Welcome back, music teachers! As you prepare for a new year of harmony and creativity, we're thrilled to introduce a suite of new updates to Flat for Education designed to make your classroom more dynamic, collaborative, and engaging than ever before.
From group composition to enhanced performance assignments, these new features are here to streamline your workflow and inspire your students to create, perform, and learn. Let's dive in!
1. Learn From Our New Music Teacher: Upcoming PD and Webinars
We're excited to welcome a new music teacher to the Flat for Education team! They will be hosting professional development sessions and webinars throughout the school year, sharing creative ideas for your classroom and showcasing our latest features. Join us for a special webinar to see these new improvements in action and get inspired for your most musical year yet!
2. Collaborate Like Never Before with Shared Writing
Teamwork is the foundation of every great ensemble, and now your students can experience real-time collaboration with our brand-new Shared Writing assignment type. Think of it as a Google Docs for music, where groups of students can work on a single score at the same time.
What's new:
- A new grouping system: Effortlessly create groups for collaborative projects, either by manually selecting students or using our randomizer for mixed-ability teams.
- Real-time editing: Students can add notes, dynamics, and annotations to the same piece of music instantly, fostering active peer learning and communication.
- Versatile use cases: Use Shared Writing for group compositions, harmonic analysis, score editing, or even creating musical stories.
This powerful new feature turns abstract theory into a tangible, team-based experience, helping students build essential musical and social skills.
3. Level Up Your Performance Assignments with New Tools
Practice and performance are at the core of music education, and our updated Performance Assignments are here to support every student. These tools reduce technical friction and give your students everything they need to succeed in one place.
What's new:
- Built-in video recording: Students can now record themselves directly inside the assignment on any device—no extra apps or file uploads required! This makes collecting and reviewing student performances faster than ever.
- Backing tracks and metronome control: Students can select their instrument's part, use a backing track for context, and toggle the metronome on or off. This allows them to practice with confidence and create more polished recordings.
- Upcoming auto-grading: We're currently working on auto-grading for pitch and rhythm accuracy, a game-changing feature that will help you save time on assessments while keeping feedback meaningful.
These new tools make music education technology feel authentic and accessible, bridging the gap between digital assignments and real-world musicianship.
4. A Symphony for Your Ears: Improved Notation Editor Sound
The heart of our platform is the music notation editor, and we're constantly making it more powerful and user-friendly for your classroom. We've introduced key updates to help you and your students get started faster, with a richer sonic experience.
First, our online music notation software now features improved sound quality. A better sound means a better learning experience. Students can hear their digital sheet music compositions with richer, more realistic instrument sounds, which sharpens their ear training and deepens their understanding of musical choices. This update makes the entire composition process more engaging and rewarding.
Second, we've streamlined the workflow for creating new scores and adding custom instruments. The process is faster and more intuitive than ever, so you can spend less time on setup and more time on instruction. This helps students start their assignments quickly and allows you to create specialized music lesson plans or a tailored music curriculum to fit your unique needs. You can find more details on this feature in our recent post on creating custom instruments.
5. Seamless Setup: Get Students Creating Instantly
The first day of class is precious. Instead of troubleshooting tech, you and your students can get straight to making music. The process for getting started on a new online music composition project is now so intuitive that students get to work instantly. This streamlined experience ensures you can quickly introduce new music lesson plans or dive into your music theory curriculum without delay. With less time spent on setup, your students can immediately engage with our music composition software, whether they are creating digital sheet music for a project or simply exploring new ideas. More time for music, less time for tech.
Noemie Aschenbroich
Your Most Creative Year Yet
The start of a new school year is a chance to reset and explore new possibilities. We're committed to building music teacher resources that support your goals and inspire your students. These updates are a direct result of your feedback and our dedication to making Flat for Education the most powerful and intuitive digital music education platform for your classroom.
Your Turn!
Ready to see these updates in action? Sign in to your Flat for Education account today and get ready for your best, most musical school year yet.
Musically Yours,
The Flat for Education Team