The Technology Institute for Music Education (TI:ME) has a brand new website design. I am happy to be featured on their blog as a teacher using technology in the classroom. Click the link below for the entire feature.

Robby Burns Transforms Band with Technology:

What is a particular success story from using technology in your music classes?

A few years back, I transformed how I teach my beginning Concert Band class. When concert literature was giving us trouble, I wrote out everyone’s part for every instrument transposition and created play-along materials for all of it. The idea was to have fun in class while doing the necessary repetitions to perform successfully. My music team added a headset microphone to the front of the room, and I loaded all the play-along material into the Farrago soundboard app on the Mac. I became like a spin instructor: running tracks, encouraging repetitive effort, walking around the room, giving high-fives, correcting posture, and keeping kids engaged who might otherwise feel disconnected from the process. This approach changed how I do the job, and wouldn’t have been possible without the hardware and software I have come to depend on.