GarageBand operates like a fully equipped music studio, giving you a library of lessons and sounds that include percussion, rhythm, and vocals.

What does it do?

The application is free for iOS, iPadOS, and MacOS, making it an affordable digital resource for creating and sharing music. Built with an ability to play and record live instruments, GarageBand gives musicians the chance to plug in their equipment like a guitar or microphone, record their play, and add it to their sound library. You can also use GarageBand to record speech so it’s useful for literacy based activities too!

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Why is it useful?

GarageBand can be used for creating music or narration. For those looking to explore music it has a range of instruments and loops allowing young people to make their own tracks, you can even hook up real life instruments and record live playing (with a few extra cables).

For building literacy skills you can use GarageBand to record audiobooks, radio dramas or even your own podcast – so it’s great for fiction and non-fiction text exploration.

It may be that learners have to retain key information. The process of working with a piece of text in order to prepare for recording it, going through the recording process, manipulating that recording (refining or editing or adding backing tracks), then sharing and listening to that recording may help the learner engage more fully with the text so they may be better able to recall that information at a later stage.

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How does it work?

This first YouTube guide from Mat Pullen shows you how to get started with music tracks.

This YouTube guide from Mat Pullen shows you how to get started making music with Live Loops.

If it’s voice recording or narration you’re interested in, this YouTube video shows you how to get started.

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Where can you learn more about GarageBand?

This webpage from Apple gives an overview of GarageBand for iOS

The Connected Falkirk Team have a GarageBand playlist where Gavin Morrison takes you through more features and functions of the app.

Apple Education have a free downloadable guide called Everyone Can Create showing how to make use of GarageBand app to support creativity in learning and teaching. There is also a book specifically on making music called Everyone Can Create Music.

The Apple Teacher Learning Centre also has idea for using GarageBand in learning including articles on: Rap for Deeper Understanding, Integration in Poetry and Record a Personal Narrative.

Have a look at this fantastic Apple Clips video created by Apple Distinguished Educator Eoin Hughes illustrating how GarageBand might be used across the curriculum.

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Educator Voice