Link Post
Robby Burns
David MacDonald unboxes the Odla music notation ...
David MacDonald unboxes the Odla music notation controller

apple

Holiday Gift Guide 2023, with David MacDonald

Robby and David discuss their current computing devices, favorite gift ideas, and lament the use of Microsoft Teams.  

Subscribe to the Blog...

RSS | Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the Podcast in...

Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Castro | Spotify | RSS

Support Music Ed Tech Talk

Become a Patron!

Buy me a coffee

Thanks to my sponsors this month, Scale Exercise Play-Along Tracks.

Show Notes:

Books

- Grading for Growth

- Critique is Creative

- unGrading

- On Music Theory

Software/Services

- Audio Hijack

- 1Password

- Things

- Farrago

- Affinity Apps - Designer / Photo / Publisher

- Musio

- Chat GPT Plus

Gadgets

- Anker 3-in-1 Cube with MagSafe

- Anker PowerCore MagGo

- Material Dock

- AirTags

- Hidrate smart water bottle and Ember smart mugs

Games

- Hori Split Pad Pro

- Super Mario Bros Wonder

- Elden Ring

- Baldur’s Gate 3

- Dave the Diver

- Steam Deck

Pens, Notebooks, Misc.

- Mark One

- Mark Two

- Mark Three

- SideKick Notepad

- Studio Neat Pen Tray

- LightDims

App of the Week:

Robby - Narwal 2

David - Sports Alerts / Fotmob

Music of the Week:

Robby - Braxton Cook: Somewhere In Between

David - Darcy James Argue: Dynamic Maximum Tension

Tech Tip of the Week:

Robby - Use things as they are designed to be used

David - LightDims  

Where to Find Us:

Robby - Blog | Book

David - Website

Please don't forget to rate the show and share it with others!

Automating the Action Button of an iPhone 15 Pro

My iPhone 15 Pro Max shipped last week. A couple of quick observations (and more on an upcoming episode of the podcast).

  • I moved up from a smaller pro phone to the Max this year for the camera improvements. I was nervous it would be far too heavy but I am surprised to say that the new titanium material makes me perceive it as lighter than my previous pro model.

  • I have missed the larger screen size.

  • The camera is very good. If you are up for an upgrade, the Pro Max is definitely the one to get this year.

  • It is a a dream to have an entirely dedicated hardware button on the side that I can customize.

The Action Button replaces the old mute switch, and while it can be used to toggle mute on and off, Apple also lets you customize it to do something else, like open the camera, turn on a flashlight, take a voice memo, or run a Shortcut.

Naturally I wanted to get the most out of this button, so I programmed it to run a Shortcut. The Shortcut I programmed it to run changes the behavior of the button based on which Focus Mode my phone is in.

Click here to download the shortcut.

The Shortcut first looks to see if my phone is upside down (which it often is in my pocket). If so, the button toggles mute off and on, like the button traditionally has done. This way, I can quickly mute it if an unwanted call comes through, by feeling the button through my pocket (though my phone us usually on silent mode).

If the phone is in any other orientation, it does the following action, based on Focus Mode:

  • Personal Focus: Opens a new note in the Drafts app

  • Work Focus: Opens a Google Doc with the school schedule

  • Private Lesson Focus: Unlocks the side door to my studio so my next student can enter

  • Sleep Focus: Toggles flashlight

  • Concert Focus: Opens camera

  • Driving Focus: Opens my garage door

And this is only the beginning! I am looking forward to all the cool automating I can do with this button.

,

Scripting SDK in Pro Tools

,

I do a lot of automation. I have always felt like the tools for automating basic computer productivity are more vast and varied than those for the more advanced creative professional software.

Pro Tools has a new update, and while I have not used it in many years, I took note of this particular addition, which will allow third parties to create their own scripting tools, which could improve and streamline cumbersome workflows in the DAW.

It would be very cool to see some other DAWs do something like this. I wonder, often, why Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro do not have any support for Shortcuts, Apple's new and cross-platform system for automation. Shortcuts has eliminated countless hours of work and stress from my email, calendar, writing, and task workflows. Why should their creative pro software be any different?

