Author: Robby Burns

DaVinci Resolve 20 for iPad: Features & AI Enhancements

On the recent episode of Music Ed Tech Talk, Will and I were discussing how rare it is that iPad apps function similarly to their desktop counterparts. DaVinci Resolve is an exception to this standard, and it only seems to get more powerful with every new release.

DaVinci Resolve 20 for iPad: Features & AI Enhancements:

Alongside the release of DaVinci Resolve 20 for Windows and macOS, version 20 of DaVinci Resolve has now been released for iPadOS as well. Similar to the desktop release, this update adds a number of new AI features across the application.
Keep reading here…

Retreating to Safety – Marco.org

Though I’m not a developer, I do watch Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference keynote every year with lots of enthusiasm.

Given how increasingly sour I have become about Apple recently, I can say that I identify quite a lot with Marco Arment’s feelings in this post.

Retreating to Safety – Marco.org:

This will be the first WWDC I’m not attending since 2009 (excluding the remote 2020 one, of course). Given my realizations about my relationship with Apple and how they view developers, I’ve decided that it’s best for me to take a break this year, gain some perspective, and decide what my future relationship should look like.

Maybe Apple’s leaders are doing that, too.
Keep reading here…

Sam and Jony and skepticism – Six Colors

If you haven’t heard, OpenAI is merging with Jony Ive’s company io, and they have announced that they are working on a hardware product. They are very jazzed about it. Probably a past version of myself would be too, but given my mixed feelings about where AI sits in our culture right now, I couldn’t help but throw up in my mouth several times while watching the announcement video.

Still, I admit I am very curious what they are cooking up.

I think Jason Snell over at Six Colors has the take on this news that I most closely identify with.

Sam and Jony and skepticism – Six Colors:

But right now, all we have are words and an awkward video of Sam and Jony drinking espresso. The words are all vague. I’ll believe whatever they’re going to release when I see it. Until then, like so much in the AI world in particular and the tech world in general, it’s meaningless hype, signifying nothing.
Keep reading here…

TI:ME at Maryland MMEA 25/26 – TI:ME

TI:ME at Maryland MMEA 25/26 – TI:ME:

TI:ME is excited to partner with Maryland MMEA for the upcoming season of PD events. Apply to speak at either or both events today!

The deadline for the Call for Proposals and Performance Applications is June 4, 2025.

This process will be for consideration of sessions/performances for all conference events in the 2025-2026 year.
Keep reading here…

Please join TI:ME and put in proposals for the MMEA conferences. We’d love to have you come present!

Dorico 6 is now available

Dorico 6 is out today and it is full of really great stuff.

Dorico 6 is now available: Perfect scores, faster – Dorico:

We’re delighted to announce the immediate availability of Dorico 6, the brand new generation of our family of music notation and composition software for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. This version is absolutely packed with new features, with a particular focus on engraving and workflow, though there are improvements throughout the application, and we hope that every Dorico user will find several things to be excited about.

If you’re an existing Dorico user, you can update or upgrade to Dorico 6 right now, or if you want to try before you buy, a completely free 60-day trial version is also available from today.

Before we begin, check out the introductory video beautifully produced by my colleague Anthony, with music of his own composition, performed by cellist Cristina Munoz Caamano, who also appears in the video and on our web site. We hope it’ll put you in the mood to find out more about what we’ve been working on, and why.
Keep reading here…

As usual, the Scoring Notes blog has a really detailed post reviewing all of the new features, which I encourage you to check out.

Dorico 6 review: Proof positive – Scoring Notes:

Every major Dorico update affects all areas of the application, but if the Dorico 5 cycle could be characterized as full of audio goodies, Dorico 6 is brimming with delights in the areas of engraving and workflow. Cutaway scores and proofreading are two of the headline features, but there are robust advancements in chord symbols, text, playing techniques, and more — they’re all either new or more robust than ever.
Keep reading here…

There’s never been a better time to try Dorico, especially if you’re still considering alternatives to Finale. With a bit of time spent learning the popovers and jump bar, Dorico can deliver better-looking scores with more power and ease than any alternative.

