Ah, Social Networking!

These days it's hard to do much on the internet without running into some sort of social networking site or another. They've quickly become one of the most popular places for us to spend our time on the internet, second only to "searching" and that is DEFINITELY the case with our school-aged kids.

So, this post is to let you know about some of the ways you can interact with me and the Milwood Honors Choir through Facebook.

Mr. B's Facebook page is here, and I've also set up a Facebook page for Honors Choir - if you use Facebook and would like to be a part of the group, just click and join! From there, you can post discussions that the rest of the group can see, and I'll be posting pictures, video, and other information as well.

Have fun!

Endings and Beginnings.

We've come to the end of another marking period, which brings with it all the quizzes, tests and rushing around to turn in last minute assignments and extra credit that we've come to expect with this period of time.

Behind me, my 8th Grade Music Technology class is working on their mid-term quiz, using the computers to demonstrate their knowledge of GarageBand. GarageBand is a program for the Apple computer (there are 25 of them in my room) which we use to edit and arrange musical "loops" to create new compositions. A "loop" is a small piece of music that is designed to be repeated and added to other loops to make music.

The quiz also involves questions about Genres (types or styles) of music. This semester we studied four genres of music - Motown Soul, Disco, Rock, and New Jack Swing. We did this by looking at the music of Michael Jackson, who was unique in his ability to cross through many different genres to make his music.

Sadly, I'll be losing my 6th Grade Exploring Music class tomorrow, but I look forward to another set of students to see for six weeks, and I look forward to continued work with my 8th graders for another marking period. Over the next six weeks, we'll get even more in depth with GarageBand, learning how to use it in different musical forms. We'll also begin learning about Podcasting. Look for more information, including how to subscribe to our GarageBand Project Podcast in the very near future.

Welcome!

Welcome students, parents, and visitors. I thought I'd create this blog as sort of a one-stop place for everything involving me and music. Here you'll find information about Milwood Choirs and Music Technology, Milwood Honors Choir, and other things as they come up.

In the future, look for posts about:

- Honors Choir Auditions/Information
- Choir Concerts
- Music Technology Class Wikis
- Exploring Music "This Week in Music" Podcasts
- Music Technology Project Podcasts

and hopefully much more!