"Fi-Fa-Fo-Fum, I smell the blood of a musician. . ."

Can we climb off our beanstalks and get back to empowering kids to love music instead of "gotcha"?

Thanks

Chris

There are three variations possible on each line, or space. That is where everyone gets lost, keeping track of the possible variations, and then back again, an as we know a half step off is the most dissonant and out of tune you can be.

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler" -Einstein

I like the metaphor that the notes got married and changed their names though! That was cute. Does the "Sharp" clan feud with the "Flats"? Lots of inbreeding there if you ask me!

Thanks

Chris

More passionate posts about solfeggio. I think it proves my point, that there are multiple approaches, each with its own drawback, but getting the kids singing and some notion of pitch relationship is GREAT. The problem is actually NOT in solfeggio, but that it is based on classical music theory, and so shares the inconsistencies and quirks of that system, i.e., the overlaps between diatonic, modal and chromatic scales. The major scale, its modes and variations, (including blues scales and minor scales) is still the touchstone for so much music, but its variability makes for quirky definitions and relationships, especially when you get to harmonic theory . . .

With music, there is no "arriving". If Bach was still working out things on the art of the fugue on his deathbed, then I think we can safely say music should be a lifelong deepening education. To insist that one or another approach will "damage" the kids is as if we tatooed this information on their foreheads with hot branding tools. Kids learn about Santa and survive, their knowledge of the world grows infinitely, a metaphor or approach in the early stages does not stick anymore than the story of the Easter bunny, once new better deeper understanding is available, they can discard the earlier story/metaphor/approach and get to a deeper one. This can and should go on their whole lives. There are dozens of scales that can be overlaid to the chromatic 12 half note scale, there never will be one solfeggio that portrays the nuances of all those approaches. If you focus on the major scale, you will have trouble with modulations, if you focus on the chromatic, you ignore one of the central touchstones, the major scale and its inner relationships (modes).

Use them all, but for goodness sake, don't preach any one approach as "gospel". They are parts and pieces of an infinite puzzle, and we should delight in the different approaches rather than marry any one. We can all have preferences, even strong opinions, but let's be tolerant and not try and frighten or intimidate new parents that they will damage their children's musicality by accidentally choosing the "wrong" solfeggio.

Maybe the best thing we can teach them is that tolerance and curiosity to explore new and different approaches and find what works for them.

Thanks

Chris

[The game can be played by anyone that knows their colors]

I am reposting an answer (modified for you) as this is a question we get quite a bit in this forum. The game can be played by anyone that knows their colors. As for your 2 year old, I would use "Free Play" mode where the hitting the keys generate the game objects, so no matter what they hit they are seeing results. It is also a great way to help teach her the colors, if she doesn't know them yet, but we have seen lots of 2 year olds playing the game, and anything that gets them having fun on the piano at that age and getting to know the keyboard is great.
I found this video online, and though he is not using the correct fingerings yet (in the game and the videos when he is ready) you can see he "gets it" and is enjoying himself on his first song. What a great way to start your music studies.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/UY5LYuaBZl4&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/UY5LYuaBZl4&rel=1</a>"

So, my opinion is that your daughter is probably ready or nearly ready to start, I believe their minds are growing so fast at this age that music can only help them and delight them. I personally love that age, their personality begins to emerge, they walk and talk, and now can begin to play music!

Enjoy,

Thanks

Chris

Shen-Li,

Either will work, I suspect the Alesis is more complex and perhaps more expensive, but the game will work with any MIDI compatible keyboard. Check to see if it is powered by the USB cable. That is a major convenience if it is.

Have fun!

Thanks

Chris

Shen-Li,

I am sure Piano Wizard Academy will be a great solution to get your children playing music quickly and loving it. As for Hao jiu bu jian, I think it means "long (good) time no see", I was joking because I had just replied to your questions in another post and here I found another question. Joking in a language neither of us speaks well is probably not going to work!

As for developing their ear, there is a lot of auditory feedback built into the process with Piano Wizard Academy, one stunning thing to note is how when they transition to reading the sheet music, though there is no background track, they seem to play in rhythm to it subconsciously, hearing it and accompanying it in their heads, after only a few minutes. There is also lots of guided singing recommended, and nothing develops the ear like singing. We consider this training wheels for the piano, they will be well prepared to deepen their music studies when you feel they have flown farther and faster than you can keep up, and their teachers will be delighted they can already read and already love music.

