iPad Ensembles - the Bands of the Future?

I was intrigued this week learning about ensembles made up of laptops, speakers, MIDI keyboards, and iPads. I decided to explore these groups and see what I think of them - is this something I could do in my classroom?

Here are some of the videos I found:

• This is a short video of the Salt Lake Pops Orchestra playing traditional orchestra instruments and iPads and iPhone/iPod touch instruments to perform Beethoven's 5th (arranged). This was the first video I watched during my research, and it is an interesting combination of traditional and modern technology to perform an updated version of classical music.

• This was the second video I found which features all iPad instruments. The app the performers are using is called Seline HD, according to the video. The sounds are distinctly MIDI, but the composition is interesting for a chamber group of electronic instruments. I would like to check out the app to explore, but when I search for it on my iPad, no results are found.

• This video represents a performance technology application referenced in the Bauer (2014) text - the Concerto for iPad and Orchestra by Ned McGowan. The video is a collection of excerpts from the entire concerto, which is 25 minutes long in three movements. Click here to see which iPad apps McGowan used to compose the piece. Click here to see a video in which McGowan speaks about his composition.

• The video below was also reference in Bauer's 2014 text - the concert pianist Lang Lang having a bit of fun with an iPad. I am guessing that the app used is something like Smule Magic Piano as he can control the speed of the performance.

• This group from Estonia uses their iPads and GarageBand to perform as a traditional band with guitar, bass, drum, and keyboards.

• Finally, I found this educational application also using GarageBand for a school performance in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Each of these videos demonstrates professional and educational applications for iPads and performance. I am going to look into a project for my elementary students - let me know if you have any great apps for your iPads that work with your students - free or otherwise!

Bauer, W. (2014). Music learning today: Digital pedagogy for creating, performing, and responding 
     to music. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.