Distance Learning

Canvas is MSM’s cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS) and serves as the central platform to facilitate teaching, learning and collaboration between students and faculty.

In Canvas, students can access all their courses and materials such as the class syllabus, school policies, assignments, quizzes, files, announcements, and more.

External applications such as Zoom, Kaltura, and Office 365 are integrated within Canvas to support and enhance teaching and learning activities both online and in the classroom.

For all academic courses, students will be able to connect to their class’s Zoom meetings conveniently using links from within each Canvas course.

MSM students, faculty, and staff can login to Canvas using their standard MSM credentials at:

https://msmnyc.instructure.com

Mobile apps are also available for download for both students and teachers for Apple iOS and Android. Search for the “Canvas Student” or “Canvas Teacher” apps.

The Orto Center for Distance Learning and Recording Arts provides training workshops and events for both faculty and students. In addition to the resources located within this page, faculty and students have access to a Remote Learning course in Canvas that includes helpful tutorial videos, guides, and other information. This course is accessible on each student and faculty Canvas Dashboard after logging in.

To get started using Canvas, please explore the following links:

• Canvas Student Guide
• Canvas Instructor Guide

Kaltura is a cloud-based media streaming and content management system available to faculty, students, and staff to create, organize, catalog, share, search and publish multimedia content.

Kaltura is integrated directly within every Canvas course at MSM so student and faculty media is accessible and easy to share.

Kaltura allows large video files to be shared in full-resolution and offers personal recording tools to make video lectures, assignment responses, performance, and much more.

It gives faculty the ability to create interactive video quizzes and offers simple editing tools to create polished videos, including the ability to package supporting documents (PDF, PPT, .doc) with a video. It offers automatic speech-to-text recognition and transcripts which are immediately searchable and captioned within each video. It allows for the upload of most multimedia file types and automatically transcodes media files to a variety of output files that are served to viewers depending on their internet connection speed.

There are two ways to access Kaltura:

Within Canvas:

You can access your Kaltura account and its host of media creation and upload tools inside every course in Canvas. Once you’ve logged into Canvas at https://msmnyc.instructure.com and are in one of your courses, you’ll see two sections in the left-hand navigation:

• • Clicking My Media will connect you to your personal Kaltura media storage to access all of your media files. Other students and/or faculty will not be able to see content that lives within your My Media section; it is only accessible to you.
  • Clicking Media Gallery takes you to the area that serves as a central location for media files for everyone in the course. The instructor curates the gallery and moderates any content submissions from students.
  • Kaltura media can be accessed within the Canvas Rich Content Editor to embed media directly in any Canvas tool such as Announcements, Discussions, Pages, Assignments, and Quizzes.

For detailed information on how to use Kaltura in Canvas, see Kaltura Video Application for Canvas .

Via Kaltura MediaSpace

If you plan to use Kaltura outside of Canvas, you’ll work directly with the web-based video management application known as Kaltura MediaSpace. MSM students, faculty, and staff can login using their MSM credentials here:

• • Navigate to https://msmnyc.mediaspace.kaltura.com/.
  • At the top right, click Guest and select Login from the drop-down menu. When prompted, log in with your MSM username and password.
  • The first time you log in, a personal media collection called “My Media” will be created for you. To access your collection, at the upper right, click your name, and then select My Media.

To learn the basics of using Kaltura, consult the following resources:

• What is Kaltura MediaSpace? 
• Kaltura MediaSpace User Guide 
• Kaltura LMS Video Plugins 
• Kaltura Video Application for Canvas 
• What are the supported Transcoding formats for the SaaS edition? 

For more, from short help articles to complete user guides, see the Kaltura Knowledge Center.

Zoom is a video conferencing tool available to all Manhattan School of Music students, faculty, and staff to hold “in-person” classes, lessons, or meetings virtually. Zoom provides high-quality audio and video, sharing tools, breakout rooms, whiteboarding tools, and the option to record and download meetings, both locally and virtually. Zoom meetings support up to 300 simultaneous participants. 

Zoom integrates into Canvas and has apps available for all platforms, including fully-featured iOS and Android apps. Zoom’s high-quality video and recording features also allow for recording simple videos with a webcam. 

Using Zoom for the first time? 

• Watch a quick video on how to join a meeting
• Then join a test meeting to familiarize yourself with Zoom and test your internet connection and computer setup.
• To view all Zoom’s Getting Started guide, click here.

You have the following options to connect using Zoom:

• Zoom Client for Meetings (recommended): Download the Zoom Client for your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer in advance of trying to join your first meeting.
  • Note: If you will be located in China and using Zoom, download the Zoom Client for Meetings from the following link: https://zoom.com.cn/download. This is the Zoom client available for use within China. Students will join meetings on Zoom which are hosted by MSM faculty and are not required to have accounts or host meetings.

• Zoom mobile app: You can download the Zoom mobile app for your iOS or Android device from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

• Zoom Launcher plug-in: To connect to a Zoom meeting from Chrome, Firefox, or Safari without downloading the Zoom client, see Launching Zoom from a web browser. The Zoom Launcher plug-in will install the Zoom client on first use.

Please view the complete PDF guide below on how to achieve improved audio quality when using Zoom and the short video that shows you how to set the recommended audio preferences:

How to Improve Zoom Audio Quality for Music (PDF)

Setting Audio Preferences in Zoom v5.2.0 (VIDEO)

All equipment referenced in the PDF guide above is outlined in the Equipment & Software Recommendations section below. Links for purchasing the recommended equipment are included there as well.

The B&H EDU Advantage Program is free and available to all current MSM faculty and students. Signing up for the EDU Advantage Program entitles you to special discounts with fast shipping on in-stock items. Discounts range from 10% to 25% off select EDU items.

