sure you backup ForScore so your hard work entering this metadata does not get lost. Head over to the Technology for the Classical Singer Blog and read about it. No since in my describing this process when it is done so well at that post. You really should add that post to your RSS reader feeds by the way!

I am looking forward to the sharing features. UnRealBook from Aron Nelson has had features for sharing setlists and files now for some time. This feature is very useful if you are in that sort of situation where others are using their iPad to read music. UnRealBook does have the feature as well where you can use two iPads for your music. In other words you will have two pages of music spread over two iPads! The two iPads work in sync with each other and the pages turn appropriately. What fun huh? oops…. sorry this post if about ForScore.

The page turns seem faster too.

OK… well as I only now have 1.5 weeks until I go to Band Camp, no jokes about “this one time…”, I will be discovering more new features that I appreciate and will keep you posted. As always… leave comments below about what you discover – Share the Joy!

Now, my wife has made me a big bowl of popcorn, real popcorn too not that microwave stuff! So I must go find some movie to watch….. Hmmmm…. the new Thousand Foot Kructch live DVD or the Yanni Live concert from YouTube or maybe I should watch the Presonus webcasts series or maybe a real DVD Movie. decisions decisions…..

PDF Music Workflow with PDF Music Readers and DropBox

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted anything but these past few weeks have been full of preparation for Fine Arts Week. Through that preparation though I’ve started using a specific workflow that seems to be working pretty well.

When I digitize music at the school one purpose is for archival and the main purpose is so that I can access that PDF music on my iPad. Here is how I’ve been doing it….

Step 1)Digitize the music using our school copier which scans and emails me a file. I make one file for the parts and a second file for the score.
Step 2)On my iPad, I open my email app. Then I find the email in my inbox. I then use the Open In menu…. This is where a problem arises…. The file is sent to me with a very cryptic name AND UnRealBook (one of my two main PDF Music Reader Apps is NEVER in the Open In Menu! DropBox is not included in the Open In Menu either.
Step 3)The solution is to use that Open In Menu to open the PDF file in ForScore.
Step 4)Use ForScores metadata tools to rename the file, input a composer, type in the genre and keywords.
Step 5)Use ForScore to upload that file to DropBox.
Step 6)Then I can open whatever app I wish to load that PDF music in and access the file in my DropBox.

This fits in with one of my primary rules about using technology. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN!

By following those simple 6 steps I have my PDF Music files in both ForScore and UnRealBook. I also almost always create set lists for both apps. Each set list pertains to either a class or a concert.

New tools for working with PDF Music

As iPad apps get more and more advanced in dealing with PDF music, I find I want to go back and alter my PDF’s from the past two years. Now I am seeing a great advantage to having metadata embedded into these PDF’s. Metadata is what you are given the opportunity to input when you create a PDF file from the Print menu in OSX – It allows you to put in a Title, Author, Subject, and Keywords. The problem is that it is not an option in Preview to go in later and change that data.

ForScore has a desktop app out that I have used in the past that allows for editing of this info though. When using the ForScore desktop app, you are  given the option to input Title, Composer, Genre, Difficulty and Rating. as seen in the screenshot to the side. Composer is just a rewording of Author and Genre is a rewording of Subject. their options for Difficulty and Rating is specific only to ForScore. The problem with using this app is that you can only change one file at a time. Some of these boxes could be filled in all at once for a bunch of PDF’s – like Genre or Keywords. So I went looking again….

Tonight I did a few google searches and came across one other app, for OSX, that will allow me to change an entire folder of files at once!

PDFInfo is a free app that allows for changes to all files in a certain folder or you can change one file at a time. Here is a screenshot of this app at work. I think I will be using all three options to get this metadata filled in – it just depends on which metadata I am trying to input and at what stage in the creating or using of the PDF I am at.