Oh What A Great Idea!

I don't know how many times I've said or thought that in the past few weeks. 'We could do this!' or 'Now wouldn't that be cool!'
Today was no different.
Music is traditionally an area that is either taught very well by inspirational specialists or very badly by 'non - musical' teachers. I am musical and I love music but I do find it hard to teach core learning well, beyond just teaching songs and singing. I've been thinking of starting an iPad band in music and started looking at some apps to support this over the weekend. Man, what an opportunity, to teach the children key learning in music, keys, chords, progression and structure, without the need to have fingers that stretch round the neck of a guitar or press hard enough on a violin string or have the correct mouth shape to get a decent sound from a trumpet or clarinet.
So, cue the Cedars iPad Orchestra!
This year our Christmas play will be accompanied on the iPad. Guitars, mandolins, percussion, strings, all digital combined with keyboard and 'real' instruments.
It's an exciting project. Not just because the children can't wait to play as a band on the iPad although, as in many other areas, we are seeing the value of the tool as a motivational incentive, but because the potential is there for high quality learning.
Keep you posted...