To that end, Nintendo is collaborating with institutions like MENC: The National Association of Music Education, as well as the Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco and the Opus 118 Harlem School of Music organization in New York. They'll be working to find ways to integrate Wii Music into the music curriculum across the country. And if the feedback from Doby's Mill Elementary School is any indication, they may be onto something.
"Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers," testified Helen Krofchick, a music teacher at the Lugoff, S.C. school. "We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more," she added, "Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children's lives should be in every classroom."
However, response from the traditional gamer community has been mixed over the value of Wii Music's free-flowing and anyone-can-play design. Nintendo World Reports' own review of the title called it "far from perfect," questioning the game's sound quality, limited song selection, and viability for consumers who would rather play alone.
But Joe Lamond, President and CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants, believes that the core values behind Wii Music are worthwhile. "The joy of playing music is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, talent-level or experience," he stated. "Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don't currently play a musical instrument wish they did," Lamond pointed out, expressing his belief that "Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try."
Nintendo, with its successful Wii and DS consoles, has already stated their goals of broadening the market demographic beyond the gamer stereotype and capturing new consumers. Perhaps it's Lamond's "millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try" who will ultimately be their harshest critics.
NINTENDO'S WII MUSIC STRIKES A CHORD WITH MUSIC EDUCATORS
New Partnerships Bring Fun Music Software to Classrooms Nationwide
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 13, 2009 – Nintendo's new Wii Music™ game is spreading from the family room to the classroom, thanks to newly formed collaborations with select schools and educators. To help inspire students and promote an active appreciation for music, Nintendo is working with teachers to incorporate Wii™ consoles and Wii Music software into their lesson plans to offer teachers a unique tool for creativity and improvisation.
Nintendo's collaborators in this effort include MENC: The National Association for Music Education, which is recognized as the world's largest arts education organization and as a teaching resource for all levels from preschool to graduate school. MENC will help teachers in 51 cities across the nation integrate Wii Music into their curricula, making use of the game's 60-plus instruments and fun array of tutorial exercises in rhythm, tempo and song structure.
"The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice."
The Wii console's motion-sensing controls allow Wii Music users at any experience level to step up and jam, whether playing solo or as part of a group. Using the wireless Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™ controllers, players make simple, intuitive movements to strum a guitar, play a trumpet or bang a drum.
"At any grade level, it's essential to provide students with the tools and encouragement they need to be creative," said John J. Mahlmann, executive director of MENC. "We look forward to collaborating with Nintendo to drive awareness and advocacy for music education through Wii Music."
Some teachers already have begun to incorporate Wii Music into their lesson plans.
"Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers," said Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher at Doby's Mill Elementary School in Lugoff, S.C. "I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination. We have a school very supportive of the arts and Wii Music has empowered our program even more. Any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children's lives should be in every classroom."
Other collaborating and partner organizations currently include San Francisco's Blue Bear School of Music and New York's Opus 118 Harlem School of Music. Teachers in these programs will use Wii Music to build students' familiarity with technology while bolstering their ability to create and improvise. Experts in the field of music say getting kids interested in music at an early age can help build a lifelong appreciation.
"The joy of playing music is something that should be experienced by everyone, regardless of age, talent-level or experience," said Joe Lamond, President & CEO of NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants. "Research shows that more than 82 percent of people who don't currently play a musical instrument wish they did. Wii Music can help address this by providing a positive introduction for millions of people who might not otherwise be inclined to try."
Speaking as somebody who has been classically trained, this is HORRIBLE news. Musicians need REAL instruments. Wii Music doesn't even teach theory.
Speaking as somebody who has been classically trained, this is HORRIBLE news. Musicians need REAL instruments. Wii Music doesn't even teach theory.
children don't need wiimusic they can just use their IMAGINATION !!!!
It's the same thing
children don't need wiimusic they can just use their IMAGINATION !!!!
It's the same thing
See, you really are trolling.
Teens and Adults don't have to buy Guitar Hero and Rock Band since they can use they're imaginations to replicate those instruments too, but guess what: They do!
