Progress towards presentation

I have finished my Gantt chart today, it looks great.

Been studying my graded drum exam books and a few other non-graded drum tuition books analytically over the last couple of days and breaking down just what elements are being taught, using this as a guide to suggest the things I should include in my own chapters.

I need to finalise my chapter title list today or tomorrow, then I should have more than enough to talk about at the presentation next Friday. Will hopefuly have a finished presentation by the end of monday, will be able to take it in to uni on Tuesday to see if it works, and then spend the next couple of days rehearsing in preparation for Friday.

And a few books

Should have included this in the last post, but educational books:

• Orff-schulwerk, applications for the classroom, Brigitte Warner, 1991, Prentice Hall. Inc.
• Approaches to Learning, a guide for teachers, Jordan, Carlile, Stack, 2008, McGrawHill Open University Press
• Second and Foreign Language Learning Through Classroom Interaction, Joan Hall & Lorrie Verplaetse, 2000, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
• Teach Music in the Primary School, Joanna Glover & Stephen Ward,1998, 2nd edition, Cassell

As well as these I have several drum tuition books:

• The Art of the Drummer, John Savage, 12th editiom, John Savage's Music Books.
• The Ultimate Beginner Series, Rock Drum Basics, Brechtlein, Finkelstein &Testa, 1995, CPP Media Group.
• Rock School Drums, Grade 6, Grade 7 & Grade 8, Ward, Pitt & Troup, 2006, Rockschool Ltd.
• Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Drum Kit Grades 1-4, 5-8, Snare Drum Grades 1-2, 3-4, Jack Richards et al, United Music Publishers Limited.

Here are a few of the sites I've been looking at by the way...

Mostly in relation to learning methods and education. Not sure if the hyperlinks will work, but I have them all bookmarked.

Useful sites

Music Education Lesson Plans - Music Theory

Benefits of Teaching Music to Children, Effects of Music on the Brain: Educational CyberPlayGround

Major Methods of Teaching Music to Kids - Orff, Kodaly, Suzuki and Dalcroze

The Orff Approach - The Orff Method, Orff-Schulwerk, Music for Children

The Human Brain - Exercise

Second and foreign language learning ... - Joan Kelly Hall, Lorrie Stoops Verplaetse - Google Books

learning through repetition - Google Scholar 

  

Oops

I've been neglecting this blog a little. Um, work is coming along well, it's all research at the moment, trying to find ways to back up my methods. It's a little hard for me because I've been drumming for 11 years now and I know how it all works, but I know I can't just say "well that's how it is" in my viva so I'm trying to find case studies, reports, etc. to explain why drumming (and music in general) is taught the way it is.

Been thinking about the actual recording of the drums as well, whether to close mic everything or to try to get a more natural sound with a pair of stereo mics. Will probably record both ways and do a listening test, ask people which they think sounds clearer and go with whichever has the greatest clarity.

Place in the market is the other thing I'm struggling with, I've been to the local music shop and had a look at the books available. It really does cover a lot of ground already, although the drums section was just one shelf, there were more books for recorders; while the guitars had several rows of shelves full of books. I could say that part of my aim is to make drum education as vast and varied as guitar is.

I bought the educational version of Cubase 6 today and should have it installed after Christmas. I will also be getting an electric drum kit for Christmas, which I will be able to use to test out chapters of my book for evaluation and improvements, as well as checking written drum beats for playability!