Allegro Multimedia's Piano Wizard
PIANO WIZARD from Allegro Multimedia (www.pianowizard.com) combines the fun of a video game with the fundamentals of piano lessons, allowing users to play songs while learning musical logic, theory, and notation through game-play. Piano Wizard uses a proprietary computer game engine along with a color-coded piano keyboard that teaches kids how to simply and quickly hit the correct note at the correct time. Users can change speed, instrument sounds, and skill level, as well as choose from four different fantasy worlds to play in. And with the Piano Wizard Premier software, users can download and play any MIDI song from their favorite artists. The game’s beginner level is intended to teach students of all ages how to play the piano, while its advanced mode can challenge and stimulate even the most seasoned pianist. Price: $199.95, which includes Piano Wizard Premier software, the M-Audio 49e MIDI piano keyboard, USB cable to connect to a Windows PC, and colored stickers for the piano keys.
This article originally appeared in the 02/01/2006 issue of THE Journal.