Amy’s Favorites – Teaching Tools & Gadgets

 

Apps for Students and the Profession

forScore. This app is well worth the fee. forScore is the best sheet music reader out there, especially when paired with my favorite Bluetooth pedal, the iRig Blueturn.

NoteRush. This is my #1 favorite app for students as the app recognizes whether or not the student is playing the exact note on the piano. Check out my new assignment-series design just for this app.

Genius Scan. For scanning items and printing to PDF. It's easy to use and does a good job of recognizing and capturing scans quickly.

 

 iRig Blue Turn Bluetooth Pedal. This Bluetooth hands-free page-turner works seamlessly with my iPad. I use it weekly along with my ForScore app for Sunday service.

 

 

 

Apple 12.9" 128-256 GB, Wi-Fi iPad ProBeing that I don't have a laptop, the 12" iPad, and Smart Keyboard combo are the perfect (and cheaper than a laptop) substitution. The larger screen makes reading sheet music on the iPad much easier on the eyes. I wish I would have gotten one sooner. Also, I definitely wouldn't recommend less than 128 GB.

Apple Smart Keyboard for 12.9" iPad Pro. I know it's expensive, but it is absolutely AMAZING and I would buy this keyboard all over again. It's sleek, simple, and versatile.

Apple Pencil for iPad Pro. Again, expensive but it is absolutely AMAZING and totally worth it. It works perfectly for my students doing worksheets on the iPad.

Casio Celviano Keyboard. I currently have 4 Casio Celviano AP-620 models in my studio similar to this one on Amazon. They're a solid, simple, reliable, and nice-looking keyboard for group classes.

 

 

Recording Equipment

Spotify for Podcasters. An easy-to-use and visually satisfying platform for recording and publishing The Piano Pantry Podcast.

Blue Yeti USB Microphone. This microphone is easy to use and, best of all has a mute button to avoid those little coughs when recording. The pop filter is important to help reduce puffy sounds from your voice that create "pops" in the sound.

Camtasia and Snagit. By TechSmith, Camtasia is my video editor of choice. It is especially brilliant for doing screen recordings. You can purchase it along with TechSmith's screen-snipping tool, Snagit, in a bundle.

Khanka Microphone Case for Blue Yeti. A small, simple, and compact case to carry the Blue Yeti microphone. Room for cables and a pop filter.

 

Presenting

Canva. Most recently, I've been using Canva's excellent Slide Templates for creating my presentations. Even more so than Microsoft PowerPoint, Canva makes it really easy to add graphics and make your presentations visually appealing. It also has a built-in "present" mode, just like PowerPoint!

Google Slides. While Canva does allow you to collaborate on documents, Google, as usual, makes the process very streamlined. I also recommend Google Slides for someone who perhaps doesn't use Canva already.