Enjoy!

Chris

Hi Chris,

Thank you for your speedy reply! Yes, I'm Chinese, but I grew up in Australia so my Malay and Chinese is hopeless :-(

Right, I get it now - the $497 is inclusive of shipping. I thought there was an additional shipping cost on top of it. So it would be better for me to order the package without the keyboard and have it shipped to my husband's office.

I have found a local store selling M-Audio. I am a bit confused about the keyboard. Am I looking for a keyboard or a keyboard controller? For instance, are the M-Audio KeyRig 49 or the M-Audio Keystation 61es compatible? What model is the keyboard that comes with the Piano Wizard Academy? Both of these models are still more expensive than the Piano Wizard Keyboard, but I guess if I have to pay a customs duty on the Piano Wizard Keyboard, then it won't make much difference. I don't suppose you would be able to tell me if they charged a customs duty on your deliveries to Malaysia and how much? :-p  Seems to me it would be a lot easier just buying the whole package from you but if I'll run into problems at customs, then it's probably better for me to get the keyboard locally.

Sorry about being so pedantic about this. I had so much trouble the last time I ordered a series of Sign Language DVDs from the States that the memory of it still makes me nervous about purchasing large items online. By the time I was done with customs, with the amount I paid I could have bought two Piano Wizard Academy packages. Until today, my husband hasn't let me forget about it. Anyway, I'm rattling on. I hope you can help with with any info that you have.  Thanks so much!

Shen-Li.

Shen-Li,

Right, I get it now - the $497 is inclusive of shipping. I thought there was an additional shipping cost on top of it. So it would be better for me to order the package without the keyboard and have it shipped to my husband's office.

This is not accurate. It is $397 without keyboard and WITHOUT shipping. I don't know what the shipping comes out to, enter the order and once you have the correct address in, hit refresh so you know it is updated in the shopping cart. You can also email Mary Menger our office manager at [email protected].

Am I looking for a keyboard or a keyboard controller? For instance, are the M-Audio KeyRig 49 or the M-Audio Keystation 61es compatible? What model is the keyboard that comes with the Piano Wizard Academy?

These terms are used interchangeably. Either of those will work, one is 4 octave, one is 5 octave, I believe both are USB powered but double check. We are now using the M-Audio KeyRig 49, their latest version, so getting it locally will probably save you some shipping and customs (which they paid and built in to the local price).

As for your past experience, I understand, in some ways the customs procedures are still medieval and predatory in most countries, and while the internet has blurred boundaries, the bureaucrats still want their pound of blood. I would order it without keyboard and get the keyboard locally, so they don't assume the whole $497 value is the keyboard and charge you wrong customs. As for your husband not letting you forget it, well, customs is complicated, and as I tell my wife, . . . Pobody's Nerfect!

Thanks

Chris

Shen li

Hao jiu bu jian! (OK, I have officially exhausted my Chinese!)

Yes you are correct in your summary of Suzuki so far. Philosophically their approach is very similar to Piano Wizard Academy, in other words, get the kids playing first, then read. They have the kids play by ear first, the problem is the transition to reading notes is not so smooth for Suzuki, especially for piano, which contains harmony, as well as melody. (Violin is a single line, sequential like language, piano plays the harmonies as well, and so is parallel, and the reading does not come as easily, being more complex).
We also get the kids playing first, not by ear, but by sight, through the game interface. The beauty of that method is the transition to reading is very smooth, you will truly be amazed, because we give the the underlying musical logic embedded in the game, and then tie that to the music notation gradually and completely. So, Suzuki's strength is they learn to play by ear, but reading is traditionally a challenge for Suzuki students, whereas we focus on the visual side and the reading is a breeze. We created the video lessons for the parents to supplement the game's strength with the more musical aspects that only a human being can bring, such as singing, posture, fingering, phrasing and meaning, i.e., the art of music. Like Suzuki, we encourage parents to participate, unlike Suzuki, we actually have a way for you to learn right along side them and make music a part of the whole family's experience.

Enjoy!

