During one of my classes today, I asked the students from a School for the Deaf elementary class if they wanted to create a winter performance over Zoom. One student asked “What about the stage? A performance must be on a stage.” Another student added, “Let’s wait until January when things get back to normal.” January? Perhaps! Although these conversations can be difficult, I have found the last few months have encouraged our students to innovate and create in different ways when it comes to the performing arts.
In my band classes, for example, we have found the Garage Band app to be a wonderful tool for music-making, with accessible features for students who use screen reader technology. We started with creating basic compositions with precomposed loops. Then we learned how to add our voices, creating wonderful a cappella compositions and covers of songs we love. This week students created STOMP ensembles with Garage Band and appliances around their house, and they are now creating beautiful pieces with instruments they have at home. Below, I provide some examples of these incredible compositions.
For my classes, in the School for the Deaf, my students and I have discussed how important physical movement is, and how little we get sitting in front of our screens while attending classes. We have consequently integrated a dance time into our class. The students have introduced me to “Just Dance” videos, which we are using to learn song form (the sequence of verses, choruses, bridges, etc.). We have also created a visual rhythm body percussion system whereby students can show me all of the basic rhythms through Zoom, allowing me to assess their understanding of the concept without having to rely on auditory signals like claps and foot stomps, which are often filtered out by Zoom. An example of a student’s use of form and rhythm is pictured above: A student shows their rhythmic patterns using music notation for each section of a song (A, B, etc.).
Finally, our time online has also forced us to adapt by using new audio technology skills (through Garage Band and Audacity, for example) so that the band can still perform while students are at home. Students have learned to independently record tracks on their devices and send them to me for mixing. Initially, we had issues with students recording at the correct tempo. My husband, Dr. Keith Harrison, helped me code an online, JAWS-accessible metronome (now on our school’s website – see link below), allowing students to access their tempo before recording.
After much hard work, our students were recently featured at the opening ceremonies of the National Federation for the Blind state convention, and at our own CSDB White Cane Day ceremony, with our rendition of “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey (link below).
While we await the return to normal, and while many challenges lie ahead, I believe we have become better in many ways, and learned things we might not have otherwise. I look forward to carrying these skills into a new chapter of learning.
Online JAWS-accessible Metronome link:
https://csdb.colorado.gov/metronome
Garage Band STOMP Student Composition link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ac0blOGKm8fLxWeJx32Up51lYh5jiVj/view?…
Garage Band A Cappella Student Composition link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Ac0blOGKm8fLxWeJx32Up51lYh5jiVj/view?…
Don’t Stop Believing, Bulldog Band link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p25JLBt24gZl2Q8mIM7EecR3YcRdiV2T/view?…