Noteflight

=Noteflight= = = 

1. CITATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION • Title: Noteflight • Publisher: Noteflight, LLC (Cambridge, MA) • Copyright Date: June 2010, v. 2.1 • Platform: Mac OSX, Windows; Requires Flash 10.0.45.2+ • Peripherals: mouse, keyboard, speakers (for audio output) • Grade/Age: Late Elementary, Junior High School/Middle School, High School, Adult • Type of Class: General Music, Band, Orchestra, Choir, Theory, Private Instruction

2. TEACHER SUPPORT • Documentation: Online FAQ and extensive online help section • Objectives: To enable musicians of all ages to compose wherever an internet connection is present. Likewise, musicians can share work cross-platform with ease and critique the work of others. • Lesson plans: N/A • Resource information: • Reproducible student pages: N/A • Student booklets: N/A

3. INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT • Specific Musical Content: Music Notation • National Music Standards:
 * (4) Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
 * (5) Reading and notating music.
 * (7) Evaluating music and music performances.

4. INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND PEDAGOGICAL SOUNDNESS Noteflight uses an online Flash interface to allow musicians of all ages to create, share, and modify music wherever an internet connection is present. The application enables full use of melodic and rhythmic elements, dynamics, lyrics, and articulation. While not necessarily a method of instruction, this online program is certainly a valuable tool for the music educator on a budget who needs to outfit a computer lab or classroom with multiple music notation stations.

Students in middle and early high school may need teacher instruction on how to use the musical elements although discovery learning may also be appropriate. The on-screen display mirrors a computer desktop with a "File-Edit-View" menu akin to the traditional desktop computer application menu. Students at the high school level with an understanding of musical notation would have few problems utilizing this program; however, non-musically trained students may have more difficulty. The graphic interface is appropriate for the student of today and mirrors Flash-based websites that many students may be used to using on a daily basis. Ultimately, this online tool is student-controlled so students may work at their own pace. Saving (online) and exporting options to WAV or MIDI are also possible through Noteflight.

5. RECORD KEEPING There is no record keeping available.

6. OVERALL EVALUATION A free, online music notation program (requires personal logon) is precisely what the profession needs to accurately and flexibly meet National Standards 4 and 5 in the classroom. A well-featured package, the free version of Noteflight allows the saving of up to 25 unique compositions per logon. An educational version is available for a small fee where teachers may create their own website for their school through Haiku LMS and allow students to collaborate in their own controlled setting. Individual accounts of the full-featured Crescendo program are also available for those requiring additional functionality.

Teachers may create worksheets and compositional activities of their own design for students to work on specific musical content. While this program may be viewed as a Discovery-type application, the ability to model, critique, and modify another composer's work may be invaluable to the learning process. Overall, the concept of this online program is good and will be an important asset to the budget-conscious educator's toolbox.

• Rating : * * *

7. REVIEWERS NAME AND DATE OF REVIEW Reviewed by Matt Schatt (6/16/2010)