App Reviews

Standard (National Association for Music Education - NAfME):

MU:Cr1.1.T.Ia Generate melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic ideas for compositions or improvisations using digital tools.

Piascore

Piascore is an app that allows musicians to store their music on the app and access it through their device. With several schools becoming 1:1 schools where every student has a device they take home, Piascore can become a very commonly used app by all music classes. Students in ensembles can download their personal parts and cut down on paper used in music classes. Additionally, directors can make markings on music and the students can see their markings directly on their devices. While it hasn’t taken off too quickly in music classrooms yet, Piascore has a very real potential to be a game changer in the music education world.

Garage Band

Garage Band, the app which comes pre-downloaded on Apple iPads, is perhaps one of the most used apps in music classrooms. From personal experience, my elementary music Cooperative Teacher used garage band almost every day when he taught his students songs by creating drum tracks that helped keep the beat (it was a lot more fun to listen to than just a standard metronome!). But moving beyond elementary music, Garage Band has several features which could become educational tools in middle and high school band programs. Garage Band allows students to create their own music and explore what different chords and harmonies do when combined and how to use them. Garage Band can also add some instrumental voices into an ensemble that are not commonly there (like a synthesizer for more modern works). 

TonalEnergy Tuner

TonalEnergy Tuner (TET) is one of several instruments tuner apps available to be downloaded to devices. TET is not only a tuner, but it’s a multi-functional tool for band directors and students. This app includes a tuner, a metronome, and a recorder. The tuner can also be adjusted to specific instrumental settings (band setting, orchestral setting, guitar setting, etc). One of the best “educational” functions of this app is the fact that students can keep track of their tuning tendencies on different notes. Learning this not only helps them become better musicians, but it also is a nice introduction into some basic music theory. This app also has a wide variety of age range that it can benefit. Not only do it’s more advanced features help older high school students, but the tuner makes a smiley face when the musician is in tune (the visual simulation is very helpful to young musicians and creates that mental association from their early days of music).

Of these three apps, I think Garage Band would be the most beneficial in the most amount of music classroom settings. One of the alternative high schools in my hometown started up a music class during their second year of existence, and the entire class was taught using iPads, notably through Garage Band. The class became a huge success among students, and even opened up other opportunities such as recording and mixing tracks. Garage Band can be used effectively in any music class a band director may offer at any level (music theory, music technology, and ensembles), whereas Piascore and TonalEnergy Tuner are more specific to just ensembles. Garage Band is also easily accessible and has tons of online resources to help utilize the app to its fullest extent. The biggest downfall with Garage Band is that it’s exclusively an Apple product.