Thanks

Chris

Shen-Li

First of all, Apa khabar? I have fond memories of playing soccer in college with a Malaysian team, very warm people. If you are Chinese Malay, then Ni hao? I will try and answer your questions below.

1. What are the shipping costs for both packages (with and without the keyboard)?
For Brillkids customers, we have a special bundle for $497, saving over $100 with the keyboard included. If you prefer without the keyboard, it is $397. These are available at the bottom of the Brillkids offer above.

2. Will the power cord need a converter?
Our keyboards are powered by USB, and so will work from the power of your computer, no separate power supply needed.

3. Have you ever sent Piano Wizard to Malaysia before? Were there any problems with delivery?
We have, and without problems, that does not mean it is not an attractive target for thieves. Perhaps delivery to a business would be safest.

4. What keyboards would you recommend in the market that would be compatible with Piano Wizard?
M-Audio keyboards were chosen by us because the are simple, professional quality, lightweight, inexpensive and USB powered. They have no built in sound, the game and computer supply the sound. Both Casio and Yamaha provide high quality keyboards, but they have many other options that if invoked during gameplay will confuse the game. You can simply turn the keyboard off and restart it to reset the keyboard to game play mode, but it can be more confusing to people. Also they are heavier and often require a separate power supply, and so can be more inconvenient when the computer is needed for other tasks.


I hope these answered your questions, I believe if you have Apple stores in your area or go online you can find M-Audio keyboards, or perhaps in music stores, they are also known as MIDI controllers. The shipping with keyboard adds to the expense, and at customs they sometimes charge more for keyboards that software or educational materials, so when feasible we recommend you purchase it locally.

Order soon so you can take part in the first bonus call with Don and Delayna Beattie this coming Wednesday!

Thanks (terima kasih) (xie-xie)

Chris

Interesting videos, that school seems quite nurturing. Singing is a vital part of any music studies, it trains the ears, and sofege is a great place to start. The "Fixed do" gives a good sense of key, but the trade off is when you wander into modulations or complex minor scales, it no longer "maps" one to one on pitch, you are adjusting for the song but the actual notes are different even within the same song as you flatten or sharp a note, they have the same syllable. Still, since so much is built around the major scale, its relative minor and the modes, it can take you very far. On the keyboard side I did not see much different than has been done for hundreds of years, it still seemed to be reading sheet music. I watched both videos and did not see much keyboard work that was unique or different, but these videos seemed to be showing off the solfege aspect.
I tried working with Yamaha several times, but they are quite rigid to work with as a company, quite slow to make decisions, and very Japanese in their approach to decisions. I will make my annual attempt again this year to see if I can break through, as they are an excellent company in many ways. They actually have a completely different educational division called Music In Education (MIE) that deals with schools that is much more flexible and innovative, but the two divisions hardly talk let alone cooperate, at least that was the case a few years ago.
I really enjoyed viewing these, as I have been curious to see some classwork, and how they actually work. I suspect that each school is dependent on the actual teachers to bring the methods alive, as is always the case. A good teacher can overcome almost any method or materials, and a bad one can mangle the best if they try!
I don't know who posted this, but thanks, it was interesting.
Chris

We sell the Academy package without the keyboard as an option at the bottom of the Brillkids link and special, for $397, that includes all the bonuses and is your best option if music education is the goal, and as I indicated, you can contact Mary at our office to see if you qualify for our payment plan as well.

Thanks

Chris

Are you referring to the online demo, without the keyboard? You should be able to enter your name and email at www.musicwizard.com and get access to those, but to be honest it will not be like playing the actual game. Manipulating the mouse or typing keys is harder than actually playing the color coded key on a digital piano. I understand the concern, but we offer a 60 day unconditional guarantee, and the full program with the Academy Quickstart DVD alone will give you immediate results that will be undeniable and amazing. You can purchase it without a keyboard and save $100, or more with shipping being less. Also, Don and Delayna's teleconferences will start in January, and you will enjoy that bonus very much, they can guide you through any nuance or questions you may have personally, as they designed the course.

If you want to check out our payment plan, email Mary Menger, our office manager, at [email protected] and she can see if you qualify. Compared to piano lessons, it will be saving you money immediately. So, in other words, while not cheap, it is very economical and effective.

As for the joy of playing and learning alongside your children? Priceless.

