Would You Have Liked This In Music School?

US Orange MUSICBOARD2 plays the notes written on it      04/09/15

Would You Have Liked This In Music School?


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Orange Education, a branch of the guitar amp manufacturer, has announced the release of the Orange MUSICBOARD2, redesigned after the company received feedback from the Music Education industry at a number of leading trade shows in both the UK and USA. They say that it's set to revolutionise the way that Music Theory is taught in the classroom.

A global first in the field of music education, the Orange MUSICBOARD2 is the only classroom Whiteboard that allows students and teachers to hear the notes they have written. It is built partly as a practical response to OFSTED concerns about the teaching of music theory in British schools. Orange believes that the wall or mobile stand mounted unit with innovative, patented technology will make teaching easier for educators, allowing their students to genuinely engage with theory improving their wider music education.

The improved version of its MUSICBOARD includes the following innovations based around the needs of teachers in the UK and USA:

  • Command and note activation using unique remote wand
  • Board sensitivity adjuster - teachers can tailor the board's sensitivity to the wands
  • Clef transposition - Each of the three Staves can be allotted to either Treble, Alto, Tenor or Bass Clef
  • Key transposition - Within each Clef, all notes may be transposed into any Key
  • Metronome implementation fully programmable via the remote wand
  • Large display indication for each Stave, indicating current Key signature and Clef; also current display of metronome speed
  • Physical 61 note fully polyphonic weighted keyboard for physical demonstration of hand playing positions etc.
  • Polyphonic multi-voice implementation using MIDI control
  • Guitar input with CLEAN / OVERDRIVE facility
  • Large display instrument/voice tuner
  • Digital data input allowing audio streaming to the MUSICBOARD2 via improved BLUETOOTH link from Smartphone or media device


Other hardware functions include:

  • Switchable microphone for voice / acoustic instrument tuning
  • Headphone Jack
  • Stereo power amplifier and speakers giving high quality reproduction
  • On / off switch


For years, the teaching of music theory has proved the most challenging aspect of a musical education for many students. Understandably keen to be 'hands on' with their instruments, many focus instead more on the practical side, leaving the theory element far down on their list of educational priorities. Orange believes that the MUSICBOARD2 will make music theory as engaging as all other aspects of a rounded musical education. Furthermore, they say that it's the perfect solution to key issues raised in a recent OFSTED report (November 2013) entitled Music in schools: What hubs must do. The report states that one of the key hurdles in music education lies in an inability to genuinely engage pupils in key aspects of music theory such as notation, time signatures, scales, melody shape, chords and key signatures. The Orange MUSICBOARD2 addresses this academic issue head on.

Cliff Cooper, creator of the Orange MUSICBOARD2 told Sonic State, "The Orange MUSICBOARD2 accelerates the music theory learning process by making it fun and interactive, allowing students to 'see' and hear their music. On an immediate level it breaks down psychological barriers to learning by being more fun, but on a deeper level it bridges the gap between 'dry' theory and the music that comes from it. We've been road testing in schools for the last year or so and it really is having a dramatic effect on our students. Put simply, more engagement breeds better results. In addition, many teachers have commented on how it makes teaching much more fun for them too, giving them more energy and enthusiasm to teach theory".

If you are reading this page on Sonic State, you undoubtedly play an instrument or are involved in recording music but how many of us just 'wing it' rather than having a good grounding in music theory? The MUSICBOARD2 looks like a brilliant teaching tool for a new generation of musicians but it would be interesting to know how many of you use music theory and notation day-to-day in the modern hi-tech music environment.

Pricing and Availability:

The Orange MUSICBOARD2 will retail at £1,950 in UK.

More information:

 



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