Little Star App Review for Little Musicians
This music education app review is for: Little Star, Baby’s First Music Game
Kid/Student Ratings: *****5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ****4/5
Educational Value: Excellent +
Price: $0.99
Recommended: 1 – 3 years
Skills Developed: Each tap of the screen brings a visual and musical reaction.
App Tested on iPad (available for both iPhone and iPad)
Good Stuff about this music ed app: At first, the mother who first tested this app for me said it didn’t really do much… UNTIL she noticed her 2 year old constantly going back to open it.
One great thing about this app is that it is simple and not all gobbed up with confusing things to click. The developers got this one right on for the age group.
The particular family I tested this app with has now had the app on their iPad for about 4 months and the parents say it is THE most opened app on the iPad at their home. Guess that tells us how the kiddos like it.
All the babes have to do is tap on the stars and the song “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” plays with each tap. Occasionally the rocket goes floating by. This always brings a toothless grin, even after the 400th time.
Our Wish List: We wish that there were more apps like this for our babies. It’s simple and so sweet.
My Love: Believe-it-or-not, the babies I tested this with started singing this song without any prompting from their parents. REALLY. They did. With enough repetition loads of things are possible for our wee ones.
Summary: All-in-all we feel parents can feel good about adding this app to their iOS device. The babes will find it, for sure. And, they’ll keep on coming back!
Purchase Twinkle Star on iTunes now for iPad for: $0.99
Purchase Twinkle Star on iTunes now for iPhone/Pod for: $0.99
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 MoreMonkey Tunes Music Ed App Review
This review is for: Monkey Tunes
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: *** 3/5
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $0.99 (also available free in lite version)
Age Recommended: 3 and up
Skills Developed: Memory of sequence of instruments played by the monkey
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this music ed app: This cute monkey lives on an island where a cargo crate full of instruments was dropped. The monkey plays each instrument and the idea is that you attempt to play back the instruments in the correct order he played them in. FUN!!
As you play, the sequences get a little bit longer, and more instruments are added. The kids I tested this with just giggled and giggled the whole time they were playing this app.
Memory skills are critical in music education, and this app fits the bill for sure! A perfect game for the waiting room of any music school.
Our Wish List: The instruments all take up one beat in the sequences but the guitar that the monkey plays uses up more than one beat, so sometimes you can’t hear the other instrument when it plays. When two guitars are played in a row, they overlap which is quite confusing to the younger students. I hope the developers see this and fix it. It’s such a great game otherwise.
My Love: I love that there are so many levels, and that it is not too complicated to pass them one at a time. The monkey plays in different places (beach, circus, etc.) after so many levels are passed. Lots of levels for these kids – they love that!
Summary: All-in-all we feel that Monkey Tunes is a fun, motivating game that stimulates memory skills while using music instrument sounds and visuals. It’s a pretty darn okay app. The kids love it! :)
Purchase Monkey Tunes in iTunes for iPad for: $0.99
Purchase Monkey Tunes in iTunes for iPhone/Pod for: $0.99
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think! 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 MoreBlob Chorus Music Education App Review
This review is for: Blob Chorus
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $FREE
Age Recommended: 5 and up
Skills Developed: Ear Training, Recognizing Specific Pitches
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this music ed app: The giggling begins right as you open this app, it’s really funny! The blob chorus treats you to a quick rendition of their “Blob” song and then when you go to use the resource (play the game) they separate. The idea is that you listen very carefully to the pitches the Blobs sing and then the King Blob sings one of those same pitches. You have to tap on the correct Blob to win points.
