NoteWorks Note Reading Game
This music education app review is for: NoteWorks
only available for iPad at the time of this review.
Kid/Student Ratings: ****4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: *****5/5
Educational Value: Excellent +
Price: $4.99
Recommended: 5 – 11 years (and older players who want to have some fun)
Skills Developed: Note Reading, Note Reading, Note Reading ALL Clefs!!
App Tested on iPad (available for both iPhone and iPad)
Good Stuff about this music ed app: First off, might I say that one can never have enough “learn-your-notes” apps. Seriously. This is just another really, really great one.
Players begin by creating their own profile which allows them to decide if they want to play in ABC, Do Re Mi, or keyboard mode. Then (this is the most awesome part) they get to choose which clef; treble, alto, grand, tenor, bass. You have to admit that’s pretty fancy! Finally, something for the violas, saxophones and trombone (etc) learners. Way to go, developers!
Thee cutest little munchy creature bops out on the screen to get ready to swallow the notes players identify correctly as they come from the note-making factory- scrolling across the screen at a speed YOU get to designate. I am a fan of great sound-effects, and it seems as if there are a bunch of them in this app. Crunch, Munch. :)
Our Wish List: The developers contacted me and let me know that a new version with a bigger keyboard would be in the next update- which is a good thing because within about 30 seconds of playing this app, my first tester came to me and said, “They need to make these keys bigger – my fingers are too fat.” SO glad to know that these developers are right on top of their game and excited to make this app usable and fun (not to mention notably educational). Also, some other feedback I received was that the kids wished there was some sort of indication that they were moving on to a new level. They were expecting some excitement after passing each screen.
My Love: I want to spread the word to the whole wide world that a FUN app with the alto and tenor clefs is here (not to mention the other clefs). Can you hear me singing “Come-And-Get-It!” Love, Love Love.
Summary: All-in-all we feel you should throw away your flash cards… especially if you are a music teacher. Kids will try harder, last longer, and learn more playing this app. Get. It. For. Your. Teaching. Studios. Now.
Purchase NoteWorks on iTunes now for iPad for: $4.99
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought! Thanks – Rebecca
Read MoreMusic App Review Here It, Note It
This music education app review is for: Piano Sight Reading HD
Kid/Student Ratings: ***3/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ****4/5
Educational Value: Excellent +
Price: $1.99
Recommended: 7 years and up
Skills Developed: Dictation. Be able to place correct notes with counting on staff after hearing the sequence first.
App Tested on iPad (available for both iPhone and iPad)
Good Stuff about this music ed app: I was so happy to hear of this app! I don’t believe there is anything else like it out there. If any of you have ever had to take a dictation class, you’ll love to know that practicing identifying the correct notes with the correct counting has now been made mobile, and in fun form!
In this app you get to listen to the piano play a given sequence of notes. Then, your job is to place the correct notes on the staff WITH the correct counting. When you think you have it right, tap the play button and you’ll get to find out if your musical IQ has increased or decreased. It’s really pretty great.
The students I tested this app with ranged in age from 7 through 20. I’ll be honest, the 7 years olds weren’t thrilled to play for very long, but the older they were the more they were determined to get their IQ higher and higher.
Dictation class in college can be kind of daunting for many students. I’d say this app is a great solution and confidence booster. Play it all month and watch your scores soar!
Our Wish List: I’m not really familiar with IQ numbers so I didn’t know what number I was shooting for while playing this app. It made it hard for me to be motivated to hit a certain number. While this app is really great, it’s a little dry. We felt there needed to be more visual or aural notice that you had completed a round successfully or not. The younger kids especially could not discern if they had truly achieved a right or wrong answer even though you can watch the number change. We think with a little more noise the student rating would have been much higher.
My Love: We really liked how much exposure and control this app gives a player when placing their note on the staff. You get to tap it and it will change from a quarter note to any other type of note you choose, for example. Also, we just plain love that there is a fun way to practice notation from hearing only an aural example. What a great app!! What a great teaching tool!! Good idea, developers!
Summary: All-in-all we feel the skills practiced in this fun app shouldn’t be passed over. Most learning musicians will benefit greatly from working on their musical IQ while playing Hear It, Note It!. It really has a perfect place in the high-tech musical learning world.
**Note that this app was developed by the same team that created one of my all time favorite apps “My Note Games“. It was one of my very first reviews. Loads of updates since then.. it’s gotten even better than it was before! LOVE IT. See “My Note Games” review here. And, listen to the podcast as well. It’s kind of fun to hear the voice behind the app! :)
Purchase Hear It, Note It! on iTunes now for iPad for: $1.99
Purchase Hear It, Note It! on iTunes now for iPhone/Pod for: $1.99
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought! Thanks – Rebecca
Read MoreThe House on Melody Street Music Ed App Book
This review is for: The House on Melody Street
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $0.99
Age Recommended: 2 – 9
Skills Developed: Interactive book introducing orchestra instruments and their sounds
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this music ed app: As a music teacher of some young ones, I find these interactive books really great for group class. The music presented in this app is high quality and the kid narrator is quite excellent. What a great example for our youngsters! These characters are the same ones in the really great app review I did a few weeks ago on Mozart Interactive. If you haven’t seen it yet, you really should. The graphics are the best I have ever seen for an app so far!
As you flip through the book you see different music characters introduced one at a time, but they all live in the same house and play in a different key – soooo, you can tell the other chapters are going to be fun to see how it all works out.
