Your arrogance is unbelievable. Your product may be spreading around the world now, but if you continue to portray yourself like this in a public arena, word WILL spread about this too, your sales will drop, and less people will learn about this “wonderful science”. If your product is so great then yes we will be missing out - but what a shame after all the hard work you put into it. I also read your new “book” with much interest. In this book you talk about your passion for changing music education, yet here in this forum you tell us you don’t care if we use your methods or not. You are obviously not as dedicated to your cause as you make out.
My hard work was invested in research - not commercial bamboozling.
People will value that and I can be as bad as I am, because my conscious is clear and I don’t have to kiss anybody’s butt to prove anything
So you think you’re above us all that you don’t have to show any professional courtesy, or even human courtesy?
Again to Chris, I commend how you continue to present yourself on this forum and don’t resort to counterattacking - you obviously don’t need to!
I have a question about both these methods - is there a version that can be used in “traditional” piano lessons? I’m interested in the methods to learn to read but wondering if you have books you can buy rather than having to get the whole midi system?
Fludo,
There is no “book” system for Piano Wizard Academy that does not include the software. The interactivity, feedback, and ability to vary the interfaces is at the heart of the advantages of the system, plus it is structured like a game so the kids like to practice. By using MIDI, you also can use virtually any digital keyboard and thousands and thousands of MIDI files are online to download into the game, so it is actually a huge advantage. What we tried to do was leverage the advantages of both software and human interaction, with the Piano Wizard Academy, so rather than just a game, we added a 100 song curriculum, 50 video lessons (guides for the parents) of the first 50 songs in the curriculum and the sheet music. This curriculum was created by Don and Delayna Beattie, and they have about 50 years of piano pedagogy experience between the two of them, and would never be involved in something that they did not believe in wholeheartedly. I have posted videos of them elsewhere you can find. You must understand, Don and Delayna were already successful, innovative and inspiring teachers before they ever got involved on the curriculum side, but they saw a new value the game could bring that their years of teaching, an area they like most teachers had always struggled with, the twin devils of reading music notation and student practice away from the class.
Again, in two years of group piano classes with no prior music experience, Don had me playing Bach fugues, decades before we ever developed the game or collaborated on the Academy curriculum and videos. He was already a genius level instructor fresh out of college, and I just ate it up, and he changed my life. His approach, attitude, commitment all inspired me and led eventually to me creating this game to better address an area I had never mastered, reading music notation. To have him years later rejoin me later and collaborate to complement the game’s strengths with his and Delayna’s depth of practical piano teaching instruction was a kind of miracle and perfect circle for me. So while I have only my own tortured (other music teachers) and unique (Don Beattie) music and language learning experiences to draw from,( that ultimately inspired the game), I also have decades of Don and Delayna’s teaching experience embedded in the Academy curriculum and videos, and that is why it works together so well.
A longer answer than perhaps you were looking for, but I wanted to give some depth to the conversation and share my experience with Don and Delayna, and give some idea what they bring to the table. It is also why I am so pleased they will be participating in the bonus monthly teleseminars for Brillkids customers, so people can get to know them live. This is another way we try and complement the strengths of the game and learning system with real teachers you can touch base with and consult while your family learns. I guarantee you will fall in love with them both.
Thanks
Chris
I actually had a similar question about combining both a software program, as well as keeping my son in traditional lessons. Might it hinder him in some way or will it make the traditional lessons more worth while? Thanks in advance. I would appreciate answers from either side, so long as it doesn’t include product bashing.
RenaissanceMum,
The challenges with traditional lessons are that even if you have a great teacher, will they practice? And if they do, how do they know they are hitting the right notes at the right time? That is where a software solution can help, it can make the practice fun, or at least give them some sense of accuracy and progress. We designed our system to be used by parents, non-music educators and piano teachers, in that order of priority. What I mean by that is we wanted to empower people to be able to move forward without being an expert. That being said, we put extensive notes next to every song for music teachers to reference so they can “get” the particulars of that lesson without watching the whole video. Finally, the use of MIDI means that many, if not most other piano methods can be found or come with MIDI files, and so songs your music teacher chooses can be put in the game and practiced at home as well as using the curriculum that came with the Piano Wizard Academy.
