SmartMusic Review and Comparison

SmartMusic is music software with a variety of benefits for both student and teacher.  There are two versions of this software, “SmartMusic for Educators” and “SmartMusic for Students.”  Each requires a yearly subscription in order to download and use.  Information about SmartMusic can be found on it's website by clicking HERE.

Through the use of SmartMusic technology, teachers are able to send scores to their students for individual practice.  There is a database of songs and method books already programmed into the software, or teachers can create and upload their own scores into the program.  All of these scores can also be shared with other colleagues through an online library.  After students send their recordings to their teacher, the program allows the teacher to track each students’ progress through individual portfolios, keep a grade book with all their assessment scores, and give feedback to each student.  The teacher can track how much each student is practicing and parents can log in to view their child’s grades.  The program offers accountability for the teacher through physical proof of student achievement as well as documented student growth, both of which are helpful for teacher observation and evaluation.

The software for students focuses primarily on improving students’ musicianship and skills through interactive practice.  Students are able to practice in real time with the music on the computer screen and a microphone.  There is a built in metronome and tuner.  After choosing the piece they are assigned to practice, students have the ability to hear the piece as it should be played.  When students are ready, the program records their practice, gives them a score, and displays incorrect pitches and rhythms on the screen.  Students can then go back and work on a specific section by adjusting the tempo, looking up fingerings, or using the “loop” tool.  Students are also able to practice with accompaniment to learn how their part fits in to the piece as a whole.  Students can save their recordings and send them to their teacher for assessment or to family members and friends.  A version of SmartMusic is also available for iPad, so students can practice anywhere they choose.  The computer screen from a students’ perspective looks something like this:

As an educator, I feel that SmartMusic is a great tool for use in the music classroom.  It helps in student motivation to practice and gives individualized feedback to each member of the ensemble.  It can be used inside the classroom with the use of a Smartboard, in a practice room at school, or at a child’s home.  The testimonials on the website speak to improved ensemble sound as well as the ability to play more challenging music.  However, there are some difficulties to being able to use this in the classroom. First, it comes at a cost.  A teacher subscription costs $140 a year.  Each student subscription is $40 a year.  This can be a hindrance for any teacher who does not have the budget for this program.  It can also be difficult for a student to afford.  Personally, teaching in a low-income district, this would be a really hard thing to implement simply because of the cost requirement.  SmartMusic does offer a “Practice Room Subscription” for school issued devices, but this has the potential of dramatically reducing the effectiveness of the program, in my opinion, if students are not able to use it at home.  Perhaps some students would have the ability to purchase the program, while those who cannot would commit to practicing at school.  Also, I do feel that this program is mostly geared toward an instrumental ensemble, rather than a vocal ensemble.  I did see on the website that there are choral directors that use this software, but I would have to look into its usefulness before considering purchasing it for my vocal ensembles.

It is hard to compare Chromatik with SmartMusic, as I feel they have two different purposes.  SmartMusic seems to be much more academic in nature, concentrating on the building and tracking of specific skills.  It includes the assessment component for teachers and is used primarily to improve overall ensemble performance.  From what I can see, the repertoire mostly includes method books or music for ensembles.  On the other hand, though it does have these useful features, the cost to use it can add up quickly.  Chromatik, on the other hand, has a database of songs from a variety of genres and styles.  Most of these pieces seems to be more solo oriented ensemble focused.  It can be used for band and orchestra instruments, but also includes guitar, piano, ukulele, and vocals.  Students can still record their practice, but it does not offer an assessment option and does not interactively show mistakes.  Overall, I feel Chromatik would be a better fit for general music classes (or as supplemental material) and, because it is free, is widely accessible to students who want to practice a diverse array of music.  SmartMusic would be an extremely useful tool, and a much better choice, for an ensemble setting.  

References:

SmartMusic-Music Education Software.  (2015). Retrieved Aprill 11, 2015 from http://www.smartmusic.com/