Learning to read and play music via a video game

July 20, 2006 According to the U.S. Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) executive director Gary L. Ingle, Fisher-Price’s “I Can Play Piano” is “the most innovative approach to piano fundamentals we've seen.” The US$80 educational toy uses video game technology to introduce children to learning, playing and appreciating music via Piano Wizard technology. The Piano Wizard method is inherently different from other music-teaching approaches because it introduces actual playing of real music with an simple interactive video game. The technology allows virtually anyone to play songs within minutes and transforms the tedious and traditional methods of piano practice into an exciting video game. Piano Wizard can make the first few years of a child's musical experience fun instead of torture, because children can now actually play to learn piano. The colour-coded plug and play piano keyboard plugs into any TV and becomes a colourful game with fun, moving images that tell kids what note to play and when to play it. Suitable for ages 4 through 8 years, children learn at their own pace and children of different ages and stages of development can play together. The better they play, the higher their score, with positive feedback and unconditional applause to encourage them every step of the way. Before long, children are playing the game and reading and playing music.

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