BEFORE YOU PURCHASE:

• Students must sign up for the EDU Advantage Program, called UniDays, by clicking here: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/find/eduAdvantage.jsp.
• Faculty should email edumembership@bhphoto.com to request a faculty membership for Manhattan School of Music. Include your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and proof of employment (ID, paystub or faculty page on school website)

You’ll find links in the sections below to purchase any of the recommended items using this discount program.

PRODUCT AVAILABILITY NOTE: We understand some of this equipment is back-ordered. B&H is working to replenish their stock as quickly as possible, but this is the case across the board for these items due to the pandemic. We do encourage you to search out other vendors or sites to see if they have them in stock.

Please find equipment recommendations based on area of study below. All equipment in this section can be found for purchase at discounted rates at B&H by CLICKING HERE. Please be sure to read the “How to Purchase” section above before placing any orders.

Classical and Operatic Voice:

1. A Zoom H1N – a stereo microphone that works both as a standalone recorder and a USB microphone for lessons over Zoom.
2. The appropriate USB cable, depending on the connections to your computer. We have listed on the B&H site two USB cables (one for USB-C, one for USB-A) that are six feet in length, to accommodate appropriate positioning of the microphone. Note that the Zoom H1N has a USB-micro connection.
3. A microphone stand with the CM01 adapter (for mounting the Zoom H1N to a microphone stand).

Musical Theatre:

1. A USB microphone – the AT2020USB+ or Blue Yeti is recommended.
2. The appropriate USB cable for your USB microphone, preferably one that is six feet in length to accommodate appropriate positioning.
3. A round base microphone stand.
4. A pop filter, to prevent air from your breath from hitting the microphone (called “plosives”). 
5. Headphones – the Sony MDR-7506 are recommended.

Jazz Arts:

1. A USB microphone like the AT2500x, AT2020USB+, or Blue Yeti. These are ideal for horn/brass players, upright bass players, and vocalists. 
2. A Zoom H1N for larger instruments that are more ideally suited for stereophonic recording, such as drums, piano, and vibes. 
3. The appropriate USB cable for your microphone of choice, preferably one that is six feet in length to accommodate appropriate positioning. 
4. A microphone stand (if purchasing the AT2500x or AT2020USB, no adapter is needed). If using the Zoom H1N, you will need the CM01 adapter to fit on a stand. 
5. For vocalists: it is advised if you are using a USB condenser microphone that you also get a Pop filter, to prevent air from hitting the microphone (called “plosives”). 

Contemporary Performance Program:

Please check back soon for an updated list of equipment recommended for CPP.

 

Note that if you plan on using a smartphone for video recording, it’s advised to get an adapter and stand for proper positioning of your phone for recording, such as the Oben ASPTA-20 smartphone adapter (needs a separate stand to use with it).

Working with audio and video software is an important part of the remote learning curriculum. Below you’ll find suggested software to use for free or purchase:

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) for audio recording, mixing, and editing

• Cubase Elements
• Logic Pro (included in the Apple Pro Apps Bundle for $199 here)
• Garageband (free on every Mac computer)
• Audacity (free for Mac, PC, and Linux computers)

Video Editing

• Adobe Premiere Pro
• Final Cut Pro X (included in the Apple Pro Apps Bundle for $199 here)
• iMovie (free on every Mac computer)

Cubase Elements and the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite (which includes Premiere Pro) can be purchased at B&H by clicking here.

You can find recommended computers, cables and adapters available for purchase at B&H by clicking here.

For the purchase of Mac computers, we’d also recommend visiting the Apple Education Store.

Recommendations and Requirements:

Remote learning requires a device that is video-capable using either the built-in camera or an external webcam attached via USB. An external microphone is required to achieve adequate sound quality for music reproduction.

Laptops or desktops with built-in ethernet port functionality are recommended. Mobile devices and newer, thinner computers do not include an ethernet port. In such cases, we recommend using a USB-to-ethernet adapter to connect to your router. In all cases, you should physically connect your device to your router using a Category 6 cable (Cat6, Cat6a). 

Newer tablets such as an iPad Pro can suffice, although there are limitations on the ability to adjust and improve audio settings when using an external mic. For this reason, we recommend using a computer rather than a tablet whenever possible.

We do NOT recommend using a smartphone with any videoconferencing application when good sound quality is required.

The following specifications are recommended when purchasing a new computer for remote learning, which would be appropriate for using Zoom and other web applications:

	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Single Core 1Ghz or Higher	Dual Core 2Ghz or Higher (i3/i5/i7)
RAM (memory)	4 GB	8 GB or higher
Display	N/A	13 inch or higher

 

If you will use your computer additionally for audio and video editing (in DAWs or video editing programs such as DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere, or Final Cut Pro X), the above computer requirements will be inadequate. For these uses, please refer to the specifications listed below:  

	Minimum	Recommended
Processor	Core i5 or higher	Core i7
RAM (memory)	16 GB	32 GB
Graphics	2 GB VRAM	4 GB VRAM Dedicated GPU

 

A minimum speed of 8 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload is required for a standard video call. For better performance, we recommend a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 10 Mbps upload. Be aware that if you have other people sharing your internet connection, via WiFi or a wired connection, your bandwidth will be divided between all devices on the network.

A wired ethernet connection from your router to your device using a Cat6 cable is strongly recommended to ensure better quality of audio/video data transmission. If you need to be located far from your router, we recommend purchasing an inexpensive, long Cat6 cable and running it to where you will participate in remote learning.

Measure Your Speed:

You can quickly measure the internet speed you are receiving from your internet service provider at either www.speedtest.net or www.nperf.com.