New School Band Social Platform Announced at Midwest Clinic.

We are finally back in Nashville following the Chicago conference and the holidays.  The response in Chicago for our new service was magnificent.  Thanks so much to everyone who came by and let us fill you in on what we are doing for music education in 2009.   

If you didn't get a chance to swing by or you didn't get to attend the conference, I have included a quick run through of our major features. The service will be available in July to band directors and will go live in August for students and parents.   We are accepting preregistration applicants and we are offering some great benefits for signing up early. You can find out more and sign up at http://www.ischoolband.com.

What is School Band?

School Band is a private social network tailored with tools and utilities to ease communication, management, and organization for band directors.

Simplifying Communication

Using social networking technology, School Band takes tedious tasks that used to take hours, and simplifies them down to minutes. Social technology allows for instantaneous and automatic notification to all parties who need to be notified of anything that involves them throughout the band calendar year.

Notification Systems

Notifications will be sent to parents, directors, and students for any action made within the School Band ecosystem.  Any notifications sent out can be sent via message in-box, e-mail, text message, and phone recording.  The user sending the message can select how this particular notification will be sent.

Notifications will be sent for the following actions:

• New Messages
• New Events
• Event Changes or Cancellations
• New Discussion Board Posting
• New Comments
• New Photos, videos, audio, or sheet music
• Instrument Page Updates
• much more...

Communication Groups (Networks) One of the best features of the School Band product is that the band director does not have to set up his own network, the students and parents will enter the data for them.  When the student signs up for their profile it will ask them what grade they are in and what instrument group they belong to, among other things.  They will then be grouped into communication networks based on what each of them inputted during sign up.  The band director can then select groups from a list when sending messages, uploading new content, creating events, etc. eliminating the need for parent call trees and other mass communication tactics.

Students, parents, and directors are organized into the following networks:

• Band Directors
• Student & Parent Administrators
• Instrument Groups
• Class Groups
• Color Guard
• Majorettes
• Parents
• Parent Boards

Some practical uses for the communication networks:

• Notify specific instruments about new media or sheet music.
• Send one message to all parents and students via text, e-mail, and if it is urgent enough by land line phone.
• Notify specific class groups of upcoming events.

Event Management Managing events has never been easier.  Events will be created on a template by the band director.  It will say what the event is (concert, parade, sectional..), the location, required attire, and any other specs that need to be known for the particular event.  The band director can then simply select the groups that need to know about the event from a list, and a notification will be sent only to the people who need to know.  It will also automatically add it to the student and parents individual calendars and provide reminders as the event approaches. So, for example, if the event is a junior percussion practice, the director can create a new event, input location, what music needs to practiced, and any other specs.  The band director can then select the junior class percussion group from a list of groups and they will all be notified instantaneously via message in inbox, e-mail, text message, and if it is very urgent, phone recording.  The parents of each student can also be notified.

Student Profiles Each student will be given their own private profile with tools specific to their instrument.  It will house basic information students including: contact info, birthdate, interests, etc. Students can upload pictures, videos, and anything else relating to their band experiences. Students sheet music, drill charts, and tools like a metronome and a pitch pipe will be accessible from their Backpack (resource center).

Instrument Pages Each instrument will have a page housing information and media.  It will automatically display sheet music, recordings, and sectional info among others, specific to the individual instrument.  It will also have a public message board, discussion forums, and a web link resource center.

Media Libraries Media libraries will house all video and audio needed for the band year.  The band director can upload music needed for the year one time into the library and use then select it from a list to display in different areas on the site like instrument pages, sheet music pages, events, etc.. Students can access the recordings from home as practice aids.

Sheet Music Library Sheet music libraries can be uploaded into a library just like audio and video.  Each piece can be categorized by instrument, allowing the system to automatically disperse into into the correct areas (Instrument homepages, student profiles, etc..).  The sheet music will then be easy for every student to access eliminating the need for reprinting items.

Band Parent Profiles Band parents will each have their own profiles. This paves the way for automated permission slips, practice reports, and band fees among others.  In the future, fees can be paid via the band parent page.  Band parents can communicate with each other much easier to plan events, meetings, fund raisers, etc. Also any new videos or photos posted that involves their student will send a notification to them so that they know what it going on in their band kids life.

Band Family Networks Parents can allow other extended family members to sign up for their own profiles under the banner of a private family network.  This feature will also be wonderful for relatives that live far enough out that they cannot attend every concert or football game.  Now, all they have to do is log on to their profile and watch the video of the new event.

Public Band Profile The only page that will be in public view will be the public band profile. It will display the band director and all of the students listed in chair order.  Directors can also put the awards and any other accolades that the director wants to be made public.

Modules Modules are special features that will be added to the core of the School Band utility.  All future modules will be a per student charge, per module selected (unless grandfathered in by the pre-registration special).  Not all modules will be available for the initial launch.

Examples of future modules:

• Text Message Notifications
• Phone Notifications
• Automated Practice Reports
• Automated Permission Slips
• Student Account Management
• Point & Tally System Modules
• Fundraiser Management
• Parent Board Management Modules
• College Modules (Recruitment, Scholarships, plus 5)
• Tuxedo Rentals
• Instrument Rentals
• Travel Arrangements
• Private Teacher Tools

We will keep you updated about the progress of production.  Be sure to check back!!

Best,

Chris Purifoy