Lace Students Get ‘Smart’ Start in Music Education

fourth-grader Rebecca Colucci’s grandparents shared a glowing review after her most recent Beginning Band concert, in which Colucci played the flute.

After the show, they turned to Rebecca’s mom, Christine Colucci. 

“They said, ‘You never sounded that good,’” Colucci said.

Lace has long been known for its strong Beginning Band program, led by teacher Joey Bonanotte.

But the students had a little extra help maintaining their reputation this year with the introduction of Smart Music software that helps them practice both at home and in the classroom.

Smart Music offers a number of features that make home practice more productive for students, Bonanotte said. Students select their instrument and then play songs that Bonanotte assigns as part of their homework. They can play a song solo or switch on an accompaniment so they can hear how their instrument blends with a full band. 

A microphone records the student’s performance and marks where students hit notes and rhythm and where they miss either the tune or beat. At the end of a practice session, the kids send a report to Bonanotte so he can follow their progress. The reports also help parents who may not be music savvy themselves get involved with their child’s band education. 

“The kids are playing better in tune because they hear the instruments,” Bonanotte said. “At Beginning Band concerts, everyone claps anyway, but they’re sounding pretty mature for their age, and some of that comes from hearing the notes.” 

Hearing the notes also helps the students learn new songs, so they know how they’re supposed to sound even if they can’t sight-read. 

Colucci said Smart Music is boosting both Rebecca’s abilities as well as her confidence.

“When she hits 100, she comes running in the room, ‘I did it! I got 100!’” Colucci said.

The optional program costs student families $36 for a one-year subscription. About half the Beginning Band students signed up, but Bonanotte also bought a teacher model that students can use at school even if they don’t have Smart Music at home. 

While the program isn’t mandatory, Bonanotte said that if the school decides to renew it next year, they might look into ways to curb costs for other parts of Beginning Band so more students can subscribe to Smart Music. 

From Bonanotte’s point of view, the program’s success is clear. He’s been able to select more difficult songs for the kids to perform this year, which he attributes in part to the help of Smart Music.

“It’s fun to see how far you can push a young student without them going mad,” he said with a laugh.

But the pressure is low since Bonanotte is neither awarding extra credit nor doling out bad grades for performance on the smart music exercises. 

“A student might not be ready to play (a song) right away,” Bonanotte said. “But when they get the hang of it, then they’re going to want to play all the time.”