I love teaching music, and if you know me, you know that is no secret! I had an hour and a half long session last week with a beginning music teacher, attempting to share what I've learned over the past six years of teaching. It was like cramming the ocean in a medicine bottle. In a word: exhilarating!
I love the music, I love the kids, I love the learning process for me and the learning process for them, and I especially love those moments where the students realize that success is possible. That giddiness is addictive, and I experienced it last week. I had sent one of my students home with a new gadget to try out. She is one of my most talented students, yet finds it difficult to channel that talent into constructive practice. So I sent her home with a metronome on steroids--the brand new PractizPal--to test drive for a week.
For the first time in a long time, she returned not only with practices accomplished, but with music made. I was one happy teacher.
This metronome on steroids, you see, is not only a metronome that gives you a tuning pitch, date, and time, but also a digital practice journal. You see that large treble clef button? You press it to start your practice, and then when your practice quota is met (the teacher can change the quota), it cheers for you and practice time is over!
I love that you can pause the practice session, I love that you can view a bar graph of a year's worth of practices, and I even love the rubber grip on the bottom that helps it stand up on the skinniest of piano ledges and the clip on back to hook it to a music stand. I also love that it can double as a timer to keep me on track with my teaching schedule! (Yes, I'm a chronic behind-schedule kind of teacher.)
I already faithfully use some fantastic (albeit slightly complicated) practice charts on which students can check off daily practices. For most students that has worked just fine, but for some, it has hardly budged their bad practice habits. Then along came this practice gadget beauty which manages to drive those students to practice more. This success was partly because the accountability of me looking at the bar graph for the week was so effective and partly because it was so fun to use!
I already faithfully use some fantastic (albeit slightly complicated) practice charts on which students can check off daily practices. For most students that has worked just fine, but for some, it has hardly budged their bad practice habits. Then along came this practice gadget beauty which manages to drive those students to practice more. This success was partly because the accountability of me looking at the bar graph for the week was so effective and partly because it was so fun to use!
The only negative comments I've heard were from one student who said that figuring out how to view the bar graph was confusing. (But once I gave her a quick tutorial she discovered it really wasn't that difficult.) And one parent suggested that it would be very helpful to be able to log different children's practice time separately on the same device.
However, all other feedback has been resounding love! One student said, "Seeing my progress was helpful."
Another boy told me, "It's cool!"
Without fail my other students have noticed the bright "Amadeus Aqua" metronome, have asked for the chance to try it out, and then decided that it is pretty awesome.
Don't just take my word for it, though--I'm quite excited to share the love because PractizPal has offered to do a giveaway for you guys! So check out the rafflecopter widget below, and if you try the metronome out, you'll have to let me know what you think! After you've done that, scroll down to see the winners from the last giveaway.
Perhaps Mikaela's post from last week clued you in to a possible reason for why we have been so neglectful of declaring the winners from the giveaway for our blogoversary. (wink, wink!) In any case, I truly am sorry for keeping you in suspense for so long! So without further ado, the winner (via random.org) of the book It's Not That Complicated is Elizabeth Kilpatrick! And the winner of the earrings is Ruthie H.! Congratulations, ladies, and I'll be in touch with you shortly!
Photo Credit: theirhistoryhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/22326055@N06/4181823128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/22326055@N06/4181823128/
Thanks so much for the giveaway! If I was going to buy one of these for my own personal use, which one would you suggest (or all they are exactly the same)? I looked at the website, and noticed that they all say "metronome not included". Where did you get one with a metronome included?
ReplyDeleteShelbi, I think you were looking at the skins, which are simply decorative covers for the metronome. You can buy the metronome here: http://adkinspianotuningrepair.com/practizpal
DeleteOn that link that I just gave you, all the metronomes are the same--they are just different colors. (I love the composer color names, though!)
OK, thank you!
DeleteAm I the Ruthie H. who won the earrings? If so, what a special surprise! Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and if only I had one of these nifty gadgets when I was taking violin lessons - I know my teachers would have loved anything to encourage me to practice. Keep up the good work of positively influencing these young lives. :)
Indeed you are! Yay! I'll email you shortly!
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