What's New in Pro Tools - Avid Technology:

Scripting SDK

The Pro Tools 2022.12 software release includes support for a new Scripting SDK (software development kit) that enables high-end facilities and application developers for scripting Pro Tools to help automate repetitive tasks and create whole new workflows. This new free Pro Tools Scripting SDK provides developers with everything they need to get up and running.

Free Form Released with iOS 6.2

The Freeform app from Apple is now out with the iOS 16.2 update. It is an infinite whiteboard/canvas kind of app that combines...

  • some of the intuitive and rock solid formatting tools from the iWork Suite
  • the iOS Apple Pencil scribbling features I have come to love in Apple Notes
  • some of the recent collaboration updates from Apple's operating systems

Like many of Apple's apps, it is nice for most people but if open canvas apps are something you need particular features from, I wouldn't count on Apple's version to do everything you want.

MacStories has a good review of it (see below).

Freeform Leverages the Freedom and Flexibility of a Blank Canvas - MacStories:

Freeform is a brand new iPhone, iPad, and Mac app from Apple that lets users create multimedia boards on an infinite canvas that include text, images, drawings, links, files, and more. It’s an ambitious entry into a crowded category of apps that take overlapping approaches, emphasizing everything from note-taking to collaborative design to whiteboarding.

As is so often the case with Apple’s system apps, Freeform falls squarely in the middle of the landscape of existing apps. Freeform isn’t going to replace apps that are deeply focused on a narrow segment of apps in the blank canvas category. Instead, Freeform is targeted at a broader audience, many of whom have probably never even considered using this sort of app. For them, and for anyone who has felt constrained by more linear, text-based ways of exploring ideas, Freeform is a perfect solution.

At first blush, Freeform’s spare interface may give the impression that it’s a bare-bones 1.0 release, but that’s not the case. The app is easy to use and impressively feature-rich for a new release. So, let’s dig into the details to see what it can do.

Holiday Gift Guide 2022, with David MacDonald and Craig McClellan

I've got a new podcast episode out, and while it's probably not in time for most of your shopping, the stuff we discussed are amongst my favorite things of 2022 and are certainly great ideas to treat yourself with down the road, if not sooner.

Show regulars Craig McClellan and Dr. David MacDonald join the show to talk about stuff we like.

Subscribe to the Blog...

RSS | Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the Podcast in...

Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Castro | Spotify | RSS

Support Music Ed Tech Talk

Become a Patron!

Buy me a coffee

Thanks to my sponsors this month, Scale Exercise Play-Along Tracks.

Show Notes:

Music Ed and Tech News

Books

Software

Services

Hardware and Gadgets

Bags, Pens, and other Misc stuff

The Pen Addict Podcast

Pilot Metropolitan - 6 Cartridges https://www.jetpens.com/Pilot-Iroshizuku-Shin-kai-Ink-Deep-Sea-6-Cartridges/pd/34517)

JetPens.com - Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai Ink (Deep Sea) - 6 Cartridges

Rhodia Notepad

Plotter

Tom Bihn Bags

App of the Week:

Robby - Spring for Twitter

David MacDonald - Cleanshot X / Spaceteam (Board game version)

Craig McClellan - Timery

Music of the Week:

Robby - Carly Rae Jepsen: The Loneliest Time

David MacDonald - Béla Fleck, Mike Marshall and Edgar Meyer: Uncommon Ritual

Craig McClellan - Bonny Light Horseman: Rolling Golden Holy

Tech Tip of the Week:

Robby - Curating your social media experience

David MacDonald - Firefox add-on: Display Anchors https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/display-_anchors/

Craig McClellan - Focus Mode Updates

Where to Find Us:

Robby - Twitter | Blog | Book

David MacDonald - Twitter | Website

Craig McClellan - Twitter | Website

Please don't forget to rate the show and share it with others!

#63 - YouTube and Composition Workflows, with Dr. Scott Watson

Dr. Scott Watson (Professor of Music at Carin University, band director, composer, and YouTuber) joins the show to talk about his favorite technology, tips for rehearsing honors ensembles, his favorite young band compositions, and more!