Some of this will depend on the teacher you choose or have, are they flexible, open? If so, they will likely embrace the technology’s advantages and complement the product with things only a human being can teach, i.e., the art of music, which is what they really trained for and want to teach anyway. If they are rigid and/or PC phobic, they may not leverage the game explicitly, but your child can always search for songs himself as well, or just use the game to learn and practice in parallel. Time on the instrument is key, and so anything that gets them practicing is a huge difference maker. I believe we learn “holistically” in other words, there is no one “conveyer belt” of learning that fils in all the blanks, we actually learn in many ways, and those complement each other to give a more complete 3 dimensional (or 8 dimensional) understanding of the thing we are learning. For example, singing teaches us things, that finger exercises cannot, improvising gives depth to performance of written music (Bach and Beethoven were famous improvisors) etc.
Short answer is, yes, you can do both, and no, it will not “hurt”. The most hurtful experiences in music are not different approaches, but judgment that makes people feel small and inadequate and want to quit. That can come from the teacher, from siblings, parents, friends, and music is a delicate flower in most people that needs some protection from that, especially early on. That can come with any approach, it comes from people not usually the actual educational angle, and I urge you to cultivate an environment where experimentation and the freedom to make mistakes and express themselves without ridicule is encouraged and appreciated. Even though we were young adults in Don’s group piano classes in college, I remember him making sure the classroom was a sacred place, a sanctuary for us to be free to express ourselves and explore.
Good luck!
Chris
Thanks Chris for your in depth replies - it’s most appreciated. I have a few more questions if that’s ok. (I am a piano teacher but am mostly interested in this at the moment for my 2 year old daughter).
To what level does the game go up to? I understand you gradually switch over to the standard music notation - how long does that process normally take, and what level of playing are the students up to when that happens? I understand it will depend on a lot of things, including the child’s age when starting.
Thanks again.
Fiudo,
Because there are a lot of questions about age, I am reposting some earlier replies, with some modifications for you.
At what age do most children start using your program?
CHRIS- We do not advertise because developmental issues are so variable at that age, but we have had two year olds play the game fine, IF they know their colors. Sometimes the game is a fun way to learn them. That being said, there is a “Free Play” mode that we use with even new borns, where whatever they bang on the keyboard produces colored game objects, but this is mainly to get them associating music with play with the parents, and again, to help play to learn their colors. It sounds like she is either ready or will be shortly, in weeks or months. For me this is exciting because it is in the formative stages of the brain, and we know music helps connect those synapses so well. You may not be able to move to the next levels or off the game entirely as fast, but she can learn songs on levels 1 and 2 and go back to levels 3 and 4 and off the game later. Learning the songs and playing is one thing, that develops the brain, but learning to associate music notation with what she knows is the first stage to full literacy. Make sense? Can’t hurt and she will only have fun. My daughter was 2 when we got the first prototype, and I witnessed her move from 2 colors (“I just like pink daddy”) to the full range of colors and keyboard on a single song. She was helping me play Pachebel’s Canon in D, (just pink and brown daddy, to help you) and I got busy and she didn’t want to stop, so I watched, and she suddenly “got” the keyboard and moved to the next color, the next, etc. I slowed down the tempo and watched her move from 12% correct (just two colors) to 87% correct in one session. Those moments are magical, it is like you see their brain and consciousness grow before your eyes, when they connect the dots. So basically I would say give it a go, if she is not ready yet sounds like she will be there soon, and you can learn the colors together with the game.
Do you think my daughter, with her little toddler fingers, would be able to use this keyboard with PW? Or should we get a child-sized keyboard first so that it won’t be too difficult for her to press the keys?
CHRIS- We used to sell a smaller “mini-keys” size keyboard, but the kids always want to play on a “real” size keyboard after like a month, so the full size keys will be fine. It is actually easier for them to find the larger keys, and the early fingering is for little hands on full size keys, so no problem. In the Piano Wizard game play mode the pressure on the keys is not important, but in Free Play she may need to play hard to hear it.