Thanks

Chris

Dear Mum,

I am not exactly sure what you are trying to do, do you mean update the game? Were you then trying to reach support through the game? In any case, the easiest solution is to email Myko at [email protected], and copy me, at [email protected]. He is back in the saddle after having his first baby, and he will be able to take care of you quickly.

Happy New Year!

Thanks

Chris

Recently, we received a number of responses from families and educators dealing with Autism Spectrum Disorder, (ASD) and who are using Piano Wizard Academy as a tool to help reach those children and bring the known benefits of music education and therapy within the reach of these households and the people affected by ASD. As you will see, the autism spectrum is very wide, and what works for one, does not work for another, but we can see people seem to be having broad and dramatic success with Piano Wizard Academy. First from a special needs teacher.



"As a music educator to students with special needs, I have been using the Piano Wizard Academy program with many of my students since October 2008 . . .Every student that has
experienced this wonderful program has enjoyed it and many have demonstrated a talent in using it. Many of these talented students have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and possess a wide range of abilities.

During Phase One of implementing Piano Wizard Academy, each student was given the opportunity to play at least the first song of the first lesson, which involves playing only two different colored notes. The ability to change the tempo, or speed, of the music made it very adaptable for all of the students.To track students’ progress, I recorded the date, song name, level, tempo, hand played (right, left, or both), overall score, and the time attended to Piano Wizard Academy. By analyzing this data, I came up with some rather impressive numbers, given the diversity of the population using Piano Wizard Academy.

Of the 25 children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, 28% obtained a perfect score of 100% the first day they played Piano Wizard Academy. On their second day playing Piano Wizard Academy, that number leaped to 55% of the children obtaining a perfect score. From there, I broke down the data into two groups, one group of students with High-Function Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome, and another group of Autistic students with limited verbal abilities.

Of the students in the HFA/Asperger’s group, 55% obtained a perfect score the first day playing Piano Wizard Academy, and 77% reached a perfect score on the second day.

In the Limited Verbal Abilities group, 12.5% obtained a perfect score the first day which increased to 33% on the second day playing Piano Wizard Academy.

Further data is presented in the tables below with anecdotal information afterwards."

Jennifer

(Rest of this with the tables is attached to this post)

Here are some more excerpts of the feedback we have gotten recently about the product used with ASD kids.
--------------
Chris,

I wanted to let you know that so far, my son loves it.  . . . The graphics are entertaining and keep him interested. . . Working with children with Autism, they sometimes need to be prompted more than one time to start a task.  My son did not need prompting when he was introduced to this game.  At 6 years old, he is a pretty advanced gamer, being able to pick up how to play any game immediately.  He enjoys learning games, but usually only if they have a favorite movie character attached.  I feel the music is what kept him interested, as well as feeling as if he was playing a game.

Michelle
--------------

Chris,

Good Morning!!! I took the Piano Wizard to the Special Education Dept. of a private school where my friend is the Director. She has many students of various ages on the autism spectrum. Piano Wizard has been a HUGE hit!! One little boy who is 6, and very hard to occupy, has found his smile. The only problem so far.........NO ONE wants to stop playing! ... Not one student became frustrated during play. The game is very self satisfying to the child, and stimulating as well. After 1-2 tries, everyone was familiar with the color scheme and we were able to adjust the tempo to meet the need of the child. Many of the kids understood that they were playing the note in the music. Level 1 was a great success, and we will be moving on to Level 2 today. . . .

Here is some data from 3 students at the private school where my friend works. First, let me say that Piano Wizard was a huge hit with everyone, young and old! I have never seen so many smiling faces in one classroom!! Children who are on the autism spectrum should have no problem using the Piano Wizard as a wonderful tool to help them in many areas including expressing creativity. In addition, it provides them with a success oriented opportunity for achievement and mastery.

Student 1 was a 6 year old little boy with moderate autism, and minimal verbal skills. On the first trial, he achieved a score of 35%, the second trial, a 68%, the third, a 74% and the 4th, an 87%. This was all done on Level 1. He was hesitant to move on to Level 2, but after a time, was able to do so, and did much better. At first, he wanted to just use one finger, but eventually caught on to both hands. He was smiling and flapping to show enjoyment.

