Abstract
With more than 850,000 apps currently on the market, there are multiple apps that can be used to help all students in music education, particularly those with special needs. This article lists low-budget apps useful for the elementary or secondary general music classroom.
The use of iDevices and applications (apps) in the classroom is revolutionizing education. With more than 850,000 apps currently on the market and 500 million active accounts (Reisinger, 2013), multiple apps exist that can be used to help all students in music education, particularly those with special needs. Listed in this article are a few favorite low-budget apps useful for the elementary or secondary general music classroom. Additionally, we have included the nonmusical goals that may be achieved when students with special needs use these apps. For a more comprehensive list, please see https://sites.google.com/site/exceptionalitiessrig/home/resources/related-website
Singing
StarMaker (by StarMaker Sing & Share; cost: free).
Although there are many karaoke-style apps available, we like this one the best. This karaoke game is the only free app that has text synchronized with a visual melodic contour bar. With more than 500 songs in the library, students can sing most songs they have heard on the radio as well as folk and patriotic selections. The app also recognizes octaves, which allows students to match pitch regardless of their voice type (e.g., a male student can sing along with a female artist). Recordings are best done with headphones and can be shared via Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail.
Nonmusical Goals
Breath control
Literacy
Visual tracking
Left to right tracking
Articulation
Focus of attention
Impulse control
Socialization
Playing Instruments
Pluto Learns Piano HD (by Pluto Games, Inc.; cost: free).
Songs in this app can be played using either a game setting or with a piano keyboard on the screen. The game setting pairs note names with notes on the staff, whereas the piano setting highlights notes to be played on the keyboard. We recommend starting with the game setting and then continuing to the piano setting. This sequence will allow students to become familiar with the melody of the songs before transferring to a keyboard.
Nonmusical Goals
Gross motor skills
Fine motor skills
Hand–eye coordination
Visual tracking
Left to right tracking
Focus of attention
Impulse control
RecorderMaster (by JoyTunes; cost: free).
This app teaches basic recorder fingerings (notes D, C, B, A, and G) and is a great way to encourage beginners to practice. Students will learn the names of the notes by touching on the screen or using an actual recorder to play the notes displayed. Additionally, students can use their recorder skills in the arcade setting after mastering specific notes. We particularly like this app because it allows a teacher to monitor student progress throughout all the settings.
Nonmusical Goals
Breath control
Fine motor skills
Impulse control
Following directions
Visual tracking
Left to right tracking
Composing
BeatPad Lite (by XME, Inc.; cost: free).
Students have the ability to create multiple tracks of original beats using this app. With the inclusion of 16 different sounds, the number of combinations a student can produce is endless. Users can also add lyrics and share compositions via Facebook, YouTube, and e-mail. While this app is suitable for classroom use, students with more interest may want to upgrade to the full version or invest in GarageBand. Our recommendation of this specific app is based on the availability of a lite version before purchasing one that is more expensive.
Nonmusical Goals
Fine motor skills
Decision making
Literacy
Following directions
Sequencing
Critical thinking
Socialization
Music Reading
DoReRhythm (by Stacey Jett; cost: $0.99).
This app allows students to work on improving rhythm reading accuracy. Users choose a time signature and drag notes onto a treble staff. The notes seen on the screen will be played before they are erased for continued practice. We specifically like this app to help those who need additional training with basic note values in 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 time signatures.
Nonmusical Goals
Fine motor skills
Critical thinking
Sequencing
Left to right tracking
Following directions
Music and Other Arts
CineBeat—Music Video Maker (by Smule; cost: free).
Students can turn everyday life into a music video by directing, recording, editing and scoring their own short excerpts. Users can record anything, choose from a variety of musical genres to enhance their montages and share their recordings via Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail. We like this app for its simplicity and the way it engages students in a creative process.
Nonmusical Goals
Eye contact
Decision making
Sequencing
Literacy
Socialization
Following directions
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.