This page contains resources and
instructional videos to help you
become familiar with the new
software program called
SmartMusic.
The RMS Band will be using
SmartMusic to help
students practice and perfect their musical skills this
year. For more detailed information regarding the
program, click on the links below. (You need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to
view many of these files.)
What is SmartMusic?
SmartMusic is
a software-based computer program that helps students
practice and submit their at home practice assignments.
Students can practice exercises, solos, and lessons out
of their method book as well as some of the music they
are preparing for a performance.
Letter to Parents
- What is
SmartMusic?
Introductory Video -
What is SmartMusic?
Adobe®
Flash
Player® is required
to see the QuickStart
videos.
Download a free update.
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The Benefits of SmartMusic
Practicing alone is often boring because the music has
been taken out of its intended group setting.
SmartMusic makes
practicing fun. With
SmartMusic,
students are able to practice with professional
accompaniment. (Meaning you will be able to hear other
instruments playing along with you.) This makes
practicing time more productive, all while helping the
student develop better listening skills and a better
understanding of the music.
SmartMusic
records and even grades student progress from a home or
school computer and includes a metronome, tuner and
digital recorder. Most assignments offer assessment,
where green notes indicate what students have performed
correctly and red notes indicate where improvement is
needed.
A
SmartMusic
subscription also provides you immediate access to the
world’s largest musical library, allowing you to explore
other pieces that we might not be using in class. This
is particularly useful for students who are looking for
that added challenge in band!
For more information,
visit the
SmartMusic
website directly by clicking on the links below:
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"How to"
Links
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Purchasing & Subscribing to
SmartMusic
SmartMusic is a very
efficient and enjoyable way to practice at home.
Since all practice
assignments and playing exams will be given via
SmartMusic, Ms. Murphy
is recommending an at home subscription of the software.
Rather than completing
assignments at school and losing valued instruction
time, students who have this at home can complete their
assignments and take their playing tests from the
comforts of home and email me their scores and
recordings. Using this method, a student could play
an assignment/test 20 times to get a score of 100 if so
desired. What a great encouragement for all students
to become better players and musicians at RMS!
The RMS Band has obtained
a code which will allow you to purchase a
SmartMusic subscription
for just $30 per year. This gives you a savings of $95
over the normal home subscription of $11.95 per month!
To subscribe to SmartMusic,
go to
www.smartmusic.com,
click on the "order now" button for students and
performers and follow the simple onscreen instructions.
-
Under Subscription
quantity, enter "1," and click "Continue."
-
On the "Get Accessories" page, you should select
the
SmartMusic microphone,
and Macintosh users should select the USB Microphone
Adapter.
-
Carefully input all of
your information. Be sure to enter your month and year
of birth. If you are not 13 years old or older or it will not let you
subscribe. If you are younger than 13, you will need to have your
parent/guardian input their information.
-
Under "Subscription
Settings," enter a subscription name, like "Home,"
or some other appropriate name to help you identify your
subscription. Then, click "Continue."
-
In the next screen, verify that you have ordered the
correct number of items needed, and click "Continue."
After reading the subscriber agreement, click "I
Accept."
-
In the next two screens, you will be asked to verify
your shipping and billing information before you submit
your order. You can download the program immediately or
wait for the CD to arrive in 3-5 business days. Once you
receive the CD in the mail, follow the instructions
provided on the CD to install the program onto your
computer.
Printable instructions for
Purchasing &
Subscribing to
SmartMusic
Requires
Adobe® Reader®.
Download a free
update.
BE SURE TO ACTIVATE
YOUR SUBSCRIPTION ONCE YOU HAVE INSTALLED OR DOWNLOADED
IT ONTO YOUR COMPUTER!!!
Instructional Video -
Activating a Subscription
Adobe®
Flash
Player®
is required
to see the QuickStart
videos.
Download a free update.
Still confused? Contact
Ms. Murphy
for help. Have fun practicing!
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Enrolling in a Class
Once you have
successfully downloaded and/or installed
SmartMusic
10.0 onto your home computer, you are ready to enroll in
a class so you can receive your assignments. NOTE: You
will need to be connected to the internet to receive
assignments.
-
Find the
SmartMusic
application on your computer, and open it.
-
To set the computer
volume at an appropriate level, click "Play Test,"
and use the slider to adjust the volume either up or
down. To set the microphone volume at an appropriate
level, play into your microphone, and move the
slider so that your level is reading as green. If
you have a MIDI keyboard, find it on the drop-down
menu, or select "No MIDI Keyboard," then click
"Next."
-
When the next window
appears, click on the "Assignment" button. The SmartMusic Assignment window should appear next.
-
Click on
"enroll for class."
-
Enter your
first and last name as they appear on school
records, and click on the checkbox to confirm that
you are older than 13 years old. If you have not yet
created a login, click the "Create
New Login" link.
