How did you start the program?
I started teaching band (at 4 schools) in 1992. I always incorporated technology into music lessons, although limited at first. There were programs available for entering notes into the computer. My elementary bands sometimes lacked proper instrumentation, so I used the computer to arrange, notate and print parts as needed. Eventually, I purchased programs on my own, including Music Ace, Music Time Deluxe, Microsoft Musical Instruments and others.

I was asked to teach an in-service in 1994 to fellow music teachers in the Birmingham system. I demonstrated the programs above, along with others. I also started taking some of the middle school students (ones that did not play in the band but were scheduled for band) to the library to work with the students on music software programs. The students loved to learn about music using computers!

In 1996, I was asked to start a formal music technology program at one of my elementary schools (Central Park). We were given 5 Casio Midi keyboards and some Alfred Basic Piano Library books. I used Windows 3.1 computers in a separate room from our keyboards to work on students' music skills. The program started with one class of 3rd grade students and it was a great success. By 1997, I was able to get the computers and keyboards connected in my band storage room, which became the music technology lab. Each year, we have added more students and resources to build the program. I have taught instrumental music at Central Park School full-time since 1999.

Today, I am very happy to have 8 new Yamaha PSR-e403 keyboards, 8 Quik-Lok tables, and 200 students taking the class each week. I have moved the music technology lab to a slightly larger room (14' x 20') in November of 2007. We hope to replace our Windows 98 computers soon with newer computers. We also have a better selection of software to use with my students, as well as a 350+ page website to help not only my own students, but other teachers and students as well.

Instrumental Music ......Keyboards instead of Band?
I am teaching elementary band on a very limited basis at this time because we have such a high demand for students to be in the music technology class. We are able to teach more students at this age without the financial barrier of purchasing and repairing band instruments, as most of our students come from low-income homes. Also, many teachers will not allow students to be 'pulled' from class two or more times per week for band, so the music technology class was used to increase the student participation in music and decrease the amount of time students were away from other academic classes. We have a separate general music teacher at our school. Most students are able to receive 80 minutes of music per week between general music and instrumental music.

Students
I teach approximately 200 students in the 2nd-5th grades each week. Each student is 'pulled' from regular classes for a 40 minute class, once per week. Students do not have to have a keyboard, computer or the Internet to be in the class. The class is a 'work-at-your-own-pace' format, with some students moving at a faster rate than others. I try to select many of my previous students to continue from year to year. Teachers also choose students based on an interest in taking music lessons. I take as many students as my schedule will allow during the school week. The class is made accessible to all students from special education to gifted. Six to eight students at a time may take the class.

Current Materials / Funding (1996-2007)
- 8 Yamaha PSR-e403 keyboards (2007, $1800 funding from the Birmingham City Council)
- 5 Casio CTK501 keyboards (1997, $1000 funding from Fine Arts Department)
- 8 Quik-Lok Computer Tables from SoundTree (2006, $2000 funding from school Principal)
- 7 Windows 98 computers (1998-2006, $150+ repaired by Ms. Garrett, gathered from discarded computers within our school)
- 15 Alfred Basic Piano Library Method Books (1997, funding from Fine Arts Department)
- other method books, many Alfred titles ($500+ purchased by Ms. Garrett)
- Korg synthesizer (2003, $500 funded partially by SoundTree and PTA funding)
- 8 Headphones (2006-07, $110 funded by pupil supply money)
- numerous cables and cords to connect keyboards to computers and speakers/headphone adapters ($300+ funded by Ms. Garrett)
- E-beam system (similar to SmartBoard) and projector (2005, $1500 funding from Title I school funds)
- Software - Various titles including Music Ace / Music Ace 2 (1996-1999 school funding), Sibelius products (2003-2005 donation), Alfred's Theory Games and other Alfred titles (1999-2007, school funding), Sibelius Groovy series (2006-2007 beta-testers, donation).
- Website - many additional lessons and quizzes for students since 1999. (All funded by Ms. Garrett, including software purchased to make quizzes and the website. Web hosting is a minimum of $100 per year.)
- Music technology related books (some purchased by Ms. Garrett, some donated from publishing companies)
- All decorations and accessories in the room were purchased by Ms. Garrett.

