May 19 2009
Get your ensemble to listen with Indaba: record, upload and comment
RECORD YOUR REHEARSAL
I have often recorded my rehearsals to play back for my choir or band. Then in an attempt to be clever, I’ve uploaded these recordings as mp3 files on the internet and told my students to go listen to what they really sound like.
Often I have no idea if they are really listening to the recordings. Unless I upload my files to a place that requires a unique login, I can’t tell if they are really listening. The value of recording a rehearsal and getting your students to create feedback on what they hear is crucial.
I have upload files to my blog and asked students to comment on what they hear. But I have found a better way to get my students to listen and assess (comment on) what they are hearing.
SEE THE AUDIO FILE
Since the creation of the first sequencing software, the ability to actually “see” as well as hear an audio file is a huge plus for music educators. And there are many places on the internet that allow you to upload and host audio files for free.
But what if your students could see the audio file you wanted them to listen to? How about having them place a comment at a specific point on the wave file as it appears on the screen?
COMMENT WITH CLARITY ON INDABA
This is exactly what you can do with Indaba Music on-line. When you playback an audio file that has been uploaded to Indaba Music, the file appears at the bottom of the screen in your browser. So you can hear and see the file as it is being played.
In addition to the visual aspect of each audio file as it is played, if you are a registered user at Indaba, you can actually create a comment for others to see at a specific point along the wave form as it is being played.
MY UNIVERSITY MEN’S CHOIR
Since I have been using Indaba music with my middle school students, I was aware of these unique comment features for audio files associated with their contests. When you upload a file to an Indaba contest, the playback allows others to make comments on your work as described above. Why not use this feature to get feedback from my University Men’s Choir students? All of the guys in my choir understand about commenting on other people’s profiles on Facebook or other social media web-sites. Using the big ideas associated around social media (upload, share, comment, profiles, forums) I created a rehearsal session at Indaba Music.
You can see a screen shot of the process below, or check out the session online here:

SEE A SHORT VIDEO
If this seems interesting to you, I’d like to hear your thoughts. You can see more about this in a short video I’ve created (sorry about the poor audio…) here.
Are you using social media with your music students? Do you upload audio files for students to comment online? Do you appreciate the value of seeing and hearing an audio file?
