There are some pieces of software that almost fail to get reviewed because the reviewer can't tear themself away from the programme. One such is Music Ace (Windows/Mac, CD Rom, Harmonic Vision, 25.49). Marketed in the UK by Guildsoft (01752 895 100), this well-thought-out programme was designed at the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, as a means of imparting basic musical understanding. The box announces an age range of eight years and upwards, but, taken slowly, and with plenty of adult help, many of the lessons could easily be managed by children of five or six. The accompanying booklet makes it clear that the software is intended to be an adjunct to conventional music lessons, not a substitute. The programme should prove a boon to music teachers, because it manages to make an enjoyable exercise out of the repetition essential to learning such things as the positions of the notes on the stave. It also addresses the vital, but frequently overlooked, skills of listening and pitch differentiation. Children often embark on learning to play an instrument before getting a good hold of these fundamentals, with the result that they soon get disheartened.
There are some pieces of software that almost fail to get reviewed because the reviewer can't tear themself away from the programme. One such is Music Ace (Windows/Mac, CD Rom, Harmonic Vision, 25.49). Marketed in the UK by Guildsoft (01752 895 100), this well-thought-out programme was designed at the Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, as a means of imparting basic musical understanding. The box announces an age range of eight years and upwards, but, taken slowly, and with plenty of adult help, many of the lessons could easily be managed by children of five or six.
The accompanying booklet makes it clear that the software is intended to be an adjunct to conventional music lessons, not a substitute. The programme should prove a boon to music teachers, because it manages to make an enjoyable exercise out of the repetition essential to learning such things as the positions of the notes on the stave. It also addresses the vital, but frequently overlooked, skills of listening and pitch differentiation. Children often embark on learning to play an instrument before getting a good hold of these fundamentals, with the result that they soon get disheartened.
Much of Music Ace's appeal derives from its on-screen teacher Maestro Max. Max is firm but fair, instructing briskly both in sound and in text bubbles. When you get things right, the notes grin and Max heaps on the praise; when you're wrong he just tells you to 'try again'.
Each of the 24 interactive lessons is followed by a consolidating game, and each activity is preceded by a short excerpt from a classical piece. The pieces are properly named - opus numbers and all - a feature which exemplifies the programme's ability to make serious music fun without trivialising it.