Subscribe to the Blog...

RSS | Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the Podcast in...

Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Castro | Spotify | RSS

Support Music Ed Tech Talk

Become a Patron!

.bmc-button img{height: 34px !important;width: 35px !important;margin-bottom: 1px !important;box-shadow: none !important;border: none !important;vertical-align: middle !important;}.bmc-button{padding: 7px 15px 7px 10px !important;line-height: 35px !important;height:51px !important;text-decoration: none !important;display:inline-flex !important;color:#ffffff !important;background-color:#000000 !important;border-radius: 5px !important;border: 1px solid transparent !important;padding: 7px 15px 7px 10px !important;font-size: 20px !important;letter-spacing:0.6px !important;box-shadow: 0px 1px 2px rgba(190, 190, 190, 0.5) !important;-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 1px 2px 2px rgba(190, 190, 190, 0.5) !important;margin: 0 auto !important;font-family:'Arial', cursive !important;-webkit-box-sizing: border-box !important;box-sizing: border-box !important;}.bmc-button:hover, .bmc-button:active, .bmc-button:focus {-webkit-box-shadow: 0px 1px 2px 2px rgba(190, 190, 190, 0.5) !important;text-decoration: none !important;box-shadow: 0px 1px 2px 2px rgba(190, 190, 190, 0.5) !important;opacity: 0.85 !important;color:#ffffff !important;}Buy me a coffee

Thanks to my sponsors this month, Scale Exercise Play-Along Tracks.

Show Notes:

App of the Week: Robby - AnyTune / Downie
Scott Watson - NotePerformer

Album of the Week: Robby - Arch Echo - You Won't Believe What Happens Next! Scott Watson - Barbers Overture to School for Scandal: https://youtu.be/Q387-LXIHUA / Stravinsky Octet for Wind Instruments: https://youtu.be/YyqLnP0hOnI

Where to Find Us: Robby - Twitter | Blog | Book
Scott Watson - Twitter | Website

Please don't forget to rate the show and share it with others!

More on Scott

Dr. Scott Watson is Professor of Music at Cairn University (Langhorne, PA), teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in music composition/arranging, music education and technology. For 35 years he was an instrumental and elective music teacher in the Parkland School District (Allentown, PA), first as high school Director of Bands, then as coordinator of the elementary band/strings program across the district. He is a frequently commissioned composer with more than 100 published pieces for band and strings at all levels that have been performed around the world at venues including the Academy of Music (Philadelphia), the Midwest Clinic (Chicago) and the White House (Washington, D.C.). He is an exclusive composer/clinician for Alfred Publications and a contributor for their Sound Innovations band series. Watson has presented numerous workshops/clinics for music educators, frequently serves as guest conductor/clinician for honor/festival bands, and is the author of the highly regarded music education text, Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity (©2011, Oxford University Press). To learn more, visit www.scottwatsonmusic.com.

New Software Coming from Apple

Tim Chaten, host of the iPad Pros podcast, joins the show to talk about Apple's announcements at their WWDC Keynote this month.

Subscribe to the Blog... RSS | Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the Podcast in... Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Castro | Spotify | RSS

Support Music Ed Tech Talk

Become a Patron!

Buy me a coffeeBuy me a coffee

Thanks to my sponsors this month, Scale Exercise Play-Along Tracks.

Show Notes:

Where to Find Us:
Robby - Twitter | Blog | Book
Tim Chaten - Twitter | Website

Please don't forget to rate the show and share it with others!

Reflections on the Drafts app, and their 10 Year Anniversary

One of my favorite and most depended-on apps of the past decade has been Drafts.

Developer Greg Pierce (who you can hear on this podcast episode) recently celebrated the 10 year anniversary of Drafts. I strongly recommend you check it out, even if you just use the free version.

In preparation the anniversary, Greg asked me if I could write some words about my experiences with Drafts. He featured some of my words in this promotional post, but you can read all of them below...

I remember a long road trip with my wife back in the spring of 2011. It was my turn to drive, and I was listening to the Mac Power Users to help engage my mind and stay awake. The hosts mentioned an app called Drafts that could take my spontaneous thoughts, organize them, and powerfully act on them later.

