iPads for Music was a creative ICT project we delivered at Lache Primary School in Chester. We wanted to explore the use of iPads, specifically the software application Garageband in teaching music production to Key Stage 2 pupils. It was important that the project included live elements, a compositional focus and live instrument tuition.

Beginning with Steel Pan workshops, pupils worked with professional recording studio The Faktory to record their finished pieces. Pupils were then introduced to Garageband software, learning to edit, copy, loop clips of audio and produce their own soundscapes. The finished soundscapes included found sounds collected around the school, electronic loops, live instruments and vocal samples. iPads were a great and portable educational tool to collect, sample and edit sounds and start to compose their own pieces incorporating musical and ICT skills and were accessible to all children.