Piano Wizard

[Tornado]

Hello, has anyone tried Piano Wizard ( pianowizard.com) or Piano Wizard Academy?  If so, was it for you or your children?  What age were your kids when they started?  Please tell us about the results. 
Thank you.  I am excited to learn more about this program!

[benfrank]

I'd really like to hear someone's experience with Piano Wizard as well.  I've heard it's amazing, but don't personally know anyone who's used it.

[KL]

Looks like it is designed to do the exact same thing as Doremifasoft's Soft Mozart.

[Tornado]

Looks like it is designed to do the exact same thing as Doremifasoft's Soft Mozart.

Have you tried Doremifasoft's Soft Mozart?  If so, what was or is your experience like?

[Twinergy]

After comparing Piano Wizard and Soft Mozart I think PW is the better value.  For $200 PW gives you a keyboard and MIDI cable inculded with the software.  You also get 200 songs and the ability to import any MIDI song into the game.  SM only gives you 52 songs and no ability to import MIDIs and no keyboard or cable, which will cost another $100 or so to purchase.  The main difference I can see in the methods is that PW uses random colors to code the notes while SW uses a bi-color system to represent the lines and spaces in the grand staff.  SM also allows the use of solfege and alphabet to represent note names while PW only shows the alphabet naming system. 

I think SM method looks better, but not enough to justify the price difference.  I also think the ability to custom pick songs that interest my kids is a bigger benefit than SM's more meaningful color system.  I have a call into PW for more product information.  Hopefully I will find out more about Windows 7 compatability, if they have solfege represention, if there is any limitation on the MIDI's imported (do they have to be purchased at additional cost from PW), if the keyboard can be played independently of the game.

Has anybody seen Piano Wizard in person?  If so how do you like it?

[Twinergy]

I ended up buying Piano Wizard Premier and am waiting on shipping for it to arrive.  I will write up a review on it a couple weeks after it gets here.

---------------------------
ETA
The total bill was around $125 with software, keyboard and shipping.  I got a 37 key child sized MIDI controller for the keyboard because I thought it would have several advantages for a 2.5 year old.  First it is small and will be a better fit for little hands than a full size keyboard.  It also lacks superfluous buttons and features that may distract the child from the piano keys; I also didn't know how my DS's mad button pushing impulses may affect the program.  The third selling point on the MIDI controller was the price: only $49 with free shipping off Amazon.  I do plan on getting a larger keyboard when the kids get bigger.

[MySunshine]

Just wondering do you plan to introduce the piano to your 2.5 year old right now? or this is for later?
Do you play piano yourself?
Looking foward to hear your review Twinergy!!

[Twinergy]

I don't play piano, but I have a friend who plays.  She said she would help me teach my kids piano if I had the curriculum.  I think this will be useful when teaching proper body mechanics. 

Yes I do plan on introducing it to my 2.5 year old twins.  I think my DS will take to it immediately.  He has been working on problem solving skills from an early age (but is behind in language) and is already proficient at a similar game on the Leap Frog Text and Learn.  In the game letters appear on the screen and he finds the key on the key pad and presses it.  I don't think my DD will figure out the game as quickly ad my DS, but I do think it will be fun for her to use the computer.

[Twinergy]

After playing with piano wizard for a couple days I am quite happy with that purchase.  With shipping I paid less than $75 for Piano Wizard, and I would do it again.  There were times that both the kids tried to play the game, so it looks like it will work.  But I think we aren't quite ready to continue right now.  The twins seem more interested in pullling the stickers off the piano and messing with the equipment than trying to figure out the game.  I am also having difficulties juggling two 2.5 year olds on my own to give them time to play the game.  I'm going to put it away for a few months and pull it out again next winter.  We are really enjoying the nice weather now and don't have time for the game anyway.  I think if you only had one 2.5 year old and were looking for fun indoor activities for winter that would be a great age to start. 

As for the mini child size piano I got, I am less than thrilled and would not repeat the purchase in hindsite.  The keys are very stiff to play and hurt my hands after a few minutes of repetitive motion.  The instruction manual doesn't match the product and M-Audio tech support is also lousy. 

I'm going to save up for something like a digital piano rather than something less expensive like a portable keyboard.  Hopefully we can find something before next winter. 

If you have any specific questions about PW feel free to ask.

[DadDude]

The whole "Music for Little Mozarts" package just arrived in the mail.  It's billed for ages 4-6; ours will be turning 4 in a couple of months.

[DadDude]

Update on "Music for Little Mozarts": huge hit with the kid.  Loves the stuffed animals and was eager to go through the first several pages of the book, begged to listen to the CD.  It helped that we had gone through the flashcards, which we had bought separately a year ago.  Anyway he's asleep in bed with Mozart Mouse and Beethoven Bear right now. :-)

[Ouroboros1]

Twinergy,
Any updates on PW?  The weather is nice out now, so maybe in a couple of months when kids are mainly indoors.

[Twinergy]

Since getting this I have learned a couple things that have helped me with the decision that I won't use this with my kids (but my mom is getting some use out of it.)  First, I have read, that the rainbow color coding can become a crutch.  Second, children don't yet have the hand size, dexterity or strength to really play piano until they are about 5.  Here is the thread http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-music/teaching-music-to-our-kids-questions-for-you/msg56982/#msg56982  So until they are really old enough we are working on pitch and note recognition games, there are some good ones described further down in the thread by TmS. 

One thing I did to help recognize the notes is to label them with a sharpie pen (if you have a nice piano you could make stickers out of scotch tape to mark on.)  I have a good sense of relative pitch, so I will play a note and sing the name.  We had a couple of inexpensive childrens' keyboards for awhile, but since my son is like Bam-Bam with his toys they have both broken.  We are now back to the toddler glockenspiel which seems thus far indestructable. 

[Ouroboros1]

I ordered a glockenspiel off of Amazon this morning.  It seemed a LOT cheaper than Walker tuning forks, and I don't  have Tweedlewink(TW) yet.  I want to get started on some music training of some sort soon, though.  Trebellina should be here by next week, and I plan on using the flashcards played while he hears the tone simultaneously TW-style.


I think the colored notes are ok, as long as you transition them to black/white gradually.  Who knows, it may even develop synesthesia?

[ChrisSalter]

Full disclosure here, I am the CEO and founder of Piano Wizard.

Actually, Piano Wizard Academy (The educational version) is designed to transition from the color coding game play to reading sheet music with no color coding. It will work with any MIDI compatible keyboard, the one included being powered by USB and lightweight make it very convenient. It also works with any MIDI file, so virtually any song can be imported into the game. The Academy version also complements the game with video lessons for the parents how to turn it from just a game into a great learning and practice tool. There is fingering info for the first 100 songs (a two year children's curriculum) and the ability to change or put fingering info into any MIDI file. Mainly its fun, and kids can collaborate and play together. Parental involvement is encouraged like any activity, kids want to do what their parents do, and even people with no music or teaching experience can follow the 15 minute videos and coach their child to move through the game easily. There are lots of reviews, and videos online, but this one moved me the most.

http://www.amazon.com/Wizard-Premier-Silver-M-Audio-Keyboard/product-reviews/B001ARGZEC/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_summary?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending

Be sure to watch the video, and see his pride.

If he can do it, so can you.

Thanks

Chris Salter
Music Wizard Group

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