Student 2 was an 11 year old boy with mild autism, who is verbal. On the first trial, he scored a 47%, the second trial, a 69%, and on the 3rd trial a 98%, all on Level 1. He was anxious to move up the levels, and did so with ease. He understood the concept of using both hands. He loved the praise and wanted others to watch him. He wanted to do it the next day, and even went on his own and played Jolly Old St. Nicolas!

Student 3 was a 7 year old girl with aspergers.... very verbal! She achieved a 48% on the first trial, and a 100% on the 2nd trial. She did a little dance for the class and didn't want to stop. She moved through all 5 levels with ease.
 
Pictures to come soon.
Still testing product.

Tina

---------------

Yeidi, instructor
Gabby (Autism,) She is consider somewhat higher functioning but still  very delay
Date: November 22, 2010


Overall I was very impressed with the quality of the product. I feel that it will take a very long time for my daughter to master this concept the way it is as of now. I feel the sticker reward system is Fabulous. My objective is to have Gabby become comfortable familiar with the concept of making music and incorporated with play!  She looks forward to playing with Piano Wizard.  Her reactions are priceless. I feel this product will in fact be a great asset to children with special needs and Autism.  Whenever she is with the Piano she is very calm. My feeling is that with Piano Wizard she is using more of her cognitive and to a degree she is able to learn it, that being said these suggestions I have provided previously will make Piano Wizard more marketable to the Special needs community.


Time spend on a weekly basis: 3 times per week or more
Length: about an hour or more
Current Stage: Play stage (I have had just shown her the lessons)
Does the child can initiate music play?  Not Independently only   With Instructor
Where the lesson does takes play? I usually do them on the afternoons after school and on weekends
Sincerely,
Yeidi

------------
 
 Janine

So I introduced my one son, 5 years old, to lesson one. He did well and liked the few songs he tried. BUT he is so used to going from game to game on the laptop that he found it difficult to go in a precise order. He kept saying he wanted to try different lessons, different hands...etc....because he always likes to move at a fast pace. Today was just exploratory for him and I allowed him to play with it. Round two I will be more structured and see how he can limit his desire to jump ahead.

My background:
 
Middle school teacher of Health education. Inner city (Camden NJ) environment. Working on a masters degree in Applied beahvior Analysis to becaome a Baoard certified Behavioral analyist.  I have taught for 16 years and teach regular as well as special education students with varying classifications.
 
Gavin: (5 years of age)diagnosed at 22 months with ASD.  Started intense therapy of ABA, speech and Occupatioanl therapy.  Went to preschool disabled at three, typical preschool with an aide at four and now first year of typical Kindergarten with aide.  Very "busy" and above most peers academically in school but socially immature and impulsive.  Loves games on the laptop and has an intense imagaination.
 
Kyle:  (also 5)  Diagnosed with PDDNOS at 22 months .Same as above with Gavin in schooling and therapy.   Kyle is more of a "pleaser' and entertainer.  Likes to sing and loves music.  He is also impulsive and very competitive.  Likes to HURRY through activities to complete them. He is actually working in this at school using a timer to SLOW DOWN his work.  This may be an idea I can use with him on the piano.
 
I can video my children. Cant video the kids at school.  I will video this weekend for you.
  More to come...


Hello Again Chris,
 
First feedback is from the five students in my middle school.  Background: they are classified as leanring disabled with behavioral issues. They are from 13-15 years old, two girls and three boys These five chikdrens typically can not handle a stuctured music lesson.  The music teacher and I arranged for each of the five students to spend an hour a day for three days during their lunch last week.  They LOVED it...and have been asking to do another three days.  I was thankful the music teacher was also working with them and was able to talk to them about how the progression worked from game to notes.  It was amazing to see them so engaged..because typically they ARE NOT!  We will start agin next week as I bring it home to do with Kyle.
 
My other son Gavin, autism diagnosis, twin brother to Kyle, was introduced to it five times.  He enjoys computer games and Wii.  He was COMPLETLY disinterested in the program.  He is less intense than Kyle and not so interested in acheiving levels.  I will continue to try and get him interested, as he enjoys watching Kyle for a bit.  he is MUCH less focused and needs more physical activity, but when he is on the laptop playing a game, he is focused, piano wizard did not have the same effect..will keep trying
 
Janine


---------------

An excerpt from a recent blog post and emails from a homeschooling mother of an child with Asperger's syndrome.


