Save Music Education!

In recent years, I have heard multiple accounts of schools eliminating music education because of budget cuts. One example of a severe budget cut that involved a program called Class Itinerant Music Teachers (CMIT) that instructed nearly 10,000 students in Philadelphia. And this is where a non-profit organization called VH1 Save The Music Foundation comes into play. This organization is "dedicated to restoring music programs in America's public schools, and raising awareness about the importance of music as part of each child's complete education." There are several ways that you (Yes YOU!) can help save music education. 

You could... 

• Become a partner 

                 OR 

• Sponsor a program

You can download the Advocacy Toolkit, which includes... 

• A principal's guide

• A guide listing the benefits of music education

• A guide to Proactive Advocacy

• A list of "25 things you can do"

Start a fundraiser, such as...

• Charitable performances

• Service activities

• Sport activities

• Silent/Live auctions

• Or use your own original idea

Become a member

• Young benefactors (21 and over)

• Student advocates (elementary, middle, and high school students)

Or simply make a donation!

If you think that music education has no benefit other than just for musicians then you're sadly mistaken! According to VH1 Save The Music Foundation, research shows that quality music education...

• Engages students in the classroom

• Improves early cognitive development, math and reading skills

• Enhances learning in other core subjects

• Develops critical thinking and leadership skills

• Fosters self-esteem and the ability to work cooperatively in teams

And if that isn't enough then check out their entire paper on the benefits of music education.

So if you enjoy music, I would highly suggest taking action today. With today's economy and the way the U.S. Debt is, who knows where music education could end years from now. If we make the effort now, then there is hope. I honestly couldn't imagine what the world would be like if music education was not a part of the school system. Could you? 

Apple in 2013

The new Apple store at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, CA

So far this year Apple has made quite a few announcements about what products it will be coming out with before the end of the year. And since then, they have already released...

• iPhone 5S
• iPhone 5C
• iOS 7
• Apple TV update 6.0
• iTunes Radio
• iTunes Music Store
• Airplay from iCloud
• iCloud Photos and Videos
• Sync Podcasts
• New Setup Feature
• iTunes 11.1
• All new Airport Extreme
• All new Airport Time Capsule
• Updated MacBook Air
• Fusion Drive
• Updated iPods (Touch, Nano, and Shuffle)
• Updated iMac

But we should expect to see some other major product releases including...

• iPad 5
• iPad mini 2 (most likely with retina display)
• OS X Mavericks 10.9
• Completely redesigned Mac Pro (which I'm very excited for)
• Updated MacBook Pro
• And updated Mac Mini

It's unclear the exact date of when they will be announcing these remaining product releases, but they should be announced sometime in late October of this year. Some are concerned that they won't have the time to announce all these updated products. However, I believe they will announce only the major updates with specifications (price, release date, etc.) at their next event and allow their press, website, and social media to cover the minor updates to the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac. Leaving plenty of time and room to announce the new iPad products and Mac Pro with OS X Mavericks 10.9.

RESPONSE TO APPLE'S LATEST PRODUCTS

With the new iPhone 5S & 5C released along side iOS 7, there has been scrutiny. Even with some of the negative responses, the numbers show that the new iPhone has already sold over 9 million models and over 200 devices are running the new iOS, making it the "fastest software upgrade in history." The new Apple TV 6.0 update ran into some issues when it was first released and had to be pulled so that it wouldn't cause any more problems to other customers. Luckily it has since been re-released and is now downloadable.

NEW APPLE PRODUCT IN THE MAKING?

There has been buzz for sometime about a possible Apple iWatch in the making. Apple has a team experimenting with different products to develop a wearable devices. Apple has not announced any such product at this point so it's only speculation. Despite the fact there hasn't been an announcement, some conversations have lead to this becoming a product somewhere in the near future because of Apple CEO, Tim Cook, announcing at the Keynote Event in September about some new exciting things coming at the end of this year and throughout 2014. If Apple does come out with an iWatch, they will definitely have competition for the market. Especially because Sony already has come out with their SmartWatch, Pebble Technology has come out with the Pebble, Samsung is working on a smart watch and Google and LG may be working on a smart watch as well. 

Do you think the iWatch could compete if it hits the market next year? What other products do you think Apple may come up with in the near future?



Sources:

http://www.apple.com

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/09/23First-Weekend-iPhone-Sales-Top-Nine-Million-Sets-New-Record.html

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

http://www.macrumors.com/2013/09/27/macrumors-roundups-ipad-5-ipad-mini-2-mac-pro-macbook-pro-mac-mini/

http://www.macworld.com/article/2049347/apple-re-releases-apple-tv-6-0-update-details-ios-device-setup-feature.html

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/portable-devices/apple-iwatch-release-date-news-and-rumours-1131043

http://wheniskeynote.com

Types of Mobile Phone Users vs. Apple's iOS 7

As many of you know, Apple has released it's most advanced operating system to date... iOS 7. It's arguably one of the best mobile operating systems available. But what exactly does this mean for the consumer? Anytime new technology comes out we always hear both ends of the spectrum that come from your die hard brand lovers or those who despise the brand. So I'm here to break it down and explain, in an educational manner, why it is that people will either like, dislike, or be indifferent. This post is designed to be more of a guide as to what iOS 7 can offer different mobile phone users.

There are several different reasons for people to use their mobile phones. It could be anything from using the power of what mobile technology has to offer, such as managing accounts, read daily news, sharing files, gaming, etc. Others simply just want to make phone calls. Some use mobile phones to take pictures or videos and edit them. While younger generations want to socialize with their peers by texting or using social media apps like Facebook or Twitter. 

