@derekrobertson's...

Virtual performing with Paloozahead

Wanna be a virtual Rock Star? Then take a look at Paloozahead from those guys at the giant rock festival Lollapalooza. Thanks to Anna from Aberdeenshire from this!

Create Your Own PaloozaHead - Visit Lollapalooza.com

No longer with the irritating immediate music!!!p>

Guitar trainer for Scottish Reels

I go hillwalking with a crowd of guys called the Three times a year club These guys are a mix of teachers, TEI lecturers and a janitor from Dundee, Perth, Angus and other far flung places such as Edinburgh. Two of the guys are in a folk band called Aff the Cuff and they usually lead the singing in the pub on the Saturday nights when we are away for our weekend expeditions. One of the guys, Bob Doig, let me know of this resource from the BBC. It helps you develop your guitar skills so that you can join in when the Scottish reels are being bashed out. Have a look at it, it's pretty good. That's me ready now for our Skye trip in July!

The Waterboys are a big favourite in our folk/drinking session so I thought I'd give you a flavour of what these folk sessions are like. Here is the Waterboys, with Mike Scott on fine form. If only they sounded as good as the Three Times a Year Club!!! ;-)

SPIDDAL SESSION

I must say that the Barbara Allen effort is something special. What a performer.

Classical music appreciation through games?

The construction of the modern computer/video game is something that leaves no area underdeveloped. The full experience must be A1 if gamers are going to invest the time required to get into and complete the game.

This link from the BBC site tells us about  a concert that is celebrating the range of music that has accompanied computer games over the years. More recent games such as Halo and Zelda are investing a lot of creative exercise in making sure that the music is right...

"The music for videogames has come a long way in 30 years. Blockbuster titles now have bespoke soundtracks composed by classically-trained musicians, often performed by full orchestras."

What options does this bring to the teacher who wishes to explore the mood that music classical music conveys? Is their scope to move from the mood engendered by the classical music in a game to exploring this learning away from listening to music?

I think that this is an example of how we can make bridges between the semiotic domain (Gee 2003) of the games world that young learners may be knowledgeable about and confident in to a domain, such as classical music, that might not initially be an area that young learners would wish to engage with....

Wear your guitar!

I am currently hooked on Guitar Hero. Just learned to activate Star Power and am making great progress on the Medium level. I aim to play my 70s/80s repertoire at the Toxic festival tonight and then spend my hard earned rock cash in the Guitar Hero shop. I'm saving up for the Grim Reaper guitarist...he has long fingers and looks as though he can reach difficult chords.:-)

If this proves too hard for you then why not buy a guitar that you can wear? Some textile students in Australia have devised a t-shirt that allows you to play air guitar. If you make a strumming movement with the left hand then you are activating the strings of your air guitar and moving the left hand up and down the virtual fret board changes the chords.

See it in action

Alas, frantic finger movements do not yet facilitate solos in the style of Hendrix, Page or my favourite Frehley!

Tonight Mathew I want to be David Muir

What can I say. Talent in the midst of Jordanhill:

A new career beckons...