Bringing technology into the music classroom can be tough to swing, but it isn't impossible. 

A number of music teachers share four methods of bringing technology into the classroom in an article on TheJournal.com.

Christopher Russell, director of choirs at Oltman Middle School in Minnesota said music teachers can be successful, but if they're missing technology, "they are missing out on tools that could help their students become better musicians."

"You can't force it on anyone, and if you do, it ends up being a tremendous failure," he said.

One of the methods is to use tablets instead of paper music, the article said.

Russell said that "he believes that the number one use for a tablet is as a substitute for paper music. Having the music in digital format has many benefits, including the fact that students no longer lose their music," the article said.

"Talk to any music or band teacher, and they will tell you that is a huge issue," he said.

With the music in digital format, the article said, "students can access apps to annotate their scores. Russell can send students audio recordings that they can play along with as they practice. His students can use a music-writing app such as Notion to make their own practice tracks and compose their own songs."

"That is a complete redefinition of what you do with students," said Russell. "It was inconceivable before they had these devices."

A new app, called NotateMe, allows Russell "to write musical notation and convert it to digital notation."

"I have used the app with students to compose music and also to dictate what they hear," he said. "The free version allows a student to scan a single line. That might allow band and orchestra students, who get music with one part, to scan their music and edit it, either to hear what it should sound like, or perhaps to create their own music based on their own part."

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Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor