I’m up in Vermont at Castleton State College this morning at the Vermont MIDI Project Summer Institute, a wonderful week-long professional development workshop run by Sandi MacLeod. The students here are all veteran teachers who are learning how to use technology to teach music, including two levels of Sibelius (beginning and advanced) and ProTools (taught by my good friend Marc Schonbrun). SoundTree sponsored the Institute by providing a full mobile technology lab running ProTools and some KONTROL 49 USB keyboard controllers for the Sibelius classes. I am looking forward to a continued relationship between SoundTree and the VT MIDI Project in the future.

I arrived yesterday and observed some of the classes and I must say that I was very impressed. Well run program with eager students. The highlight of the day though was an impromtu jam session last night in the dorm commons (I love staying in dorms). It was so refreshing to just sit back and relax and make music with other (very talented) educators. Everyone was singing, playing percussion instruments, and there were a few instrumentalists who were world class. I had a grin on my face the whole time. Every once and awhile it is important to remind yourself why you got into this business in the first place - the power of music.

Hats off to Sandi and the other staff members up here at the institute. If you’re looking for a wonderful opportunity for professional development next year in a gorgeous Vermont setting, I urge you to consider the Vermont MIDI Project Summer Institute. I know I’ll be back.

I welcome your questions, comments, and suggestions!

At the PMEA Summer Conference, I had a chance to speak with David Warlick about technology and some of the great new sites that are out there. One of the sites he mentioned to me was a great site called Animoto.

The site is a great way for your students (and you) to create movies using images that you upload from your computer (or from a social networking site like Facebook) as well as music. Once you have selected the photos and music you’d like to include in your movie, Animoto does the rest. Using an algorhythm that was created by some film producers, the software then creates a movie with some great animation that analyzes both the photos and the music to make a pretty awesome video. Here is one that I created using some photos of students that participated in the Kaossilator Orkestra project that I ran last Spring.

One word of caution, while you are permitted to upload any files (images and audio), I urge you to be mindful of copyright laws. It is an infringement to include copyrighted images and music in your movies, so stick to your own photos and your original music (using something like GarageBand). The site urges you to “Love Your Artists” before uploading your musical selections. The site allows you to create 30 second videos for free, but offers an upgraded account (that is not free) that allows you to create full length videos. Once your video is finshed rendering, Animoto gives you some pretty powerful options, including being able to post your video on their site, or to sites such as YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook. Great stuff!

Animoto is the perfect tool for creating a video on any computer, without software. I strongly recommend checking out the site for yourself. Thanks David for turning me on to this great site!

I welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Today I am headed to Penn State University for the PMEA Summer Conference which is being held tomorrow and Tuesday. I have the honor of co-presenting the General Session tomorrow with David Warlick, from the Landmark Project. My session tomorrow is entitled New Trends in Music Technology, and it features many new and exciting software titles and hardware, as well as alternative performance ensembles. On Tuesday I will present two sessions: The Teachers Guide to Music, Media & Copyright Law, and Web 2.0 in the Music Classroom. To see all of my session materials, please visit www.soundtree.com/pmea08. I am looking forward to meeting with and speaking to the fine music educators of Pennsylvania!

If you happened to be in attendance at my sessions, please feel free to leave any feedback, questions, or reactions here. I’d love to hear from you.

First of all, my apologies for not posting anything for the last few weeks. I am in the middle of finishing my book on copyright law, and nearly every free moment is spent writing and researching. More to come on that next week….

The folks at MakeMusic have just announced the release of Finale 2009. This powerful new music notation program has some pretty nice enhancements to the 2008 version, including a larger sound palette, multiple page editing, and a better set of shortcuts. I have installed the demo version and I applaud MakeMusic for a pretty solid new edition. Here is a list of new features that I have copied from the MakeMusic site:

- Streamlined workflow
The creation, entry, moving, and editing of dynamics, tempo indications, and other text and markings has been reinvented and streamlined.
- Garritan sounds
Finale now includes more than 300 world-class instrument sounds from the makers of Garritan Personal Orchestra. Free new sounds include baritone saxophone, vintage electric piano, electric guitar, handbells, and more.
-Aria Player: the next generation
The Garritan Aria Player is included FREE and is fully integrated into Finale 2009. The level of custom integration is unsurpassed and offers superior sound, more control, and a vastly improved user playback experience.
-Expanded SmartMusic support
Finale 2009 makes it easier and faster to create assessable SmartMusic accompaniments with support for linked parts, repeats, and more.
-Tapspace Virtual Drumline™ sounds
Finale also includes more than 100 instrument sounds from Tapspace Virtual Drumline, the world’s most powerful marching and concert percussion software instrument featuring the world-champion Santa Clara Vanguard percussion section.
-Multiple page editing
Now you can simultaneously view and edit as many pages as you choose to view on your monitor.
-Full VST/AU instrument support
Finale is now compatible with all VST/AU instruments, providing users with unlimited sonic possibilities. Plus you can now specify which VST/AU plug-ins load, eliminating conflicts and assisting troubleshooting. Finale also checks plug-ins for compatibility before loading, and tracks which plug-ins were previously checked for better performance.

I urge you to download the demo today (especially if you are a current Finale user) and check it out. Pricing is pretty affordable. Retail is $600, although educators can get it for $350. The SoundTree Educational Web Store will be selling it for $249 beginning next week (including free shipping).

For a recent (and vibrant) discussion on readers views about Finale and Sibelius, click HERE.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.