I'm all for this just like i'm all for senior homes housing wiisports/fit. In fact I'm even MORE for this than then the other two. Why? Because getting kids into music, in any way/shape/form at a young age is a GREAT thing.
I always enjoyed music as a kid but was never able to express it other than having a tune in my head because no one ever encouraged me to take it up. You'd think as a parent seeing their kid spend hours of time in front of a keyboard in a toy store would make you think "hm.. maybe this can be good for him.." but it didn't. I tried to take up trumpet in school, around 4th grade or so, and the teacher was horrible and guess what happened before the end of the year; budget cuts lead to the loss of the music program.
It wasn't until I was a teen with an off the books part time job and an allowance when I could finally dive in to learning music by buying a guitar, and its been a passion ever since. I was never classically trained, nor formely trained for that matter since i taught myself, but its still an awesome thing to learn. Having young kids learn ANYTHING, even appreciation of music is a phenominal thing. For all we know some sort of prodigy could be sitting in a classroom right now, in a school with no music program and no other means to spark that fire inside him/her.
Here's the thing: I WAS a musician back in school for 7 years through 2 choir programs (veteran Madrigal, thank you very much), and I see very little in Wii Music that properly teaches anything about Musical Theory. I absolutely agree with the concept of bringing a fun interactive musical experience into the classroom to raise the next generation of musicians. I just don't think Wii Music is that program from everything I've seen of it.
Back in school the instruments we were handed for learning were mostly those musical sticks that you clang together rythmically so the lack of having to play different notes isn't different from before. Wii Music still requires rythm and that's all the school wants to teach. I know I might have been more interested in that stuff if we used virtual instruments that then play a melody instead of those stupid sticks and maybe today I wouldn't have a total lack of rythm feeling.
Man, kids these days get so many cool gadgets and doodads to play with whilst in school. All we ever got were rocks, which the other kids would always throw at me...
Man, kids these days get so many cool gadgets and doodads to play with whilst in school. All we ever got were rocks, which the other kids would always throw at me...
yeah i know what you mean. maybe why i had so much anger and joked around so much about this was because my school gave me two sticks to play with as instruments. They were sort of like drum sticks but harder and black and you where supposed to hit each other to make a beat. I thought it sucked. So maybe i'm jealous of them deep deep down.
Anyway, being one of the few members who actually owns WiiMusic, there's alot more to learn than just rhythm. Mostly, the appreciation and admiration for talented musicians. That's the greatest listen of all.
I don't know why they are bitter. Wii Music accomplishes everything it set out to do. It's fun and it should be a success.
speaking as a music educator of students of grades k-6, i do not see an educational value of wii music. we can teach rhythm without the use of computerized tools.
one song lyric keeps coming to mind, "the more i try the less i'm alive and it seems i'm getting further away" (amos lee).
music is an ancient tradition, an ancient form of expression, communication, entertainment, etc.
music is a human thing!
computers and computerized equipment cannot replace the human element in music. there is nothing more fulfilling and gratifying than playing instruments and feeling the energy and sense of accomplishment and fun that comes along with it. it is sad to me that people are willing to trade that in for the pseudo.
good point about it helping to develop the fine and gross motor skills, but come on, we've been doing it as a human race since the beginning of time and have gotten along just fine without it so far, why integrate it now?
as far as some schools not having instruments- this is bogus. there are many household items that we recycle or throw away that could be used to make instruments. dancing and singing and body percussion is great way to teach when there is no money in the budget for instruments.
i am sickened that an association i belong to, MENC, believes this is a good thing and has agreed to integrate it into the classroom. i am saddened that MENC has decided to sell out. they have lost sight of what made us musicians in the first place. i guess people would rather not do any thinking or feeling at all anymore and just computers do it for us. our district's credo is first-hand, kinesthetic, hands-on learning. how can you have first-hand knowledge of anything if you don't fully experience it??? you cannot develop musicianship by playing wii.
in my opinion, wii music should be used sparingly in the classroom, for the purposes of fun and to reinforce the skills and musicianship and information we already teach.