One of the best music teacher resources is the free recording software, Audacity, at http://audacity.sourceforge.net. With this software, an inexpensive microphone, some headphones, a digital camera, and an inkjet printer, you are ready to make CDs your students will want to give their family members for Christmas.

Overview

Record the student playing one or more pieces (or one piece from each of a group of students) in Audacity. Convert each recording to an mp3 file in Audacity and create a CD that can be played in a CD player. Take a picture of each contributor. Create the insert for the CD with the pictures, a track list, and something about each performer. Duplicate these and share them with your students.

Recording

With track recording software, you do not have to have two people in the same room at the same time in order to create a duet. Have one student record his or her part and give the other student a copy of that recording for practicing with. It takes time to learn how to play well with a recording.

To do have the second student record, open up the original student's recording and have the second student put on the headphones. The second student listens to the first student's track while playing his or her part.

Try this by yourself, recording multiple tracks, so you can help students learn the skill of keeping up. When students get the immediate feedback of hearing what they just recorded, they often work really hard to make it better.

CD Insert

Measure the plastic CD case so you know how big to make your insert. In publishing software or a word processor, you can set up a page with these dimensions. Use the margins on the word processor to create the size of paper you need for the insert. You can have students write a sentence about themselves as musicians, which is good psychologically because they start to think of themselves as having a musical identity.

CD Label

You can even get printable CD labels that you can stick onto standard CDs, so you can put a track list on the actual CD.

Progress

It is nice over the years for families to have an actual record of their child's musical progress. Children also respond to hearing themselves play and to considering a year later what they have improved and even to think about what they would like to do next. The CD project is a lot like what professional musicians do, and that type of authenticity is highly motivating to children.