In your (or Don’s) experience, how long does it usually take a child to transition to reading normal sheet music? How about an adult?
CHRIS- OK, this can vary, but in any case far faster than normal traditional lessons. Kids do best, then athletes (quick reactions, hand eye coordination) then adults, then musicians (to much thinking at first, they are translating while they play, but after they get the hang of it the zoom past the others) then some seniors who have minor motor and coordination issues. THEY ALL SUCCEED, but at different rates, and require different kinds of coaching or encouragement, perhaps just a different pace or tempo. We try and create an environment of fun and not competition, and that works wonders. As for your daughter, as I said above, she may hold back from moving to the sheet music or notation stages, or may astonish you. I had a 3 year old demoing the game for her parents, and she got to level 3 no problem, (color coded notes) and I figured that was that. I then just showed the parents the options of showing the note names and she blurted out “ABC!” I asked if she knew her ABCs and she did, and we took her to level 4 with no colors, just black notes with the letter names, and she did great. We were all stunned, because this was 15-20 minutes from zero, i.e., it was her first time with the game.
How do you move the children through the different levels off the game to reading sheet music?
CHRIS- This is where the simple star stickers come in. They want to please, and when you actually take the star stickers and reward them for level 1, then level 2 (on the sheet music page) they now WANT to get another star. Again, we circle back if they get tired or frustrated at any level, and try it again, holding out the reward and encouraging them to try. A GREAT technique is to simply do the next level and ask for “help”, i.e., left hand, right hand, or even just one key, that gets them seeing it is not tough at all, and soon they are kicking you off, saying you are “messing me up” . … Again, when you treat it like another level of the game (Can we get to 5 stars?) they go with it. I made the mistake of telling my son I would give him a dollar for each song he would learn on all four levels. In one week I owned him 16 dollars, and he was 10! My wife complained, but it showed what he could and would do! So be creative, but they absolutely will play more and longer if you play with them and listen, and encourage and reward them. Not hard to understand, but with the game, you actually CAN, and that is very cool to experience new music with your kids.
Hope this answered your questions and more. A 2 year old’s development can very widely with no reason for concern, (especially if more than one language is spoken in the home), but exactly because their minds are developing so rapidly we think it is a great time to introduce music, and they will surprise you how quickly they “get it”.
Thanks
Chris
Thanks again Chris! You’ve given me lots to think about. My daughter knows her colours and most of her letters so sounds like she’d be ready to give it a go!
Thanks Chris! One more quick question (again, to either, just no product bashing), I have a full keyboard, will the software adapt to that or will it still be concentrated as if playing on a smaller keyboard? The teacher would prefer not using software for at least 4 months, but I really want my son to advance so that he can move past the remedial piano stuff, which is why I am considering supplementing with software. Thanks.
RenaissanceMum,
Sorry your piano teacher feels that way, but it is not uncommon, plus they usually are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable with computer software, and certainly usually don’t know Piano Wizard Academy.
As for the keyboard size, we have two ways to set that. One is the set up wizard in the opening menu, which asks you to play the lowest key and highest key on the keyboard, so it can “measure” the size of your keyboard (it goes from 1 to 7 octaves), then it defaults to the same size “visual keyboard” for the game. In other words, if I have a 4 octave C to C keyboard like the M-Audio we ship with most units, it will detect the range to be 49 keys (4 x 12 keys per octave, then 1 more to double the starting note of the last octave), and it will set the display keyboard to the same size. However, many times you want to see a different size keyboard than you physically have, either to zoom in and make the game objects larger (less keys, more room for each key, bigger on screen keys and game objects) or zoom back and see the 4 octaves in the context of a larger keyboard view (active keyboard range is highlighted, the keys outside of your actual range are grayed out.
ALL of this can be reset and played with once you click on Premier Mode and go to the Keyboard Tab. From there just click on Help and it will walk you through the various options.
So, you can just choose to input 3 (F to F) octaves, 4 (C to C) octaves on your full size keyboard, and it will just show that range in the game play as active, and match the visual display to that.
