Technology is music to their ears (March 2007)

[The News & Observer article]
[PDF version]

By Samiha Khanna, Staff Writer

DURHAM -
Sitting at a computer at school, Evan Judd tinkered with his rap remix as if it were a recipe. He added a little percussion, threw in a wailing siren sound here and there, and even spliced in the sound of a ringing telephone.

"It's hard to get the timing right," the 12-year-old said, fiddling with the sound bites on the computer screen.

With audio editing software widely available through personal computers these days, almost anyone can be a record producer--even the pupils at Camelot Academy, a Durham private school just south of downtown.

The small school, like so many nationwide, is pushing to implement more technology into its classes, not stopping with science and math.

"It's a way to use technology in a meaningful way, not just a fancy way to access the same information," said Thelma Glynn, director and founder of the school.

And one of the teachers at the school who does it best is music instructor Matthew Etherington.

It's only his first year at Camelot Academy, but already, students of all ages in his music classes have used computers to mix songs and write their own compositions.

Later this year, one of Etherington's class projects using audio editing software will be featured in a national publication for music educators.

The project required third- and fourth-grade students to listen to the calls of common birds such as song sparrows and the black-capped chickadee and interpret those tunes in musical form.

Using keyboards connected to their computers, the students wrote out the chirpy melodies and played them back, tweaking them to mimic the tone and rhythm of the backyard critters.

The computer lab equipped with headphones, special keyboards and the Macintosh software "GarageBand" lets the students experience the sounds of instruments they might never have seen in real life.

"It makes learning way bigger than what can happen in any classroom in any school," Glynn said.

For example, the group of seventh- and eighth-graders in Etherington's music elective class got a unique and challenging assignment a few weeks ago: Listen to an Indian raga, a form of classical music using a scale different from those common in Western music, and recreate it themselves.

Make no mistake -- Etherington's classroom still has many of the items common to music classes that date back decades -- xylophones are stacked in the corner, and shakers and other percussion instruments are tucked away in bins.

"People walk in and see the computers, and say, 'Oh, that's music now?' " Etherington said. "But it's not meant to replace the traditional. It's really enhancing what they do."

Staff writer Samiha Khanna can be reached at 956-2468 or skhanna@newsobserver.com.

Apple Store Night (Nov 2006)

[The Durham News article]



Stanley B. Chambers Jr., Staff Writer

After taking a picture inside a Spanish classroom, Joshua Pettway returned downstairs, where his teacher used his personal Apple laptop to download the pictures from the digital camera before transferring them to Joshua's Apple desktop.

Joshua and seven other students in Camelot Academy's Web design club spend an hour after school working on a virtual tour of the building. The project will be added to the school's Web site in the spring, but on Tuesday their work-in-progress was featured at the Apple School Night at the computer manufacturer's store in Southpoint mall.

The seasonal weekly event, which commenced in 2001 and occurs in stores across the United States, Canada and England, showcases what local schools are doing with Apple computers. Southwest Elementary, Glenwood Elementary and Lowe's Grove Middle schools have already participated in the event.

Students at Camelot, a small, private K-12 school on Proctor Street, also showcased a PowerPoint presentation and their usage of GarageBand, an Apple music making program. The school purchased 13 Apple laptops last year to supplement their 10 Apple desktops, computers the Web design club's eight members used on Monday.

In the club, students learn about basic "HTML" (computer language used to create Web pages), integrating pictures onto Web pages, using a digital camera and how to make Web sites. Students are using that knowledge to create Web sites for each classroom.

Bryan van Dijk, 13, was working on his math room page, with its green background and black text. This was his first time doing Web design.

"It's pretty fun once you finally understand it," Bryan said. "You can show yourself how smart [you] actually are by showing your own work."

Joshua was pretty far along on his Spanish room page, though one picture was stretched.

"The pictures look distorted," said Matthew Etherington, club adviser.

"The pictures aren't distorted, except maybe for that one," said Joshua, pointing at a picture of a desk.

Joshua got help from Michal Bugno, 12, who showed him how to place a link on his page. Michal knows a bit about HTML; he taught himself the computer language about three years ago. His work is already on the Web: www.driverlawfirm.com.

"I just read a book," he said of learning how to make Web sites.

The school's 13 laptops are in high demand at Camelot, where students often use them for research and teachers utilize online resources while in class. It only makes sense for students to have regular access to computers because of their wide usage, Etherington said.

Turning his computer skills into a career is something Michal is considering, and he believes the club is helping him do just that.

"I think it'd be fun to do, something that I'm good at," he said.

Stanley B. Chambers Jr. can be reached at 956-2426 or at stan.chambers@newsobserver.com.

