tpter1

Does/has anyone here use(d) SmartMusic in a lesson setting on a regular basis? I would love to hear from both students who have used it as a learning tool and from teachers who use it as a (obviously)teaching tool.

What benefits did you find? What did you like about using it?

What problems do you find in working with it?

Teachers: do you feel it has increased the success level of your students? Is it really necessary to have students purchase a subscription? (I teach in a rural district. Poverty is an issue). What are some lessons you've designed around it, if you don't mind sharing?

Students: Was this just a passing phase of your director/teacher or did this have long-lasting use? Has it benefitted you?

Anyone make use of the jazz learning tools?

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-Glenn
"Roses have thorns; shining waters mud. Clouds and eclipses stain the moon and the sun; and history reeks of the wrongs we have done. After today, after today, consider me gone."- Sting

Brekelefuw

I subscribed to smartmusic for about a year. It was great when I was learning Carnival of Venice and the Halsey Stevens. The jazz stuff was ok as well, but I prefer the real sound of the aebersolds. I never had to use it in school though, so I guess I'm not much help.

Luis M. Araya

Hi, I am new using smartmusic but I find it very usefull, if there is anyone who has created other accompaniments from the software finale that doesn't come with the CD, I am willing to share some.

Luis.

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MahlerBrass

My prof uses it with us for accompanying purposes. It forces you to listen a lot more, and helps with intonation a lot! For example, when working up the Neruda for a recital last semester, my prof would turn off the accompaniment and have smart music do only the solo line for me to play along with. There's nothing that will expose your tuning issues more than playing along with a midi line, because if there's one thing you'll find out, the computer is always right.

In lesson settings I have my students of all levels that I use it with. Apart from the obvious accompanist stuff, I use Bordogni etudes as phrasing exercises with my students and Smart Music has the entire collection for that. For some of high school kids doing the jazz thing, smart music has a lot of the Aebersold collections on it. I've never required the students to purchase the subscription, but I do encourage the schools to do so. I'm not saying that Smart Music made my students a lot better, but it sure did make the road to success a whole lot easier. Hope that helps!

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Music isn't a career, it's a way of life.