Help – FAQ’s

You can use iTunes to convert the media files to MP3 format. To do so, you need to -

STEP 1
Launch iTunes – You can launch it from the Start Menu Programs
Select ‘Edit > Preferences > General, Where is say’s ‘When you insert a CD’ select ‘Import CD’ then press ‘Import Settings’.
Change the ‘Import Using’ to ‘MP3 Encoder’.
Save the settings.

STEP 2
Get your file that you created in Quicktime and drag it over your iTunes icon and open it in iTunes.

STEP 3
With the file selected in iTunes right-click on it and choose the option which reads ‘Convert Selection to MP3′.
A new file should be created below the one you are working with.

STEP 4
Drag the file you have now created as an MP3 and drag it to your desk top. When you view it here it should now have the prefix .mp3
Reference this file when you upload to the Campus site.

Do I have to tell people my actual age in my student profile?

You can keep the year 1900 if you do not want people to know your actual age – that is fine!

I am having problems uploading my MSWord file.

Please be sure that you are saving your MSWord file in the old 2004 format and not the new format that comes with new computers. Some students and mentors do not have the new format and will not be able to open the files.  When you go to ‘SAVE AS’, it should give you the opportunity to save it as the old 2004 format.

Am I supposed to send all my quizzes at once or in a bundle?

For the moment send them as individual files (this will change in the near future).

Where do I upload my book reports ?

Upload you book reports in the coursework section.  Your mentor will be able to retrieve your book reports and keep a copy of you so that your reports are then in two places.

I need instructions on how to UPLOAD the answers to the quiz to my mentor…

With the MS Word files – just save them  (old 2004 format) in a file that you create.  Then go to your user account and click on coursework.  When you click on the upload, it will ask for the file that you created and you can upload each one individually.  For the PDF file, just make a new MS Word Doc and put the answers on the sheet, save it with the appropriate title into your file and then do the same in the Coursework section – click on the upload button and then direct it to where you have saved it on your computer.  The files should be there waiting for your mentor to retrieve them.  You mentor will have a notice when they log in that there are papers waiting for them.  We are hoping to have it eventually where the mentor receives and email notification where there are papers in the student files.

On my messaging center with my student/mentor, I see there is a delete button – what does that button do? Is the coursework to remain on the site for the duration of the program, or is it to be deleted at some point?

The delete button is simply for if someone accidentally uploads the wrong piece of work, or uploads an old piece of work and wants to revise it – they are able to delete it and replace it – as each month has a limited amount of uploads

I updated my profile and put a picture in but I have no idea where the picture ended up!

If the picture isn’t showing then the most likely reason is because the picture is too large (filesize) or it’s in a funny format (.bmp).

People should upload a .jpg picture that’s a maximum of 230 x 230 px and no bigger than 1MB in size.

I cannot make the movies work. What is happening?

Do you have Adobe FLASH installed and up-to-date?

You can find the free player at: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

I can’t manage to hear the conference recordings – it says it is downloading but then nothing happens. The same goes for my video streams – I open it once and then I can’t open it again.

The following directions might see matters corrected:
1. Close your PC down and do a fresh ‘restart’ this may clear any computer related cache issues.
2. Restart your internet browser program and follow the instructions for removing your cache that you can find here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie6/using/howto/customizing/clearcache.mspx
3. Try accessing the campus website address with your normal login/password details
4. Visit the monthly lessons page for October and try viewing the material again allowing enough time for the download to play in the browser window. (The file is not intended to be downloaded to the computer but to play in the new window that opens).
5. If the above fails to give you full access please send me an email with the particular details of the operating system and internet browser version you are running and I will try to understand the possible causes for the troubles you are having.

Just a few students have had this particular issue and we might suspect that the issue rests with a specific PC or browser function. We will continue to work this through with you and others till we discover the problem.
Thank you for your patience and good luck… keep me informed.

Campus support team
Info@endlessdesign.com

I am using my iPad for viewing – does that help clarify why I am having a problem?

We have some issues here.
The Adobe Shockwave format (used by Vimeo to deliver the lesson movies) is a standard web based plug-in structure but the new I-Pad does not support this format. You can find many articles both praising and bemoaning this fact online. Solution’s are in the planning but this is early days at the moment for the I-Pad as it waits for HTML 5 standards to become the future delivery method.

