Author Topic: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You  (Read 9348 times)

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Offline AV

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #25 on: January 14, 2009, 11:34:21 PM »
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.



Offline broodwars

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #26 on: January 15, 2009, 01:06:02 AM »
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.

Well, we lucked out at my school in that my High School's music departments have a very good reputation, so we often got to do a lot of cool stuff like contract out to Disney (for example, we were part of Animal Kingdom's opening ceremonies and the Candlelight Processional) and whatnot.  Sadly, outside of our work with Disney we very rarely got to work with any particularly fun music.  Curse of being in a choir program under my taskmaster of a choir director, I suppose.
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Offline EasyCure

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #27 on: January 15, 2009, 10:22:07 AM »
Lucky.

Elementary school's music classes (that were like twice a week or something) consisted of a teacher.. god i barely even remember. I do remember one woman who had a synth keyboard and changed the sound to a slap bass and played the seinfeld intro.. thats it. They just stood there and talked about music or taught us songs to sing (mainly for stupid assemblys and crap) and thats it. No one had any hands on time with a musical instrument of any sort. There was an extra carricular type program you could join, but you only met up for an hour every other day and because it was during regular school hours, so teachers would try to sneak you extra work for the time you were out of class. BS

Middle school was a little better, at least our class had instruments... even if we couldn't use them. According to our teacher the keyboards in the class were for the honor students only. It was like a cock tease. The only thing i remember learning in that class, other than who wrote the Star Spangled Banner (which i already knew) was the difference between whole/half/quarter notes and how they're written out in sheet music. Slightly helpful i suppose.

Highschool wasn't much different. We didn't have music as an class you could elect to take, so i never even stepped foot in the music rooms. If i did though, the instruments were only for the honor students and they were requiered to be in the school band. Lame. By then though i already had my guitar so whatever.


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Offline Kairon

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #28 on: January 15, 2009, 04:48:53 PM »
Dear god, you guys, that's horrible. I remember being in a middle school with next to nothing for a music program. I was lucky enough to have my own instrument, and thus get sent out of class to practice with the 2-3 other kids who owned instruments on our own (i.e. goof off). But generally most of my other schools had very competent music programs, excellent even, with really wonderful musical choices. I was lucky to have great band teachers.

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'll be joining you as soon as I scrounge together some money.
Carmine Red, Associate Editor

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Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #29 on: January 15, 2009, 11:53:06 PM »
For those saying Wii Music was a flop...

http://wii.ign.com/articles/945/945586p1.html

Hah, I just love how they bitterly admit they failed to "warn" the world.
Pedro Hernandez
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Offline Stogi

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #30 on: January 16, 2009, 12:56:07 AM »
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.
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Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #31 on: January 16, 2009, 01:03:44 AM »
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.

Because they (and by they I mean Matt) were trying hard to see if the backlash would be strong enough in order to prove Nintendo that there wasn't a market for Wii Music.

Funny enough, it seemed to be working during its initial release, but word of mouth along with Wii Music communities trading music videos pushed it into success.
Pedro Hernandez
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Offline KDR_11k

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #32 on: January 16, 2009, 04:36:55 AM »
Yeah, IGN has failed but it's not because they didn't destroy the sales for Wii Music.

Offline jupiterjoveandme

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #33 on: January 16, 2009, 01:26:22 PM »
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.

Offline NinGurl69 *huggles

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #34 on: January 16, 2009, 01:47:28 PM »
"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."

Agreed.

"speaking as a music educator of students of grades k-6, i do not see an educational value of wii music."

Wait a sec.
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Offline KDR_11k

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #35 on: January 16, 2009, 01:52:37 PM »
Yeah but if you try to teach me rythm with stupid wooden sticks it's no wonder that I'm going to goof off and not even try to hit the rythm. Those things were so horribly lame they permanently scared me away from playing instruments and now I can't even play something like Step Aerobic in Wii Fit without falling out of the rythm regularly. In a later music lesson where we were told to improvise my teacher said I had "my very own rythm" because even when I started with the same rate as the other students I'd quickly drift out of the rythm and into some other random rate. Sure, nothing can replace hands-on learning (though I don't see much difference between a wiimote and a stupid stick when it comes to learning) but a bad approach can prevent the hands-on learning and I suppose they hope that using Wii Music will make pupils more willing to participate.

As for the "we've been fine so far" argument, we've been surviving before penicillin too but that doesn't mean we should reject it.

Offline NinGurl69 *huggles

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #36 on: January 16, 2009, 01:56:36 PM »
I've had about 2 music lessons in my entire 27yr lifetime, back in 3rd grade.  Probably no more than 2 hours were spent total.  We all got recorders, and just made random noise.  What a disaster.

To all of you who got real music lessons as part of some standard curriculum, I said wow.
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Offline NWR_pap64

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #37 on: January 16, 2009, 02:09:02 PM »
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.

By your logic, a book, a computer, a piece of paper, a pencil, a toy or ANY TEACHING MATERIAL does not have educational value.

Like I said earlier, the one that puts the value into the material is the teacher. Maybe you were taught different, but in my case we were told to try and innovate with whatever we could find because the power lies in how the teacher uses that to his or her advantage. So Wii Music can either be a failure or a success. Once more, its how the teacher uses it on his class.

Also, you say that music is a wonderful expression of the soul, yet you belittle Wii Music's own way of musical expression. Yes, no mechanical object can replace actually doing it, but if you go online and watch videos you will see that people have done some great compositions and remixes, some never seen before.

Wii Music might be simple, but its still an expression that has just as much value  as any other form of art. People do create songs electronically. The important thing is that it connect to the person's heart, whether it be a rousing symphonic or even the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song from "Ren and Stimpy".

Its sad that you talk about expression, yet denote one form of it simply because you don't agree with it. Talk about a double standard...
Pedro Hernandez
NWR Staff Writer

Offline MaleficentOgre

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #38 on: January 16, 2009, 06:11:51 PM »
music is being taken out of schools. that's a fact I'm seeing this. Putting wii music into places so that kids will at least be able to get some appreciation for music in a school environment is good. That's all there is to it. You can be all high and mighty about doing things the old way with sticks and coke bottles, but that only works in supportive systems.That's a good accompaniment to an actual music class of some sort. With a music teacher. and time. Not in a place where any class that doesn't make standardized test scores go up is eliminated and those teachers sent elsewhere or forced to do something else.

Offline EasyCure

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #39 on: January 16, 2009, 09:40:55 PM »
My school(s) never even gave me sticks to teach rythm...

Anyway I agree with Pap. The most memorable teachers were always the ones that were unorthodox. Pap wins again. Fatality.
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Offline Kairon

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #40 on: January 16, 2009, 10:24:31 PM »
Wii Music's virtual environment helps, but I've had some wonderful experiences in music classes without needing instruments. In sixth grade our music teacher taught us to sing ABBA's "Super Trooper" and "Memories" ... that was awesome.
Carmine Red, Associate Editor

A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Sega and her Mashiro.

Offline Mario

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #41 on: January 22, 2009, 07:34:33 PM »
Fantastic news. This game can teach stuff classical repetition and endless scales can NOT teach, and the most important thing is that it wont bore kids to death, resulting in much more productive learning. A good proper teacher can also use their OWN lessons on top of this, for a complete music tutorial. Perfection.

Offline Jonnyboy117

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Re: Wii Music Coming to a Classroom Near You
« Reply #42 on: January 22, 2009, 09:01:24 PM »
This is what Wii Music was best suited for all along.  I think the kids will have a blast with it.
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