in Close

To close my blog at the end of this semester – my first semester at NYU as a graduate student, I have to say - thanks for being patient with me as I adapted to commuting, dealing with horrible train schedules, and especially coping with the unfamiliar territory of electronic devices, computers, and software. I have learned so much this semester through this class. Photoshop, Flash, Dreamweaver, Actionscript, Fetch…etc. All of which I had never used before. I guess it was probably frustrating for most of you also dealing with my strange questions – did she REALLY just ask that?! Doesn’t she know that by now?! Omgoodness…. – but seriously, this was all entirely new. In observing other final projects, viewing blogs, and reading websites I enjoyed how Danby “sweetrain” added lots of photographs and other things to her website which made it more accessible for friends and family rather then just being in a performance format for clarinet, although she did include a button for that also. Youngju definitely had the most professional looking “profile” or portfolio looking – page, until the clip from youtube loaded, then I just laughed, very educational and informative with links to important websites. I had trouble getting some of the web pages to load – perhaps just my computer? I read through some blogs and found that most people had used a mix of personal stories and interesting materials with educational posts from news or research that they had discovered and found interesting. Jessica’s blog was the one which used a little different color scheme then the rest of us – why does everyone else seem to be stuck on blue and green? Myself included…anyway. And she discussed rice milk in one of her posts, which was random and something I haven’t tried in a while. Perhaps I’m just hungry. To close, thank you all very much for a wonderful class in which I learned so very much. I will not abandon this skills but continue using dreamweaver (especially) and flash to create a website for my private violin students in hopes that they will become more organized and prompt at practicing and attending lessons – yeah right. Cheers!

Accomplishments

Evaluate this course in the context of your own progress and development and speculate on what you might do to further your learning and understanding of technology in performing arts or music education, and how it might apply to your future teaching or art/music making: The strongest feature of this class was the flexibility and student centered learning experience that allowed for a wide range of students with varying abilities and backgrounds in web design to be combined into one class and still learn and a relatively consistent pace. For example, I had never used photoshop – the simple photo editing program – because I was not priviledged enough as a child to have computer or internet available to me at home or at school. I learned computer skills and typing later and don’t have as much experience with any of that. Through this class I was able to learn all of those programs at a basic, yet complex level rather quickly with the patient and careful instruction of the professors. Really – somehow I learned basic skills in photoshop, flash, dreamweaver, fetch, etc in one semester!!!

Violinist.com - so much more then a discussion board.

As I haven't been to the website violinist.com in many months, I thought I would post the link in hopes of remembering it more often in the future for reference as it is a good gathering place of sorts for many people I know to keep in touch and share stories, thoughts, and information. It has grown quite a bit since the beginning days when the people who started the site actually acknowledged me in a post (awww http://www.violinist.com/blog/laurie/20043/1134/) to this huge amazing site with links, promotions, and advertising for teachers and luthiers, etc.

http://www.violinist.com/index.cfm

Someone emailed this link to me from the site which prompted my visit this evening - they were teasing me of course, about my happening to play the violin and the viola ....
http://www.violinist.com/blog/stringsbyhope/20074/6821/


Enjoy!

Some interesting observations

Creating my webpage has been quite an adventure (?!) perhaps that is one way to put it. Previous experience with creating web based materials has been limited to changing color backgrounds on the blog - ooooooo yay. Seriously, most people, especially now, grew up with internet, computers, other such electronic devices (television, video games, computers, etc) I did not. So although I have a computer now and use the internet frequently (for checking email and uploading photographs to share with friends) I do not actually spend hours browsing the web for leisure, wandering around myspace, or browsing on youtube. I could probably count the amount of times I have actually ventured onto the youtube website on one hand. It isn't that I have a dislike for use of the internet, because yes, I have used it for ordering violin strings and last minute history class listening test studying...but I have no time, nor do I enjoy spending massive amounts of time glued to my laptop. Perhaps I grew up in a rare age or place where books and violin dominated anything and everything I do, which has seemed to form my habits, reservations, and internet fluidity at this moment. Right now I am attempting to upload and create my website in the form of a simple "visual resume" with information directly pertinent to a potential employer, rather for an exciting web experience full of visual stimulation and a form of entertainment. The purpose of the "visual resume" is to convey and contain information which would be found on a resume in a slightly more improved way which will support the various learning modalities. If a potential employer is more comfortable learning in a visual, kinesthetic, or auditory way those behaviors will carry over into the way that that person also wishes to obtain information. My website is designed to have the necessary information needed and present it in several different ways via a resume, photographs, biography, and sound bits directly relative to my work done in the field of music, violin, and music education. I was going to include some of the work I did on flash this semester, which both did and did not have anything to do with a "visual resume" theme, I decided to not include any of that work on my pages for a simple reason. Although many public businesses and large corporations have fantastically quick internet, the field of music education - especially the district within which I work has incredibly slow internet. In order to better facilitate the needs of possible employers within the demographic, location, and constraints of which I wish to communicate and promote my website is better serving my needs and my abilities as a web designer as being simple yet complex and straight to the point.

Pearls before Breakfast - ignorance or bliss...

Pearls Before Breakfast
Can one of the nation's great musicians cut through the fog of a D.C. rush hour? Let's find out.
By Gene Weingarten
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 8, 2007; Page W10

HE EMERGED FROM THE METRO AT THE L'ENFANT PLAZA STATION AND POSITIONED HIMSELF AGAINST A WALL BESIDE A TRASH BASKET. By most measures, he was nondescript: a youngish white man in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a Washington Nationals baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a violin. Placing the open case at his feet, he shrewdly threw in a few dollars and pocket change as seed money, swiveled it to face pedestrian traffic, and began to play.

Click below for the remainder of the article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Makes me rather curious how many musicians I have passed without regard or listening for one brief second...

Thoughts about flash...

Flash as a tool for music education can provide excellent online tutorials or organization for students in classrooms – easily adding materials to a website to help students document homework, keep recitals and performance dates accessible, and recordings to support home or rehearsal practices. As far as the web authoring aspect of developing web materials that support music education, both in the classroom and in private studio situations, having the knowledge of flash, dreamweaver, etc will enhance the learning experience. Online resources will benefit active parents as well, be able to create a jukebox or by adding sound files to a well developed studio website for the private teacher, will allow parents to listen to and download recordings from recent recitals.

Broken Myths Exposed

How to, and how to NOT attend a concert....

"Excuses heard in dark alleys…

"But I don't own a tuxedo!"
"I don't know enough - I'm not an EXPERT."
"But I'm not rich. Aren't orchestra concerts only for the upper-crust?"

Allow us to clear some things up. We want you to know you are welcome and appreciated at every concert. Your experience is important to us, even if symphonic music is new to you.

Myth: You have to get "all dressed up" to attend a concert.

Reality: We think people enjoy concerts most when they are comfortable. Formal attire is Not required at Orchestra concerts. You'll see concert goers in suits, vests, sweaters, skirts, khakis, slacks,… everything!

Myth: Only the "Experts" can truly appreciate great music.

Reality: There are no Experts! Everyone experiences music in a very personal way and no two people will have identical reactions. Though some people choose to study music as a hobby or profession, we believe their opinion is just as important and valid as yours.

Myth: Serious concerts are only for the rich or well-heeled.

Reality: Great music attracts people from all walks of life. True, Orchestra audiences are a discerning group who appreciate the best in music. The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes audience is diverse and welcoming to all."


and more at http://www.osfl.org/Plan.htm