We rely on donations of equipment for most of our needs, especially software. It has helped to be beta-testers of software for music companies to aid in acquiring software.

Computers and Keyboards
We have all 8 computer and keyboard stations connected together through MIDI interface cables. As of August, 2007 we connected all keyboards to the computers using USB cables, a much more economical way to make the connections. The keyboards are used to enter notes onto the screen in Sibelius when creating compositions. Students also enter notes into the computer in note reading drills in Music Ace and Alfred's Theory Games, along with some use in the new Groovy music series by Sibelius. We also use Alfred Midi files on the computer as an accompaniment with the students as they practice on their keyboards. All computers have splitter cables to split the sound between the keyboard, speakers and headphones. This helps me to have the students practice on their own or practice with the entire class. We do not have funding available for a group education controller, but hope to be able to purchase one in the future. The computers are all Windows 98 PC's that I repaired on my own from obsolete computers no longer being used at our school. We do not have an Internet connection in our room. I post our websites on each stand-alone computer so students may work on the quizzes and other lessons if time is available during class.

Concerts and Performances
We like to have one or more concerts each year, primarily at Christmas or in March for Music In Our Schools Month. Concerts depend on the facility (gym) being available, along with students being able to play the music properly in groups of five to eight or more at a time. Generally, students who have access to pianos or keyboards at home are able to perform better because they can practice outside of school time. Some of our performances are recorded in class during the year and posted on CD's available to our school and to the Board of Education. I have also posted a few short video excerpts of students playing on our Student Work section of this website.

TI:ME - Technology Institute for Music Educators / Other Media
I joined TI:ME (www.ti-me.org) in 1998 to network with other teachers who were using music technology in their classes. I have attended most of the national conferences since 2002, allowing me to learn many new ideas, techniques and resources available in technology and to learn about the innovative things teachers were doing with music classes. It is wonderful to be a part of such a great organization of teachers that inspire me to continue learning as much as I can about the constantly growing music tech industry. I was very happy to serve as the TI:ME Teacher of the Year in 2006. I have also been fortunate that so many people have recognized my very small classroom as having a great impact around the world. We have received numerous awards for our website, as well as being featured in newspapers, newsletters, television and in music magazines such as Music Education Technology and School Band and Orchestra.

What programs and equipment are you using for website development / pictures / quizzes / cartoons?
I use a variety of software and equipment that I purchased on my own for website development and photos. I use HostMonster as my host for webspace for this site. I use Adobe Dreamweaver (CS3) software to develop and maintain the website. I use Adobe Photoshop CS3 to edit and work with my digital photos. I create most of the artwork and graphics for my site with Photoshop. My students love the creative collages I have made with their pictures. I use a Canon digital SLR camera and an older Sony digital camera for most of my photos. I created the Flash quizzes that contain cartoons featuring 'talking' characters. I purchased the licensed characters (from Cartoon Solutions) and can use them for any of my projects. I use Flash Professional 8 / CS3 to create the quizzes using the various cartoons. Creating the quizzes with the animated characters is very time consuming, but I love doing it and it has helped me to learn to use Flash. For a list of additional software I use to create quizzes, take a look at the table at the bottom of the Music Quizzes Page.

Final Note
Besides teaching music technology, I developed and maintain our school websites, www.centralparkschool.com, www.birminghamfinearts.com and www.musictechteacher.com. I also help with technical problems around the school and take thousands of digital photos each year of events held at our school. I hope this information helps teachers who are interested in implementing music technology into their music classes. I am always glad to hear from other teachers who use technology in their music classes. I hope that one day we may secure more funding to add the program to other schools. I have spent a tremendous amount of money on my own, but I do want to have the best resources I can for my students. My program is one of only a few music tech programs in Alabama at this time, and I (believe that I) am the only one teaching instrumental music technology full-time at the K-5 elementary level. It has really created an exciting outlet for my students (and me) to be creative and enjoy learning about music.

.... more information may be posted as I receive questions from teachers.