IPad Heaven

I finally got my hands on an iPad 2 after an effort that felt not unlike trying to arrange for safe passage out of Casablanca. (it involved staking out an Apple store at 6 am until they opened at 9). Was it worth it? Yes, it was.

I fully admit to being an Apple-phobe. There's something about the Mac world that seems a little too cult-like to me. Nevertheless, I do own my share of Apple products. Besides a 32 GB iPod (that I got for free) I also purchased a MacBook that I use solely for audio recording (the guy at the Mac store looked a little hurt when I told him that I wasn't really "switching" to Mac.) What they do, they do very well. I'm just more comfortable with the way PCs 'think'.

Initially, I didn't think much of the iPad. It looked like a glorified iTouch, with a larger screen that still looked too small to be all that useful. A good number of my friends had them - mostly Apple types who were prone to buying the latest thing that Steve Jobs put out there ( I don't mean to sound disdainful of Apple lovers - I just recognize that people may have certain brand loyalties, and I'm cool with that. I myself admit to being something of Sony fanboy). Add into that the fact that I had recently purchased a netbook, and was pretty content with my tech set up.

Slowly, I started nurturing a curiosity for the iPad games functions and began entertaining the prospect of owning one. By the time I committed to making a purchase, the tech world was buzzing with rumors of the announcement of the IPad 2. So I patiently waited a few weeks for the new version to release.

It turned out that I would have to wait a little longer than that. After IP2 D-Day, it took me over a month to work up the courage to brave the early-morning lines. (Yes, there was the option of ordering on-line, but at one point the wait was 4-5 weeks - I was sure I could get one sooner than that.). The good news is that in the inerrim, one of NRHS's support groups offered to pay for iPads for the performing art teachers, so when I finally got one, I was reimbursed.

While not entirely joining the Apple cult, I do have to admit that the iPad is one of the better tech toys that I've acquired in the last decade. To say that I'm enthusiastic about it is a bit of an understatement. I love this thing. It's quickly becoming my universal tool on the podium. The only thing that's lacking is a version of Finale or Sibelius (notation software). It pretty much has everything else.

Here is a list of the best apps I've found thus far:

Subdivide ($4.99) - a basic metronome. Plenty of free ones out there, but I liked this one because of it's large display, big buttons and(like the title says) it subdivides. Cons: it's a little quiet for classroom use, so I have to pipe it through an amp. Also, the triplet subdivision sounds a little off. (I don't usually use it, anyway)

IStrobosoft Tuner HD ($19.99) - Kind of on the pricey side, but it is a good tuner that mimics the old strobe tuners. Large display, easy to read from the back of the room.

Pianist Pro ($9.99) - keyboard/synth app. More than what I need right now. Eventually I'm going to try to use it as a MIDI keyboard with Finale. It's really useful when I need to pick out a part without leaving the podium. Full 88 keys. Can split the screen into two keyboards if you want.

ForScore ($4.99) - Probably the most widely used PDF music reader. Includes a browser function so that you can download and store PDFs directly from web sources (IMSLP or ChoralWkiki). Easy page turns. Good visual clarity. Also has a media player that you can use to link scores with recordings (really useful when I'm working with a recorded accompaniment) Has a bookmarking function, but so far it seems a little cumbersome to use on the fly. Allows you to annotate the score with text, drawn figures, highlighting, etc. I will say, however, that unless you have really good eyes - the screen is still too small to be practical for larger scores. It's great for smaller mediums, or works for individual instruments. I think I'm going to use it a lot for my private lessons.

V-Control Pro ($49.99) - This app provides remote access to ProTools. I haven't really been able to put this one through it's paces, and I am unlikely to use probably half of it's functions. Out of all my music apps, it is by far the on that is designed for professional use. In order for me to make more use of it, I'll have to learn ProTools better (which is on the backburner anyway). The really useful thing is to be able to start and stop the system from the live recording space. I wish it let me see the waveform, but maybe I can learn to work without it.

Other uses: Taking roll ( on our browser-based system) is far easier than using my laptop. Having my entire iPod collection at hand is also useful. YouTube can be handy, assuming that your district doesn't have it blocked. I want to get an Apple TV unit so that I can wirelessly stream to my audiovisual system (if you don't have HD video, you'll have to also by a converter to downscale the signal to composite or s-video output.). That will allow me a lot of classroom mobility.

There are also a lot of theory apps out there - given that I'm not currently teaching the AP Theory class, I didn't see the need to acquire them (maybe I'll check out some of the free ones). There seems to be no shortage of flash-card apps for music, as well as chord calculators and guitar related apps (again, I have no current need for such).

They seem to be pushing things like garage band and virtual drums and guitars, which look like fun to play with, but I don't see any function for a serious musician. I will say, however, that the Magic Piano app is quite fun... Especially for someone with a toddler.

Overall it's an exciting addition to my classroom - one that I would heartily reccomend.

A Glutton for Punishment

So, on Wednesday, I went to an informational meeting on the National Board Certification program. It seemed to me that with my efforts to revamp the music program at New Republic High School, becoming a NBCT might help - with all the organization and reflection it requires. The extra money involved doesn't hurt either. The next day I started looking at the online resources - all the requirements I'll have to meet, the assessments that I'll have to endure. It looks like a lot of work, but not impossible. In short, it looks akin to getting through a master's program, and I certainly survived that process.

Of course, I didn't have a toddler to look after when I was doing my masters :-/

I also started talking to some of my friends - and I've been getting very mixed reactions. Some people think that becoming a NBCT is like making it into the Jedi High Council. Others think that it's a bunch of flash and no substance - submit a bunch of paperwork and write out a check - you pretty much get it (based on the fact that they were not impressed with the people they knew who did become NBCTs)

I think I could genuinely use it as a tool to help me get to where I wanted to go anyway. I'm not afraid of hard work, but I am concerned about the time involved.

Well, loyal readers, what do you think?

(Btw: The fortune cookie that came with today's lunch said "Rely on long time friends to give you advice")