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| MakeMusic Forum > Public Forums > SmartMusic - FORUM HAS MOVED! > Sound Innovations | Forum Quick Jump
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AP
Registered Member
      
Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 6
| Posted 10/5/2010 7:54 AM (GMT -6) |   | | I am curious about when Sound Innovations for Band will be available. The materials you have out say that it was to be this summer. Sound Innovation's website makes it sound like it is already available. But I am not seeing it, am I missing something? | | Back to Top | |
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AP
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 6
| Posted 10/5/2010 12:26 PM (GMT -6) | | James,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I have found continually the SmartMusic staff great to work with. I will be eagerly anticipating the update. Thank you. | | Back to Top | |
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AP
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 6
| Posted 11/18/2010 8:57 AM (GMT -6) | | Well, 2011a is out now, yet still waiting on Sound Innovations to be available.
An email from Sound Innovations and contact with SM reps have both said the book was coming with this update. Has it been delayed? Can you just get a basic version of it available, even if the Director's Choice options aren't ready yet. | | Back to Top | |
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Jim S
Registered Member
Date Joined Nov 2010
Total Posts : 2
| Posted 11/24/2010 2:03 PM (GMT -6) | | I see Sound Innovations is now available as a download, however I am confused as to how the custom ordering/selections of the Director's Choice is specified. Is there something on the CD/DVD that works with SmartMusic 2011a to do this automatically, or does it have to be done manually by creating a playlist?
For reference, we are using Director's Choice (School District of Waukesha) for Strings. Thank you! | | Back to Top | |
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AP
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 6
| Posted 12/13/2010 4:41 PM (GMT -6) | | New Question about Sound Innovations:
Okay, it is out and working fine. I have connected my Director's Choice to my program and class, working fine. Students are now able to install the program and enter the code to have access to just the first 100 lines of the book, going well. Students can now log in on their program and access our customized Director's Choice version, also good.
I (as a paying band director) can give them assignments, but students (who have access to the lines I am assigning) cannot receive the assignments without paying for a subscription, not so good.
So, is this the intentional permanent plan, or an error or something in the system?
Whereas it is good that they can use SmartMusic as a practice tool for the first 100 lines, the real chance for students to get used to using it, and therefore see the need to purchase it, is if they are regularly using it through assignments. This makes the free 100 lines rather pointless from a teacher's standpoint because I cannot assess them, I cannot help them establish a routine of using the program, and they are not really experiencing what the program is good for.
Can you fix this? | | Back to Top | |
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Travis Shepard
SmartMusic Support
Date Joined Mar 2009
Total Posts : 148
| Posted 12/14/2010 3:11 PM (GMT -6) | | AP,
Thanks for writing! The Sound Innovation trial subscription works in much the same way as the sample recording CD that comes with many method books. Some, but not all, of the exercises in the book are included as a sample of the way the repertoire works in the program. Your observation is correct that trial SI subscriptions do not provide access to the assignment loop--this is also true of our trial subscriptions with Essential Elements 2000.
When a student does assignments at home, our company incurs the costs of the servers which run the Gradebook features of SmartMusic. It takes a lot of resources to capture and store all the data produced by an assignment, which is why only a paid subscription can use the Gradebook features.
We do have many teachers who have paid practice room subscripions at school, and have their students do all of the assignments on the school computers (as a pull-out from band class for a short playing test, for example). If you are in the early stages of using the Gradebook, this model works well to evaluate if the Gradebook will fit the needs of your classes.
I hope that helps! Feel free to reply if you have questions,
Thanks,
Travis Shepard
SmartMusic Customer Support
MakeMusic, Inc. These on-line forums are intended for the exchange of ideas among the users of MakeMusic products. If you'd like individual help from our technical support staff, please contact them directly at http://support.makemusic.com/ | | Back to Top | |
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AP
Registered Member
Date Joined Sep 2009
Total Posts : 6
| Posted 12/15/2010 9:04 AM (GMT -6) | | Travis,
Thank you for your answer, although rather disappointing. Sorry if the following sounds like complaining as it is not meant to be. I am giving this as a suggestion because I like the program and have been using it since its inception. MakeMusic also seems to be good at accepting input and working on problems so...
May I recommend that y'all consider changing this. If you allow students to submit homework with the trial version, it will encourage more subscriptions than it will cost you, and it will be of great benefit to teachers.
First, by doing so, you will encourage teachers who do not use SmartMusic to purchase a teacher subscription (at the teacher price) so that students are able to submit assignments. Second, during the first part of the year, when it is free, students will get accustomed to doing assignments at home, rather than on school computers. Teachers will get in the habit of giving and receiving homework and will continue through the year. Then students will either purchase the program full version to continue working at home, or would have to start doing it at school.
Although, for demographics that cannot afford the program, no enticement will be able to make them purchase it. But, a great majority of students who are in band, and are doing things like paying for an instrument, books, and lessons, it would be good for encouraging them to make a choice to purchase it. Especially since they will already understand the value of the program and how the teacher is able to provide feedback through it. As it stands now, when parents cannot see the full value of the program they are having to consider the subscription price and purchase of a microphone compared to using the free mp3 accompaniments already included in the book.
It seems like a win/win to me, teachers get a better chance to draw students into using a good tool, and you get the benefit of more individuals purchasing subscriptions. | | Back to Top | |
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