Again, a long explanation, much easier to understand looking at the help files or video demos of Keyboard Set up,
but the answer is the keyboard sizes are completely adjustable to fit your needs and keyboard.
Thanks
Chris
It sounds so much like teachers telling parents that we should not teach our babies to read… lol
As Chris noted, it’s natural that many teachers would say that, for many reasons which I won’t go into.
To me, there is benefit to every method, and I see doing multiple methods as doing far more good than harm. The key is really to get them to enjoy their piano lessons and want to play more. I’m very confident that most (if not all!) children would find PW to be much more enjoyable than traditional piano lessons!
(BTW, having been trained the ‘traditional’ way myself, I’m not a very big fan of that method at all…)
Thanks so much for your thorough answer Chris! @ KL I guess when you put it like that, the notion sounds utterly ridiculous. If he is capable of learning at a faster pace with software that will engage him, then so be it.
Dear Chris,
I have my own keyboard - model Casio Pixma, is it compatible with the PW software? My daughter in 17 mths now and i just took out the keyboard to let her play with it and she seems to enjoy it. My only concern is whether she can sit still to go thru the lessons? Are they too young to start?
Appreciate your feedback, thanks!
Audrey
Audrey,
I tried to look up the “Casio Pixma” online and there is only a Canon printer by that name I could find. The main thing is, is it MIDI compatible? Most keyboards costing about $100 or more are, and you will find it written somewhere on the keyboard (“MIDI”). If you find the name of your keyboard is different, look it up online to see in the specs if it is MIDI compatible. If it is, it will work. You may need a special USB/MIDI cable if it is older and still has “MIDI” ports (penny sized round input holes in the back is a clue) but most keyboards now use regular printer style USB cables.
The game can be played by anyone that knows their colors. As for your 17 month 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 just 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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY5LYuaBZl4&NR=1
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
Dear Chris,
Thanks for your almost immediate response to my quiries 
I think ill have another look and copy down the model no instead.
How old is JD in the video? It is inspiring
Claire does well concentration on her Reading and Math programmes so am excited to start her on something new. She surprises me everyday with new words
Audrey
Audrey,
I just found “JD” online last night, it says he is 2 and this was his first song at the game. They are sponges at this age, but what you see on the video I have seen many times. As I said in other parts of the forum, we do not advertise below 3 because developmentally kids are all over the map, and you don’t want people to feel bad if their kids cannot do it. There can be a lot of difference between 2 and 3 that is perfectly normal, and parenting is tough enough without putting pressure on ourselves or them to be better, faster quicker at everything. That being said, the cognitive development is both somewhat independent of age and subject to stimulation and influence, which most parents on this forum know. (Stimulation is one thing, pressure and anxiety another, we are for the former, soft styles of engagement and encouragement.) Because we have the Free Play mode that can engage even babies on their parents lap, and such simple ways to start the game with means of controlling and slowing things down, we feel that the issue is “doses” of music, in other words, through gameplay, a child may gradually involve themselves deeper and deeper into the music, most of this happening subconsciously. Actually, I believe even learning basic things like letters and colors can and usually are experienced by a child as “play”, i.e., they are modeling and engaging in a game of call and response, seeking your smile as a reward for connecting the dots in their heads, as well as the pure joy of discovery for its own sake. We just wanted to emulate those common language and modeling interactions and learnings in a musical and still playful environment.
If you get the game, please share your experiences and joys with us online as well!
Thanks,
Chris
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.
Here is a video, how to teach your child Fundaments of Solfegio
Sorry but this is awful! Is this Helene from doremifasoft?
The first part of the video the child is learning the notes in order which is fine but it’s better to start with learning just a few sounds - usually mi and so, then adding in la.
But the last part is just plain incorrect. She’s singing the notes starting on re but using the SOUNDS as if she’s starting on do! REALLY BAD, WILL STUFF UP ANY ATTEMPT AT EAR TRAINING!!!
Please, those of you with no musical knowledge, be very careful what resources you use to teach your kids!