Making Music with GarageBand and Mixcraft

MAKING MUSIC WITH GARAGEBAND AND MIXCRAFT provides music educators and self-learners with a comprehensive guide to music production using two of the most inexpensive and intuitive music software recording programs on the market today. Although easy to use, the tools included in GarageBand and Mixcraft are powerful enough to create music worthy of inclusion in professional productions, and their interfaces and workflows prepare users to work with professional studio-level digital audio workstation programs, such as Logic and Pro Tools. The book is far from a simple software guide. The first chapters introduce the programs, how to use them, and how to get the best audio results from any home or school computer setup. The subsequent chapters help develop creativity and guide the reader (with a very gentle learning curve) into using these programs not only to make recordings, but also to compose and produce great music. This book includes 12 specific lessons for GarageBand and 12 specific lessons for Mixcraft as well as lessons suitable for both platforms; students can learn from these activities whether they’re working with a Mac or a PC. Although software programs are constantly changing and being updated, the lessons included here are not limited to specific versions of GarageBand and Mixcraft. They include instruction on getting started with existing audio, working with MIDI, recording audio, podcasting, working with film, multitrack recording, mixing, mastering, and much more. The companion DVD includes bonus tutorials as well as audio and video exercises that correspond to the book’s chapters.

Michael Fein earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Rutgers University and a Masters of Jazz Saxophone Performance from Rowan University. Michael has published articles and lesson plans with MET Magazine and Sound Tree. He has presented numerous sessions at music and technology conferences including the 2005 National Education Computing Conference in Philadelphia, the 2009 TI:ME National Conference in San Antonio, TX, and the 2010 TI:ME National Conference in New Brunswick, NJ. Michael currently teaches music technology electives and the jazz ensemble at Haverford High School and serves as an adjunct jazz saxophone instructor at Swarthmore College. Michael's resume includes performances with Ralph Peterson, Stanley Cowell, Scott Whitfield, Ralph Bowen, Denis DiBlasio, Arden Theater Company, and lead alto work with the great Ray Charles. Michael released his debut CD entitled Four Flights Up in April 2005. The CD features Michael and his jazz sextet performing original tunes and arrangements. The CD was re-released by Dreambox Media in October 2006 and is now available for purchase through Amazon.com, DreamboxMedia.com, and select local record stores.

Dr. James Frankel is the Managing Director of SoundTree, the leader in music, audio and video technology solutions for educators. Before taking the helm at SoundTree, he was the instrumental and general music teacher at the Franklin Avenue Middle School in Franklin Lakes, NJ for 11 years. Dr. Frankel earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Montclair State University, and his Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. An Adjunct Faculty member at Teachers College Columbia University, he teaches a variety of courses on music technology. His published works include over 50 articles in various state, national and international journals of music education and several works published by SoundTree and Hal Leonard. Recently, his chapter entitled Music Education Technology, was included in Critical Issues in Music Education, published by Oxford University Press. Dr. Frankel is on the Board of Directors for TI:ME where he serves as the Vice President/Secretary and the Editor of the TI:ME E-mail Newsletter. In addition to his work with the TI:ME National Organization, he is the President of ATMI - the Association for Technology in Music Instruction.

Richard McCready teaches Music Technology at River Hill High School, in Howard County, Maryland. He also serves the Howard County school district in a resource capacity, training other teachers and helping them to bring the excitement of Music Technology to their schools. Richard has been teaching for twenty years, and has taught at the middle school level, high school level, and college level. He began his career at Frodsham High School in Cheshire, England, and has also held positions at Towson University, MD, The Park School of Baltimore, MD, and Mayfield Woods Middle School in Elkridge, MD. Throughout Richard's career he has taught students to experience music through creativity, using the latest technology available, from 4-track cassette-tape recorders to modern-day DAWs such as Garage Band and Acoustica Mixcraft.

Michael Fein earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Rutgers University and a Masters of Jazz Saxophone Performance from Rowan University. Michael has published articles and lesson plans with MET Magazine and Sound Tree. He has presented numerous sessions at music and technology conferences including the 2005 National Education Computing Conference in Philadelphia, the 2009 TI:ME National Conference in San Antonio, TX, and the 2010 TI:ME National Conference in New Brunswick, NJ. Michael currently teaches music technology electives and the jazz ensemble at Haverford High School and serves as an adjunct jazz saxophone instructor at Swarthmore College. Michael's resume includes performances with Ralph Peterson, Stanley Cowell, Scott Whitfield, Ralph Bowen, Denis DiBlasio, Arden Theater Company, and lead alto work with the great Ray Charles. Michael released his debut CD entitled Four Flights Up in April 2005. The CD features Michael and his jazz sextet performing original tunes and arrangements. The CD was re-released by Dreambox Media in October 2006 and is now available for purchase through Amazon.com, DreamboxMedia.com, and select local record stores.

Robin Hodson is the Mid-Atlantic Manager for Soundtree, based in Baltimore, MD. He comes from a musical family; his grandfather founded a symphony orchestra and music conservatory in Zimbabwe, and his mother taught music for fifty years. An accomplished composer and performer, working in a variety of genres, Mr. Hodson is also a recording engineer, songwriter and arranger. He received a Masters Degree at Magdalen College, Oxford before moving to the US in 1999. He was with Sibelius/Avid for thirteen years, and trained universities and schools all over the US and Canada on how to use Avid music technology products, before joining Soundtree in the summer of 2009. He has authored several free quick start guides on how to use and learn Sibelius, Groovy Music and Pro Tools, and he has just completed writing a curriculum for using Pro Tools in education. More information on Mr. Hodson can be found at www.robinhodson.com.