Hip Hop and Science at Duke

[Duke Chronicle Article]

CIEMAS brings hip- hop to middle school

Leigh Wilson
Posted: 9/29/06

Hip-hop and science may seem like an odd pair, but students from Githens Middle School found yesterday afternoon that the two actually "mix" quite well.

Students participated in an interactive performance called Mix Tapestry Thursday that used the technology of Duke's Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences studio along with hip-hop lyrics to inspire them to pursue educational opportunities in science and technology.

Middle school students at the University of Illinois were able to participate via the Internet, as well.

Robi Roberts, also know as J Bully, is a hip-hop artist and adjunct faculty member at Duke who performed his original rap, "Lemonade." The song encourages students to pursue an education with lyrics such as, "get your bachelors, your masters, and your doctorate. It's there if you want it. You're the only one stopping it."

As students danced along, the motion of their dancing was captured by webcams around the room, and computers turned this motion into sound, transforming the studio into a space that could be "played" like a musical instrument.

Roberts stressed the importance of combining student interests with a positive message.

"If you get students involved using something they're into, they are much more likely to remember the experience," he said.

Kitty Brawley, the 8th grade councilor at Githens Middle School, also spoke out about the importance of these types of experiences for students.

"Our students don't do well in traditional classrooms all the time, so the opportunity to be interactive helps them to get excited about education."

Ginny Darnell, an elective math teacher at the school, also confirmed the effectiveness of the project for students.

"A fun technological exposure will allow them to know that [technology] is here to help them broaden their horizons," she said.

The students expressed a desire to hold a variety of different occupations such as a pediatrician, an artist, a lawyer, a basketball player, a cosmetologist and a police officer in the future.

The project Thursday helped them to see that both science and technology will be important in any of these jobs, said Rachael Brady, director of the Visualization Technology Group and the coordinator of the event.

"The idea is to make science and technology relevant to the African-American culture through an instance of their culture," Brady said.

"It shows that everybody, even rappers, need to learn these things so they do too," she added.

The experience also encouraged the students to spread the message about the importance of technology to other student as well.

"It helped me want to help get others involved now that I have had a chance to be involved myself," said Jessica Lunsford, a student from Githens Middle School.

Matthew Etherington, who teaches at the nearby Camelot Academy, heard about the performance from a parent of a student who works at the University.

Etherington requested his students be allowed to participate at the studio as well.

"I've been teaching my high school students music technology mainly using [the Apple program] GarageBand and they have been creating their own pieces," he said. "This seems like an interesting way for them to see how interactive and applicable the music technology they are learning about can be."

3rd Grade Immigration (March 2005)

[Milton Academy News Article]

Grade 3 Students Explore the History of Immigration



Third graders performed skits and songs at their recent Immigration Assembly. Discovering the history of immigration through music, role-play, poetry, and art gave the children a unique perspective on the topic. A highlight of the production was a performance of Julie Gold's song, "Good Night, New York"—sung to a backdrop of movies and images that reflected the lyrics. Click here to listen to this performance.

Lower School Holiday Sing (Dec 2004)

[Milton Academy News Article]

The Lower School Presents Holiday Sing Concert



Under the direction of Matthew Etherington, the Lower School presented its annual Holiday Sing concert on December 14. Principal Annette Raphel welcomed the audience to the standing-room-only event, and thanked families for 100 percent participation in the School's major fund-raiser, Swap-It.

Grades 3-6 performed holiday songs from different traditions, while Lower School alumni returned to the stage to join current students for the finale. Ted Whalen and Gary Shrager accompanied the student performances.
[View Photos]

Desmond Tutu Award Performance

[Milton Academy News Article]

Milton Academy Students Perform for Archbishop Desmond Tutu



On October 8, the Milton Academy Jazz Combo, under the direction of faculty member Bob Sinicrope, performed at the Second Desmond Tutu Award Celebration. The award ceremony included a presentation of the 2004 Desmond Tutu Award honoring actor Danny Glover for his commitment to social justice. Among those in attendance to enjoy the music of The Jazz Combo included Archbishop Tutu, Danny Glover, Lt. Governor Kerry Healey, and the South African cast members from The Lion King.

Summer Reading Assembly (Oct 2004)

[Milton Academy News Article]

Annual Summer Reading Book Assembly

On October 1, the Lower School held its annual summer reading book assembly. During the summer, each grade reads a different book. When school begins, teachers and students focus on interdisciplinary curriculum related to their book. In the assembly, students share something about their grade's books with the school - often in the form of related songs, drawings or oral presentations. "This is one of my all-time favorite assemblies," said Principal Annette Raphel.