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Below we provide brief summaries of our reviews of various software packages.
Currently, we only review IBM-PC compatible programs. Most such programs written for
Windows have nearly identical versions for the Macintosh, so our reviews should also be
valuable for Macintosh users. We strongly encourage you to read the in-depth
reviews of these software packages, as a summary or a numerical rating can do limited
justice to the software. This is particularly true if your needs are special or unusual.
To go to the full review, just click on the "Full Review"
link. To aid in finding specific types of software, we have classified the packages into
six categories below, based on our perceptions of their major features. However, many of
the packages have multiple functions, so if you don't find a program that interests you in
a particular category, check the summaries of the other programs.
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(see note above)
Review Summary of:
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Programs by Type
Review Summary of:
- EZPNO (DOS shareware) (¶)
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Review Summary of:
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Review Summary of:
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For the most part, teachers, students, and casual music fans alike aren't likely to
appreciate the features of EZPNO because they'll be lost in the frustration of trying to
access and use its features. The manufacturer might refine the defaults and features of
one of its functions - sight reading, importing MIDI files, OR writing notation - to
achieve an improved level of usability.
 Kids Piano Discovery (¶)
Kids Piano Discovery is a wonderful piano learning
program for young children (ages 6-12). Kids Piano Discovery employs the same
practice philosophies and techniques (including use of the metronome, slow practice
progressing up to top speed, hands separate practice) and the same basic course of study
as its big brother, the Piano Discovery System. It retains the approach and
pedagogical soundness of the other Piano Discovery System versions that we have
examined, but presents the information in a manner which is more familiar and fun for
young children.
Miracle Piano Teaching System (¶)
The Miracle Piano Teaching System is geared for beginning students of all ages.
We have used the Miracle Piano Teaching System in a studio environment for almost
two years with adults and children alike and found it to be a solid adjunct to formal
teaching, although some older children and adults may ultimately tire of the games and
slick graphics used. That aside, this is a valuable teaching tool for home and studio
use, despite some limitations in the area of music theory.
Music Lab (¶)
Music Lab has all the right ideas for acclimating music students to ear
training and notational exercises. NAMES, where you'll try your hand at relative
pitch, is but one of eight varieties of exercises available through this program. Any
music teacher who's ever pleaded with students to "Count!" will appreciate the
PLAY section, which has you tapping rhythms of phrases notated on-screen. Although the
graphics in this DOS-based program are plain, the content will prove useful in any music
lab.
 MusicLAB Melody (¶)
MusicLAB Melody is a nice program for teaching ear-training to students, but,
along with some very well done exercises, there are some that are far too difficult for
the average student to use with the default program settings. All options that involve
pitch use solfege, i.e. Do, Re, Mi, etc. The rhythm and ear-training
aspects of MusicLAB Melody are very well done, but the parts of the program which
involve singing into a microphone may be too difficult for the average studio or home
user, at least with the program's default settings. MusicLAB Melody looks
utilitarian on-screen, reflecting the fact that the program was designed for ages 8-Adult.
Musicware Piano (¶)
Musicware Piano teaches note recognition, interval recognition, counting,
musical terms, correct posture at the keyboard, and, in a particularly welcome feature,
stresses sight reading from the beginning. The program does a thorough and
pedagogically sound job of teaching note reading, intervallic relationships, and counting
challenges. If your goal is to learn to play the piano correctly from the start, and
you want a package that will grow with you as your knowledge and skills develop, you can't
go wrong with Musicware Piano.
The Pianist is a music education and enjoyment program which
provides high quality professional recordings of over 200 classical piano pieces in MIDI
format, along with database-like functions which allow the user to select the music by
genre, composer, or "feel" and learn about it and the composer as he listens to
it. The Pianist also has program notes for each work, accurate biographies and
pictures of the composers, a good music dictionary, a Music Trivia Game, and a "Guess
the Song" game. These features make the program educational and fun, as well as
musically satisfying. The Pianist is a joy, even if you only listen to the music
and set aside its educational value.
Piano Discovery System, Version 2 (¶)
Jump! Music has obtained the rights to the Miracle and performed a welcome and thorough
update on both the hardware and the software. The result is the Piano Discovery System.
More than just an update, the Piano Discovery System builds on the solid pedagogy
of the Miracle and adds new features that take advantage of the greater power of today's
computers. Teachers, parents, and students will find a lot to like in the Piano
Discovery System.
Piano Discovery System, Version 3 (¶)
The Piano Discovery System remains pedagogically sound and in the
same basic format as version 2 (REVIEW!). This new CD-ROM version
expands the content from the 2.0 version and is much more interactive. The graphics and
animation are more colorful and exciting. Video clips add a new dimension for students to
watch in a frame by frame process or in real time. These features help make this
version one you would want to upgrade to, or one you should strongly consider buying if
you don’t already own it.
Piano Suite, Version 1.0
Our goal on The Piano Education Page is to provide thorough, fair and
unbiased reviews of music education-related products. Unfortunately, a software
manufacturer, Adventus Corporation, took serious
issue with our reviews of its Piano Suite software. We extended to Adventus numerous
opportunities to examine our reviews of Piano Suite and to point out any factual
inaccuracies in them before we published the reviews. Adventus availed itself of those
opportunities multiple times, but persisted in its complaints. Adventus threatened to sue
our former server operator over the reviews. Since then, we have changed server operators.
We have concluded that it will be impossible for us to satisfy Adventus that our reviews
are, indeed, thorough, fair and unbiased, or to provide forthright reviews of Piano Suite
without continuing complaints and threats of legal action. Accordingly, we have removed
all Piano Suite reviews from The Piano Education Page. We will continue to provide
thoughtful, candid reviews, as we have in the past, except as regards Piano Suite or any
other Adventus products. We will no longer review any of those products. We regret any
inconvenience this may cause our visitors, but we trust you will understand. We appreciate
your support.
The Musical World of Professor Piccolo (¶)
The Musical World of Professor Piccolo is a fun,
educational, interactive adventure for students ages eight to adult. Professor Piccolo offers
musical performances, a self-paced interactive music theory course, and graphics with some
limited animation. It is also a well thought out music appreciation course in Rock, Jazz
and Symphonic music. This CD-ROM program serves as a terrific tool in helping to teach
many fundamental musical skills and concepts.
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