Due: Tuesday April 28

We’re going to take Sakura Sakura (#77 from Essential Elements that I asked you to practice last week) and use it as our first Virtual Ensemble recording project. Please watch this video lesson on home recording and then read the assignment options below.

And the final result, using Ode To Joy as an example:

 

You can record and submit your audio file one of two ways:

UPDATE: The new preferred recording option is SoundTrap. Please see this post for an introduction to using that platform.

old Option1 (OUTDATED): Use SmartMusic to practice and record Sakura Sakura (no longer recommended), then select your best recorded take and click save to download the audio file (.wav). E-mail the file to me (james.martin@burnabyschools.ca) with the subject “sakura sakura” (UPDATE: saving the audio file does not seem possible on iPads. If you are using an iPad and there is no “save” button available, just send me an email saying you’ve submitted to SmartMusic and I will go through some extra steps to extract your recording).

Option 2 (still fine if SoundTrap doesn’t work for you): After practicing Sakura Sakura with the click track (or a metronome set to 72 bpm), record an audio file (not video) on your device (programs like “voice recorder” work fine, or you can record within a multitrack program like Garage Band or Audacity and then save just your part without the click track included). Choose your best take and e-mail it to me (james.martin@burnabyschools.ca) with the subject “sakura sakura“. The click-track is available in several places for your convenience: under “Files” in the band channel on Teams, as an mp3 file you can download here, and as a YouTube video you can watch here:

For all recordings, whether on SmartMusic or not:

  • Know your music: Do your practice in advance and make sure you can reliably play your part from beginning to end with no mistakes before you try recording.
  • Record in a quiet environment
  • use headphones or earbuds
  • Warm up well before recording, and make sure you are in tune. If you don’t have a tuner, SmartMusic has a built-in one that you can access when you have a song open. There are also many free tuner apps available for all sorts of devices, as well as this website. Remember, tuners will always give you the concert pitch name for a note unless they say otherwise, so clarinetists/saxophonists/trumpeters be aware!
  • Don’t play overly loud; put some distance between your instrument and microphone if reasonably possible.
  • Review your takes carefully before submitting. Make sure your rhythms are accurate and in time with the click track.

Also, here’s a little bonus video with more about SmartMusic and how to save your recorded files from there to send to me. One more tip for SmartMusic – if you’re using an iPad, make sure to download the app instead of trying to run it from the website!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO if you are having trouble playing it on my website.