As we have not had any other major complaints when viewing the Vimeo player on PC’s and Mac’s I would recommend access is gained to a standard MAC or PC computer.

It is regrettable that the beautiful new I-Pad’s cannot see some of the campus functions but we have chosen the most readily available internet based solutions for the campus that 98% of our students with both standard PC’s and Mac computers are having few issues with.

A question regarding the conference call – I had a mic plugged in to the computer in the mic socket but Tina could not hear me when I tried to respond – do  I need to use a camera mic?

I suspect that you have a setting stating that the sight and sound camera (if indeed you have one) takes precedence over the Mic in line.
You will need to test a few variations to know which input device works for Skype calls.

Another suggestion:  If PC, go into control panel, then double click on sounds and devices, then on tab called VOICE, then it has a voice recording – make sure the sound card is selected under that.

Another suggestion:  If PC, go to the task bar (on the bottom), on the right side, you’ll see a little speaker, right click on it, setting says Open Volume Control – it will bring up a window that says Volume control – all the way to the right it say LINE IN – and you want un-muted and the volume up.

A little testing and patience will go along way with this issue.

Some of the videos are blurry and a little hard to understand when I watch them. Any suggestions?

With regard to some of the problems with the audio part of the videos, if no other solution is available other than to do the best we can with the older ones, I suggest using a headset to listen. I am a medical transcriptionist and routinely use a headset on my computer. It really helps to filter out any extraneous sounds in your own environment so you can better focus on the video’s audio. StudentBT

Notes on Playing Videos (The on-line streamed videos)

To maximize quality when playing the the videos in your internet browser try the following recommendations:

Do not have any other programs running on your computer when you have the videos running … this is important!

You may find that as certain times of the day your internet connection speed declines with increased local use, try viewing the videos at a less busy time.

When you watch the streamed in videos – please DO NOT hit the small vignette to make it full screen.

We have been aware that some of our old footage needed to have a lot of ‘doctoring’ –  but because there is some great information there, we decided to do the best we can with bumping the audio, the lighting and the visuals.  They are still far from perfect quality.  If you keep it on your screen as a small vignette, then it will be easier to listen to the audio without being distracted by any jumping that might occur if you blow it up big.

Additional Notes on the Videos from a mentor who is also a technology whiz:

1. Technology
When I first played through the videos on my computer, I kept the computer screen small and I had no problems with the video quality or sound.  However, after I read the emails from you, I started to wonder about your computer’s configuration and memory cache. I know that Tina had some minimum requirements stated on the harp therapy campus website for computers, but perhaps there needs to be some more requirements.  This is similar to what other online computer software indicates; for example SKYPE states minimum requirements for using and then requirements for running.

The requirements for using might include the various versions of the OS for Windows or MAC, how much memory is required, processor speed, etc.  Basically, hardware requirements; the same as SKYPE does.

The requirements for running might include things such as not having any other programs running at the same time, having external speakers or a headset, ensuring that other programs are not loaded into memory at the same time (i.e. no other programs in the system tray other than antivirus software), etc.  Basically, user-ability requirements; the same as SKYPE does.

(2) Formats of the Harp Therapy Campus Videos
The videos you watched were two different formats as they address two different types of audiences; a primary audience and a secondary audience.

By watching Tina’s videos on the Modes of Music, you experienced being the primary audience. Tina was actually facing the camera and talking/training as if you were the only person to train.  When you watched Jeanne Martin’s Video, you experienced this as well. It was very familiar to you, because you had already experienced Tina’s excellent videos.

Understandably, when you started to watch the other videos, which were excellent presentations given to a primary audience who there in person, you noticed a difference (aside from the technology issues), you became the secondary audience.  The video is different only because the people/person is teaching others.  If you were in that same room, you would have heard the same coughs, sneezes, paper shuffling, etc. that you hear on the video.

I think about this in the same way when I had given workshops at the Somerset Harp Festival.  I had a room full of 35 harpists.  My husband taped the session for me, so that I could visually see (later) how I presented myself.  What I heard were the same sounds as during my workshop. People sneezing, coughing, tuning their harps at the beginning, etc.

Perhaps because my husband has a BFA in Cinema and Photography is why I have viewed my share of very poor quality Primary Audience videos, and excellent Secondary Audience videos, and vice versa. However, know that both exist.