-
Next, enter your e-mail address, and create a
password for your login.
-
In the next screen,
select "Riverside Middle School" from the dropdown
menu. In the next screen, verify that the
information you typed in is correct, and click
"Next."
Printable instructions for
Enrolling in a SmartMusic
class
Requires
Adobe® Reader®.
Download a free
update.
Still confused? Contact
Ms. Murphy
for help. Have fun practicing!
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How to
Receive SmartMusic Assignments
To receive assignments in
SmartMusic, you must
first
enroll in a class.
What you will need:
Steps:
-
Open
SmartMusic 10.0 on
your computer.
-
Click on the
"Assignment" tab and
login*.
-
Follow the onscreen
instructions.
*Use the same login every
time you want to work with
SmartMusic
assignments. Any computer with
SmartMusic 10.0
or later and an
active subscription can
be used to complete and submit assignments.
Instructional video for
How Students View & Practice
Assignments
Adobe®
Flash
Player® is required
to see the QuickStart
videos.
Download a free update.
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How to Receive Credit for a
Completed Assignment
To receive credit for assignments in
SmartMusic,
you must first
enroll in a class.
What you will need:
Printable instructions for
How to Submit a Completed
Assignment
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Printable Instructions and Forms
Requires
Adobe® Reader®.
Download a free
update.
Letter to Parents
- What is
SmartMusic?
How to Purchase/Subscribe to
SmartMusic
How to Enroll in a
class using SmartMusic
How to Email a
Completed Assignment
Using
the Tuner & Metronome
Using SmartMusic
with a Method Book
Using SmartMusic
with a Concert Title
Using SmartMusic with a Solo
Microphone Troubles
Microphone
Placement & Percussion Help
General Tips to
Practice Effectively and Avoid
Frustration
Other SmartMusic Tips
SmartMusic Phone Numbers
Troubleshooting
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Instructional Videos*
The following
instructional videos* will assist you in purchasing
SmartMusic for your home computer.
*Adobe®
Flash
Player® is required
to see the QuickStart
videos.
Download a free update.
SmartMusic
Subscriptions:
Getting Started:
Practice Tools:
Assignments:
Repertoire (Music):
Support:
Still confused? Contact
Ms. Murphy
for help. Have fun practicing!
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Microphone Tips
Most of the problems that students
encounter when using SmartMusic can be solved by simply
knowing where to place the microphone.
Pictured below are suggested positions
for the SmartMusic microphone as well as recommendations
for speaker placement. After properly placing the
microphone, be sure to adjust the settings of the
microphone when starting SmartMusic. You can also adjust
the microphone settings inside of the SmartMusic program
by sliding the dial up or down. The microphone dial is
located in the top right-hand corner.
Percussion -
microphone option 2: Recommended for bell players.
With bell kits, you can improve the
success rate by clipping the microphone below the bars
aiming downward, about 4-6" below the bars themselves.
The ideal spot for the microphone is just below the
lowest C# key on the far
left-hand side of the bells.
Also, using rubber mallets (while not a
great choice for concerts) will improve the assessment
by reducing the "strike" at the beginning of notes and
cutting out the overtones.
Lastly, make sure the “Instrument Range Checking”
feature located in the OPTIONS menu is off. (See picture
below.)
Unfortunately, the assessment feature (red/green notes)
is not available on most exercises of the method books
for percussion students. Until that feature is made
available to percussionists, the student will need to
submit a recording to his/her teacher so that the
teacher may grade the assignment.
More help with Microphones
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update.
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Troubleshooting
SmartMusic is an
extremely innovative and well-designed software program
that provides a very efficient and enjoyable way to
practice at home. However, like anything, it is not
perfect, and sometimes problems arise that our beyond
our control.
In an effort to help
students and parents make the most out of
SmartMusic, Ms. Murphy
has created several links to help keep problems to a
minimum.
Below is a list of steps
to take should you have a question or encounter a
problem with the program.
-
Click on the HELP button on the
SmartMusic menu screen.
(See picture below.)
-
Go to the
Customer Support
page on the SmartMusic website where you can browse
answers to frequently asked product, pricing,
activation, or technical questions. You can also
submit a question to the customer service
department.
-
Call SmartMusic Technical Support.
This is a FREE service to all current subscribers.
Click on
this link for the
Technical Support phone number.
-
Click on one of the files below.
You need
Adobe Acrobat Reader to
view many of these files.
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SmartMusic Phone Numbers
-
Technical Support
-
1.866.240.4041
(M-F, 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM CST)
-
Customer Service - 1.888.874.2144
(M-F, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM CST)
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MakeMusic, Inc. All
rights reserved. |
| 7615 Golden Triangle Drive, Suite M | Eden Prairie,
MN 55344-3848
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July 2009
