SmartMusic Product Specialist James Lund

Each fall our Customer Support department hears from some educators for whom SmartMusic stopped working over the summer. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, I’ve asked fellow SmartMusic blogger James Lund to share some pre-summer tips.

BG: What steps can a teacher take at the close of the school year to make sure the next year begins smoothly with SmartMusic?

JL: We recommend moving your SmartMusic subscription off of your computers before leaving. School technology departments are often busy over the summer, reimaging computers so they’re ready to go in the fall. If you have an active subscription on a computer when this happens, you won’t immediately have access to SmartMusic in the fall. Customer Support can fix this for you, but planning now can save you a call to them in the fall.

The solution is to move the subscription off your computers before leaving for the summer, or asking your tech staff to do so. Click here to learn how it’s done.

We also have an exciting new version of SmartMusic coming soon (click here for a sneak peek), and I suggest getting the new version to your technology department promptly so they can get it installed on your computers before you return. Many school districts need time to install and test updates to software before they allow it to be installed, so make sure to pass it on when you get it.

What happens if something unexpected takes place that the teacher had no control over? For instance, what if the IT department decides to reformat all the computers in the school?  Is it curtains for SmartMusic?

If something like this happens to you, try re-activating first – we’ve tried to make our servers help you get up and running automatically. If that doesn’t work, contact Customer Support and you can be back in business quickly.

Are there any other suggestions that you have to help teachers get a great start to the school year using SmartMusic?

Once Smart Music 2011 is available, I suggest viewing the accompanying videos we’ll provide. The videos will clarify what all is new and I think you’ll be delighted.

I also suggest working with SmartMusic over the summer. It’s the perfect time to reconnect with your instrument or learn a new instrument. I can’t stress enough how useful it was for me as a teacher to force myself to go through SmartMusic as a beginner would; it gave me a great perspective on my students!

Also, there’s plenty of fun repertoire out there, with more on the way (Lord of the Rings, anyone?), and I can’t think of too many better ways to jumpstart the school year than with some cool music!

James, thanks for your time and valuable information! Say, aren’t you the same guy who posts SmartMusic blogs under the name James H. Anderson?

I am. I’ve been “Lund-Anderson” for almost 20 years, and it recently became time to officially drop the second half. We hope to update the rest of the blog from “Anderson” to “Lund” soon. It’s a little sad, of course, because “Anderson” is such a rare name in Minnesota!

I hope you found this information useful. Do you need any clarification of the points mentioned? Let us know by clicking on the “Comments” button below.