I was intrigued! When my wife took the wheel, I downloaded it immediately and began poking around. Never before had the utility of an app become so quickly apparent to me.

Of the many professional domains I juggle, my job as a middle school band director alone requires me to manage a lot of responsibility. I have to be a master teacher, performer, arranger, composer, conductor, data clerk, fundraiser, field trip planner, and more. During class, I am often managing the needs of 60 or more students in a room at once while trying to be a professional at all of those other things. Being able to tap the Drafts icon on my dock and quickly enter any thought that enters into my mind has been nothing short of life-changing. I used to be overwhelmed by my responsibilities, but through organization systems, and particularly Drafts, I have been able to take away the friction between the thoughts that grab my attention and what gets permanently saved in a computer. Drafts turns my devices into a second brain, and my rampant thoughts fade out of sight, out of mind.

The ability to perform actions on text is crucial for determining where a draft goes. Is it a message? A calendar event? A note? Task? Most of my Drafts become notes or tasks, and actions to save them as such come free with the app! But on top of this, the ability to design my own automations has made it easier to get thoughts out of drafts and into other apps on my devices, allowing me to be better organized FASTER, and to therefore have more free time to focus on the part of my job that matters: making awesome music, and connecting with my amazing students.

I love Drafts so much that I recommend it to everyone I know. I mentioned it in my book Digital Organization Tips for Music Teachers, I have interviewed developer Greg on my podcast and even once bought it for all of my administrators at my school as a holiday gift. It is really worth a try, whoever you are. Drafts is simple enough to be a no-nonsense, minimalist, note-taking app for the masses while remaining customizable enough that nerds can build their own tool with it. As an educator, I appreciate experiences with low floors and high ceilings. And Drafts is exactly that.

Communicating Student Learning Objective data to administrators with fancy Numbers charts

I would like to give a shoutout to Numbers, which remains an essential tool on all my Apple products.

It took minimal clicks to get some really fancy, legible, and engaging charts into my SLO data tracking project for the school year.

Listeners of my podcast will remember Ben Denne and I talking all about our Music Mastery Sequence, and the tool he built to track it. In his more recent podcast appearance, we followed up on this subject, explaining how we have moved away from FileMaker and towards other tools.

My current method for tracking student progress is a giant Numbers spreadsheet with clickable star icons for how many "stars" they earn on each performance. I am using Craft to give students more transparent, informal, and qualitative feedback about what they should be working on.

This same Numbers spreadsheet was able to pump out the above table, graph, and charts. Their graphical nature and intuitive ease allowed me to better understand my own shortcomings in this process and what resources, changes, and school supports I needed to make improvement. This helped me to construct a meaningful narrative in a recent SLO meeting.

I hope to cover Numbers and Craft in greater detail later on down the road, as well as my successes in teaching instrumental music performance at an individualized level. If you want more on this, I certainly recommend the hyperlinked podcast episodes above.

Music Ed Tech Talk #52 - Dorico Updates! with Daniel Spreadbury

Daniel returns to the show to discuss the release of Dorico 4 for desktop, Dorico 2 for iPad, Steinberg licensing, and other updates!

Subscribe to the Blog... RSS | Email Newsletter

Subscribe to the Podcast in... Apple Podcasts | Overcast | Castro | Spotify | RSS

Support Music Ed Tech Talk

Become a Patron!

Buy me a coffeeBuy me a coffee

Show Notes:

Album of the Week:
Robby - Dilla Time Book | Slum Village - Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1 | Vol. 2 | Jay Dilla Essentials | J Dilla Influences | Inspired by J Dilla
Daniel - Horizon Forbidden West Soundtrack Volume 1

App of the Week:
Robby - Audible
Daniel - Raycast

Tech Tip of the Week:
Robby - Whispersync
Daniel - Pi-hole

Where to Find Us:
Robby - Twitter | Blog | Book
Daniel - Twitter | Website

Please don't forget to rate the show and share it with others!

Find Robby elsewhere on the web