Seamlessly Sync Readwise and Craft

Seamlessly Sync Readwise and Craft:

Highlight text in articles or books and instantly sync it to Craft and across all your devices.
Keep reading here…

Craft is now integrated with the Readwise service, which I love for saving my highlights and notes from Kindle books and web articles.

If you ask me, Readwise integration is the essential component of a note-taking workflow built on PKM apps. Even though I am using Apple Notes for my general note-taking these days, and Craft more specifically for information I share on the web, it is really exciting to see them integrate this.

Linked in the article are instructions for a discount on Craft and a free trial of Reader.

Sight Reading Factory announced Rhythm-only auto assessment

From an email last week:

We’re excited to share a powerful update in Sight Reading Factory!

Rhythm-only auto assessment is now available — both for individual practice and for teacher-created assignments!

That means:

✅ Students and independent learners can now be automatically assessed on rhythm-only exercises
✅ Auto-graded rhythm-only assignments are fully supported for educators
✅ Rhythm is often the hardest part of sight reading – now you can isolate and assess it with ease.
In addition to rhythm-only auto assessment, make sure to check out the already released auto assessment feature

I know a lot of teachers have wanted this for a long time. I am glad to see the feature finally added.

My 2025 Media Diet So Far (April Edition)

My interests in TV, movies, books, and games always tend to spill over into the podcast. That’s not changing anytime soon. But to leak a little bit of that enthusiasm here, I thought I’d share a list of what I’ve been enjoying lately—some of it connected to the profession, some of it just for fun.

  • Severance, Season 2 – Absolutely worth the hype. Best thing I’ve seen on TV this year.
  • The White Lotus, Season 3 – Not sure the finale stuck the landing, but the journey was worth it for the stellar music, cinematography, and acting.
  • Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – I heard someone say you only want a PS5 Pro if you’re the kind of person who wants to relive FF7 with the best possible visuals, narrative, and music. That’s me. Worth the wait in every regard.
  • Metaphor: ReFantazio – A very different JRPG than FF7. If FF7 Remake is about modernizing the original, Metaphor is about refining tradition. It’s more turn-based, but its mechanics and style elevate old-school gameplay into something really special.
  • The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource by Chris Hayes – A great read that articulates the current attention crisis. It prompted deep reflection on how social media, algorithms, and tech are reshaping how we live, as our attention becomes increasingly commodified.
  • Doppelganger by Naomi Klein – An exploration of our polarized world through the metaphor of a mirror world. What we reject in others might actually live closer to home than we think.
  • Parenting Musically by Lisa Huisman Koops – I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to the companion book, A Family Guide to Parenting Musically. It’s got me thinking about what music looks like for my kids.
  • Dave the Diver – A fun game with an A/B gameplay loop: deep-sea diving for resources by day, sushi restaurant management by night.
  • Upgrade (Podcast) – One of my most regularly listened-to shows about Apple and tech. Always something to learn.
  • The Ezra Klein Show – I often enjoy the insights from Ezra’s guests. It’s become a regular in my weekly rotation.
  • The Ideology of Competition in School Music by Sean Robert Powell – Just started this one, and it’s already giving me a lot to think about. I can tell I’ll want to revisit it soon.

Mastodon Exit Interview – Rob Shearer

I am still hopelessly in favor of a federated social internet, but Rob Shearer shares some very valid concerns about the state of Mastodon, in particular, in this blog post…

Mastodon Exit Interview:

I am currently winding down the Mastodon bots I used to post sunrise and sunset times. The precipitating event is that the admin of the instance hosting the associated accounts demanded they be made nigh-undiscoverable, but the underlying cause is that it’s become increasing clear that Mastodon isn’t, and won’t ever be, a good platform for “asynchronous ephemeral notifications of any kind”. I’d also argue (more controversially) that it’s simply not good infrastructure for social networking of any kind. There are lots of interesting people using Mastodon, and I’m sure it will live on as a good-enough space for certain niche groups. But there is no question that it will never offer the fun of early Twitter, let alone the vibrancy of Twitter during its growth phase. I’ve long since dropped Mastodon from my home screen, and have switched to Bluesky for text-centric social media.