In an effort to boost interest in music among kids, Nintendo is partnering with The National Association for Music Education to bring Wii Music to classrooms across America.
The collaboration will bring Wii Music to schools in 51 cities, with the goal not being to teach kids exactly how to play music, but simply to get them interested and engaging them with some key educational concepts. “The goal of Wii Music is to inspire people of all ages to enjoy music,” Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo’s vice president of sales and marketing, said. “By partnering with educators and bringing Wii Music into their classrooms, we hope to give students a memorable, hands-on experience that helps them discover their own creative voice.”
So far it seems to be working, and not just with the kids, either. “Wii Music has brought a renewed excitement to music class for students from first grade to fifth, myself and even some of the classroom teachers,” Helen A. Krofchick, a music teacher in South Carolina, said. “I love how many music standards can be covered in such a short time. Students also have to use language skills, spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination…any system that is educational and can add a love of music to children’s lives should be in every classroom.”
One fifth grade afternoon I remember my teacher lugging in a dozen plastic boxes into the classroom. We were all excited to see what was inside, but guess what was in there when he opened them up? Recorders. Sure, they taught us the basics of music, but they were b-o-r-i-n-g. Now, imagine being a kid in one of these schools, and your music teacher comes to class with a Wii. I can see why this program would be a success: involve kids in something they’re already excited about and they won’t even realize they’re learning.