Max (currently 9 and in 4th grade) was diagnosed with Asperger's in May of '09. Just recently Jan '10 we started seeing a therapist to help him manage his frustrations, anxiety, and meltdowns. What I hope to do here, is share what we learn from our son as he grows into adulthood.

My lil' disclaimer: I don't claim to be an expert on Asperger's or even a writer. :o)

We've been having a great ol' time with the Piano Wizard Academy... Since children with Asperger's (or for that matter most children under the autism umbrella) are typically visual learners, .... these kiddos often respond well to learning via a video gaming format. That makes it fun for you too!

Games work... especially games incorporating repetition and a high dose of fun along the way! With that ever-so-important knowledge under my belt, I was thrilled to have found a computer-based learning system for teaching my son how to play a musical instrument!

Would you believe my son is currently learning to play the piano? We're the proud (and excited new owners) of the Piano Wizard Academy package which provides us with piano lesson books and video lessons equating to 2 years worth of children's piano lessons. The system is designed to work on your home computer and comes with a 48-key digital keyboard that plugs directly into your pc. As parent, the system guides you as "music coach"... which you can accomplish with ease... even if you've never played a musical instrument... even if you can't read a single musical note! As the music coach you may choose to learn right along with your student, or you may just guide their learning. In my case, I choose to learn!

My entire adult life I've wanted to play the piano... despite not owning one. The Piano Wizard Academy will teach you how to play on a "real" piano. My parents have such an animal and I'm anxious for the day when my children and I can play for grandma and grandpa!

Why music? If you've read the research on the correlation between children who can play a musical instrument and levels of success on college entrance exams, greater emotional health and stability, a higher sense of self-esteem and their ability to comprehend math... you'll know why! Children who master a musical instrument typically score significantly higher on math exams, and while we're not expecting Max to attend medical school, you might be interested to learn that music majors are the most highly admitted college grads to medical school. There's definitely something pretty amazing going on in the development of the mind when the language of music is incorporated into a child's curriculum.

... I can't imagine a better Christmas gift to give to a child on the spectrum... or any child for that matter, than the gift of music. These piano lessons are learned by playing a game, and taught in a series of steps that eventually lead to you and your student reading real musical notes, knowing how to properly sit at a piano, with correct hand-placement and timing, to generate beautiful music from a REAL piano!

... My son loves the outer-space background, but there are several to choose from. ... it starts off as a matching game. Something anyone can do! As the child hits the correct key at the correct time, the object morphs from one image into another. If the game is running too fast, you can slow down the tempo. Max has been speeding it up!

You're given a wide variety of songs to choose from and you're even able to download your favorite music from the Internet into this game. There are so many games already provided with The Piano Wizard Academy, we've not felt the need to add any additional songs at this time, but eventually, we'll no doubt go music hunting!

Have a great night! I never ate dinner... too much time blogging and decorating our Christmas tree with the family (finally!). So... I'm going to cook something up real quick and check that box!

Blessings,

"Maggie"



For us at Music Wizard, these responses thrill us, to know our product can be not only entertaining and educational, but transformational for some. As we see with the case of Gavin above, it is not 100%, nothing is, especially with the range of the autism spectrum, let alone individual tastes and likes, but we have seen the majority of the responses have been very positive, in an arena where very positive responses are few and far between. Please know that we do not have a crystal ball and do not know how your children will respond, but we do know that through the Brillkids Piano Wizard Academy special offer, we give you 60 day unconditional guarantee to find out, and make an educated decision what is right for your child, in the privacy of your home.

We recently updated our offer for Brillkids members with a new payment plan for Piano Wizard Academy. (www.PianoWizardAcademy.com/brillkids_special_offer.html)

Please please, share your stories with us how music has affected your children!

We hope you find comfort and joy in a very musical and happy holiday season.

Thanks

Chris
CEO and Founder
Music Wizard Group

For those of you following some of the discussions on Piano Wizard, there is an update to Brillkids Piano Wizard Academy Offer, posted here for your convenience.

http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-music/how-can-music-dramatically-affect-your-child's-development-and-lifetime-success/msg63964/#msg63964