Will Whitehead - String Pedagogue, Conductor, Violist

I actually already make use of Noteflight in my music theory course. It is helpful for students who do not have a desktop computer or laptop, and cannot afford more expensive software. This web app also enables students to work on composition projects during class time without the need to provide laptops, assuming the students all have smart phones, and the teacher tools make it very easy to submit composition and grade. However, I find Noteflight to be extremely frustrating as a user. The mobile interface is tricky to navigate, and as a user of Finale in my professional life, the fact that I had to learn a completely different interface/set of shortcuts was a downside. I also think it is ridiculous that you actually have to pay to make use of a MIDI keyboard. I will continue to use it for in-class demonstrations and student projects more so out of necessity than anything, but would much rather my students be using MuseScore or Finale Notepad than this program.

One of this week's required readings discussed the pedagogy of musical creativity. Specifically, Bauer (2014) discussed improvisation and composition. I can speak personally to this particular topic. As a public school string student, neither improvisation nor composition were ever a really big part of our lessons. I was never given the assignment to compose until I took AP Music Theory as a junior - to be fair, I had never had and ultimately never would have an interest in it. Improvisation was slightly more prominent; my orchestra teacher gave us a piece of music with room to improvise on a blues scale, but this would be the extent of my exposure to improvisation. Certainly, our music classes were very much focused on the mastery of technique and refining our ability to interpret written notation and composer intent. A creative environment to a degree, but not an environment that actively fostered creativity . Bauer describes the need for educators to provide creative opportu...