Our Wish List: ”The House on Melody Street” includes chapter 1 only with notice that the other chapters are coming soon. I wonder what “soon” means…
My Love: The musical score for this app is really very high quality. The developing team behind this app really knows their music. All characters are played by real instruments and that makes my heart sing!
Summary: All-in-all we think this app about the House on Melody Street is pretty neat. I love music and reading to my children, and if you do too then you’ll for sure enjoy it also.
Purchase Melody Street on iTunes for iPad for: $0.99
Purchase Melody Street on iTunes for iPhone/Pod for: $0.99
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment to let us know what you thought. Thanks! -Rebecca
Read MoreApp for Music Education Mozart Interactive
This review is for: Mozart Interactive
Kid/Student Ratings: ***** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
FREE
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $ Free
Age Recommended: 2 – 12 years
Skills Developed: Listening Repetition and Interaction
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this app: Mozart’s Rondo Alla Turca has never been so much fun! This tune has been running around our home for the past week now. The kids are playing it on all instruments since we have heard it so much. The visual technology of this app really gives it an edge. I felt like I was watching a new pixar movie! It really is very engaging.
The cutest 10 year old is the host of the event. He gives an outstanding performance on the piano while other animated “human-like” instruments wish to join
Read MoreMusic Ed App Irish Fiddler
This review is for: Irish Fiddler
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
$1.99
$1.99
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $1.99
Age Recommended: All ages of violin/fiddle players
Skills Developed: 3 Irish Fiddle Tunes are taught, ornamented, and put into a set
App Tested on iPad/iPhone
Good Stuff about this app: For already established violin/fiddle players, this app is a gem. The sweetest 15 year old and very accomplished Fiddler from Ireland takes you step by step through three popular Irish fiddle tunes so you can play them just as well.
Each of the tunes has 3 separate lessons and you can even print the music if you
Read MoreMusic Ed App Review for Sheet Music Direct
This review is for the music education app: Sheet Music Direct
Kid/Student Ratings: ***** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $FREE
Age Recommended: All Ages of established musicians
Skills Developed: Music Library Organizer, Key Transposer, Practice Helper
App Tested on iPad (available only on iPad)
Good Stuff about this app: Well, well my life just became easier… again. This app is really quite revolutionary. I know I’ve said that before, but these developers never cease to amaze me. Gigging musicians will flip for this app.
With this free app (yes, free- no ads), you gain an instant music library right
Read MoreMaximus Musicus
App Name: Music Maximus
Kid Tester Ratings: ***** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price: $0.99
Age Recommended: 1 and up
Skills Developed: music exploration, music appreciation, repetition skills, instrument identification, symphony orchestra introductions
App Tested on iPad/iPhone
Good Stuff about this app: How charming! This app is absolutely adorable. Maximus the mouse guides you into a wonderful world of orchestral music (performed by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra). In this app, there are several different areas to be explored including playing games with instruments such as a harp, xylophone, and piano. This app really is very appropriate for several different ages. I envision many parents using this as story time for their youngest ones (age 2-5). I also can see how much value this app would have in a school environment when exploring orchestral music. There are so many neat little tid-bits of information inside this app. I even learned that Pandora’s Box wasn’t really a box at all!
This app is designed for opening a world of orchestral music through mini-games within. There are board puzzles (with fabulous symphony orchestra music playing in the background), imitation game-play on different instruments, and more. One of the fun little games within is “Maxi’s Dream”, where Maximus is riding on a mallet (for percussion). He is dreaming of cheese and has to fly over the yellow cheese wedges. If he accidentally gets the green cheese, it says he has a tummy ache. The youngest ones really thought this was fun!
My wish list: Knowing that this game was made by real musicians, I expected all of the instrument sounds within this app to be real instruments. That is not the case in the game of “Mystery Box” where you must listen to the instrument being played and then pick the correct one. Honestly, the kids I tested this with couldn’t tell the difference between some of them since it only sounds like the octave is different (computer generated tones). Hmmm… is this a possible future upgrade? Because it would be a top of the list app if so.
My Love: The wonderful artwork in the app coincides with the picture books available by these same developers. The fact that they have dedicated their musical careers towards children and symphony music education makes me stand and applaud!
Summary: All-in-all we think this app is precious and really very good. Elementary Ed teachers would be in heaven if they could use this during their orchestra units. I think it’s the perfect bed time story for young ones as well. Speaking of stories, apparently Maximus has more books out all encouraging symphony orchestra skills and appreciation.
To purchase Maximus Music on iTunes for iPad/iPhone for: $0.99 
Have you already downloaded and used Maximus Music? If so, leave us a comment and let us know what you thought. Thanks – Rebecca
Read More
My Note Games
App Name: My Note Games
Kid Testers Ratings: **** 4/5
Mom/Teacher Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price: ($FREE introductory) or $5.99 (bundle)
Recommended Ages: All (even though it is designed for kids, I used it for pitch training for myself with my voice, and found it challenging and really pretty darn fun).
Skills Developed: Note Reading
Reviewed on: iPad/iPhone (available for both)
I have had several students, my own children, and myself test this app over the course of 2 weeks. And, the consensus is…..(drumroll)… we LOVE it!
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About Me
Hi, I’m Rebecca. I am an active music teacher, a professional performing musician, and a mom of young musicians with apps. I love apps! The speed and ease of learning is incredible with today’s technology and I tend to use it to its fullest. I aim to only feature the best of the best here. Join Me! Categories
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