In 2009, a market research firm, Experian Simmons, went so far as to conduct a "Mobile Consumer Segmentation study." Their findings suggested that there are primarily 5 different mobile phone users. Those groups are... Basic Planners, Pragmatic Adopters, Mobirati, Social Connectors, and Mobile Professionals. Even though I would have to agree with these groups, I think we could add some other minor groups in there because we all use phones for a variety of reasons. But I'm going to focus on these 5 and provide a little background information.

TYPES OF MOBILE PHONE USERS

1. Basic Planners (20%): Users who are only interested in using cell phones in emergencies and are confused by all the other plans and features. This group will most likely dislike the update because it changes what they had already become accustom to in the previous operating system.

2. Pragmatic Adopters (22%): Users that just get beyond using mobile phones solely for voice calls. This group will be a little less annoyed than the basic planners, but some of the new gestures may throw them off.

3. Mobirati (19%): Users consisting of the first generation to have grown up with mobile phones. This group will probably be indifferent because they have grown up with the advancements in mobile technology.

4. Social Connectors (22%): Users for whom the mobile phone is essentially a social lubricant, and for whom texting is just as important as a voice call. This group will most likely really enjoy the update because of the easy functionality of the social media apps. However, some may not enjoy it because it changes what they are use to with the previous version.

5. Mobile Professionals (17%): Use smartphones and haven’t got a problem with using more complex phones and their variegated features. Will probably be indifferent because they will find features they really like or features they think have made no difference.

CONCLUSION

Of course there are those groups that fit in between that may have issues and complaints or praise and love of the updates, but again you have to look at why these individuals are saying these things. Once that's determined then you can decide if their opinion will affect your use of the operating system. All I'm saying is before you jump to conclusions, do your homework and find out what features would work best for you. And do this for other products as well. Educating yourself can only make your decision process that much easier.

The History of Audio Recording

The beginning of recording devices dates back to the late 1800s and since has evolved as new inventions and technologies continue to emerge. We have these inventors to thank for making it a possibility to record sound. Without it, we wouldn't be able to listen to music from around the world, watch movies or TV shows (unless it was made to be silent), or make personal notes or reminders with audio recorders. Life as we know it would simply be... mute. Can you imagine not being able to carry around your favorite tunes on your mp3 player? 

In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the Phonograph. The Phonograph could play sound and record it, but had to be hand cranked. By turning the crank and yelling into the funnel, the sound vibrated the diaphragm, which made the stylus press sound waves onto the tinfoil. To playback the sound, the stylus was passed over the indents on the tinfoil. However, you could only save about a minute or two of sound. And the tinfoil recordings could only be played a few times, otherwise the recording would become damaged and unusable.

In 1886, Alexander Graham Bell, Chichester Bell, and Charles Tainter invent the Graphophone. The Graphophone was built with slight improvements upon the Phonograph. Instead of using tinfoil, the device used wax cylinders. This made it easier to use and the playback became much clearer.

A few years later, in 1888, Emile Berliner demonstrated his recording device, the Gramophone. The main difference that the Gramophone had, was that it recorded sound on to a flat disc. These discs, also known as records or vinyl records, were first made of glass. The most unique feature of the Gramophone was that it was the first device that allowed for mass production of records.

Throughout the majority of the 1900s, records are continually improved and became the industry standard. Enhancements included changing the record material from glass to zinc and from zinc to plastic, long playing records, different size records, and a superior method of cutting grooves into records. The improvements and ability to mass produce recordings made it possible for the public to own records and play them on their own personal record players. By 1936, over half the records sold were used for use in Juke Boxes. It wasn't until the late 1900s until compact discs out sold records.

Although magnetic tape was introduced in 1937, it didn't become as popular as records. Magnetic tape was invented by Fritz Pfleumer. The major disadvantage to tape is that it wasn't as clear as records. However, some of the advantages were that it was much more portable than records, it offered the first stereo sound within homes, tape decks were installed in cars and it could contain longer recordings.

In the early 1980s, the Compact Disc was introduced. Since its launch, it has transformed into a variety of different formats. Some of these formats include CD-DA, SACD, CD-ROM, CD+ and many more. Just like cassette tapes, disc players were placed in cars. In the 1990s, it became the industry standard and replaced both vinyl records and cassette tapes. This occurred primarily because the quality was better than cassette, it was more portable than records, it could be re-used without quality loss and it had the ability to hold more than an hours worth of content.

Right behind the compact disc was digital audio. Digital audio quickly began to replace compact discs since MP3 players were introduced in the early 2000s. Some of the most popular devices include the iPod (my mp3 player of choice), SanDisk Sansa, Samsung Galaxy Player, and mobile phones. In order to record digital audio, the sound is passed through an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and pulse-code modulation is used to encode it as a digital signal. In order to play back the digital recording, a digital-to-analog converter performs the reverse process, and converts the digital signal back into an audible sound. Some of the major benefits of digital audio is that it can be manipulated easily, it's very portable, better for mass production and easy for distribution. 

However, there are inconsistencies in the quality of the audio file formats in such recordings. There are variety of different formats that include MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and many more. With a variety of formats means that the quality and file sizes will change. When the quality is higher then the size will be larger and when the quality is lower then the size will be smaller. Despite the differences, the dominant format currently is MP3.

The growth and expansion of audio recording has come a long way since it began in the late 1800s. And it will obviously continue to evolve as time goes on. But the real question now is... what's next? Clearly other technologies, such as microphones, monitors, processors, computers and wireless technologies,  will affect the industry. 

What do you think will be next?