Certainly people have preferences, and I do as well. If I’m out to learn a particular new recipie, I want a Primary Audience video because I like to see every single step.  However, some of the best Secondary Audience videos were of the 2009 IHTP Conference.  I purchased DVDs because I was still, literally tied up with both of my hands in casts and splints from surgery, and I could not go to the conference last year.  However, being in the Secondary Audience allowed me to see my classmates and friends from other classes, hear their responses to the teacher/presenter (and write them down!), and learn from the teacher/presentor.  I actually learned more than just by listening to the presentor!  I had trouble with my PC playing the DVDs, but when I played the DVDs on my TV – it was like being there … and I participated with the primary audience in many of the group exercises – especially a paper-plate musical :)

I understand that technology does hinder the enjoyment of watching the videos, and I hope that there will be some work-arounds posted on the Harp Therapy Campus website, soon.  Meanwhile, I hope that you can enjoy watching both formats, as there is so much to be gained from these older clips and the CTHPs that have graduated long before you or I :)) our thanks to Cynthy!

I can’t seem to open the bundle of quizzes and coursework.

The files are compressed for achieving in the zip format.

Any computer (PC) bought after October 2001 (when Windows XP made its way onto new computers) is able to extract zip files without needing any 3rd party software. Similarly, Macs can unzip files without needing any 3rd party software. If their computer is older than that, then jzip will work fine.

If you cannot view them you may not have an unzip program installed. You can get a free PC version: HERE or a Mac version HERE

How do I get to see recent communications with my mentor?

You can go to the “message your mentor” page from the link on the main right panel to review messages that have been sent to you.

Can I email my files to my mentor directly

Students should upload their work to the online campus system, to keep things organized. If everything was done by email we could easily loose track of assignments and files might vanish into spam boxes.

I have a question about the Creative Harping DVDs. In your Dorian Lesson you say to just watch the left hand and flow with the right and everything will sound good.  I haven’t found that to be working for me.  If I play a B, it sounds awkward.  I find I have to watch the right hand a lot.  Well, it’s a work in progress.  I’m getting better at it I think.

Yes, that B is the stickler – but when I have people start, I rather have them have the Dorian sound crazy without looking at the right hand than not.  Eventually, it works out in the end but if one cannot get into the right brain which means not looking at the right hand, then they never make that jump.  So, as crazy as the first one sounds, it is best to let it happen.  It’s the process of developing the ear.  Eventually you will ‘hear’ that strange B and have cellular memory in the position you are sitting and where your hands are not to play the B, rather than to ‘see’ it.  It is quite an amazing system if followed properly.  It isn’t about having everything sound perfect at the beginning!

I have a question about how to access the SUPPORT papers to the Creative Harping DVDs – do I use my USER info?

You do not use your USER information for the CHDVDs. To download the support papers, please follow these directions:  Go to http://Emeraldharp.com and click on SUPPORT on the top of the page. The code is imprinted on the back cover of each of the DVDs or you can contact Christina for the codes for each of the DVDs.  If you are having a problem downloading the support papers, it may be that you have not ‘allowed’ the popup to appear. There will usually be an indication on a top line of your computer screen asking you to allow the popup. If after that, you have any problem downloading the papers, then please contact Christina for assistance.

For the Conference Calls – do I make the call?  I’m not sure what to do when it comes to SKYPE.

Yes, the calls are yours to make.  You respond to the email with the link to initially register. You will be given a phone number and a pin number by email.

In SKYPE, it has a menu bar that says CONTACTS – then the first drop down says  ADD A CONTACT.  When you click on that, it will then have two places – one, the first says Add a Skype Contact – that is the email one.  The second one down says:  or add a phone number as a contact:  You will give it a name – IHTPConference  then hit country – USA and then put in the telephone number.  Then it will show up in the contact list and you will click on that and hit the little green call button – when you get connected, you will then be asked to key in your pin number followed by the # sign – you do that from your keyboard. Then you should be in.  If you cannot do that, then try calling on your cell phone – hopefully with unlimited long-distance calls.  Be sure to have some money in your SKYPE account – I usually keep $10.00 in there – and the calls are just a matter of a few cents.

I still have a problem that is not addressed here…what do I do?

If you still have problems with using the campus site our support people will need to get very clear information from you to the questions below:

1 What are you trying to do?

2 What happens (or does not happen)?

3 What operating system are you using?

4. What internet browser are you using?

Please use the contact form to send your detailed responses.