Read MoreMusic Ed App Review Monkey Drum
This review is for: Monkey Drum FREE (There is also a deluxe version of this app)
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 4/5
FREE iPhone
FREE iPad
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $Free
Age Recommended: 4 – 12
Skills Developed: Rhythm exploration, percussion instrument exploration, rhythm repeat, percussion song composition
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this app: I’ll admit I wasn’t sure about this app at first. I am always analyzing for educational content. But I’ll tell you that after watching my son and a couple of cousins return to it over and over for fun and creativity, it has won me over. And, I love that it is FREE. (no ads)
The idea is that you “jam” on real sounding percussion instruments and little jungle animals copy your rhythm exactly back to you. The animals have funny reactions as you are allowed to feed them bananas to reward them. It really is pretty cute. The young boys seem to really enjoy these reactions.
The best part of the app is the composition section where you create songs using a vertical grid. You can then save your songs and watch the animals perform them for you. It’s really pretty darn fun.
I have a 10 year old drummer in the house and he can’t keep his hands off this app lately.
Our Wish List: The composition area of the app seemed hard to navigate at first. It was unclear what to do or how to save the songs created. The kids also didn’t understand that you could make several sections to each song, but after playing with it for a while (and clicking the help button), we got it figured out.
My Love: I really love the composition page of this app. It’s great that you can earn/unlock more instrument the more you play. There is a tempo control, and it appears that your compositions can have endless sections to them. The kids have really had a hay day with it!
Summary: All-in-all we think percussion enthusiasts will get a bang out of this app! It’s a really great way to use creativity and rhythm and wrap it into a whole lot of fun. Can I say “I Love FREE educational apps” ?
Purchase Monkey Drum on iTunes for iPad for: $FREE
Purchase Monkey Drum on iTunes for iPhone/Pod for: $FREE
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think. 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 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 MoreMusical Me!
This review is for: Musical Me!
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: *** 3/5
$1.99
Educational Value: Very Good
Price: $1.99
Age Recommended: 0-4 years old
Skills Developed: Music Enthusiasm and Appreciation, Memory, Written Music familiarity.
App Tested on iPad/iPhone
Good Stuff about this app: If you have small children you will enjoy this music ed. app. It’s a great past time for young kids. Memory, Rhythm, Movement, Instruments, and Notes are among some of the components included.
Note that it is for the very young.
There are different pages within this app that you navigate through with the single touch of a cute, hovering mouse. He takes you to the different parts within the app where you can explore music while listening to a happy lady sing folk songs to you. It’s very cheery!
I found a video from the makers. I thought you might like to look and see if this app suits your family.
Our wish list: While this app is very cute, I don’t really see any teaching going on. It’s mostly exploration. The repeat the pitch page is probably the most education and works on memory with pitch and site recognition.
I searched and searched for something within this app that actually tells the kids how to play the songs to the beat. It just doesn’t. The birds fly by, you touch them and they each play a pitch to the song the app aims for you to play. But, unless you tap in the correct rhythm it doesn’t sound much like the song at all. There is no feedback, only just a bongo playing in the background. Maybe there needs to be some direction here?
For the non-teaching reasons, I kept this app at more of an exploration game for children between the ages of 0 and 4.
My Love: I love the outer-space page where memory, site, and pitch are explored. Do Re Mi are sung and the planets light up with super happy faces. Your job is to tap the correct ones in the order they were first presented. You either get an “oops” or a “you did it!” Feedback is super important when a skill is trying to be learned.
The little girls I tested it with spent the most time on this page.
Summary: All-in-all we think this app is pretty darn cute for the youngins. Small children will love to spend loads of time exploring each page within. Oh, and making the cow jump over the moon is pretty fun!
Purchase Musical Me! in iTunes for iPad for: $1.99
Purchase Musical Me! in iTunes for iPhone/Pod for: $1.99
Have you already purchased, downloaded and used this app? Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought. Thanks – Rebecca
Read MoreHappy Friday! Dr. Seuss Band is now FREE
Happy Friday everyone!
The Dr. Seuss musical instrument game app for iPad/Pod/Phone is now FREE on the app store. I hope you will spread the news and have the opportunity to check it out for yourself if you haven’t already.
Here is a link to my review. Maybe you will remember that this game was played like crazy here during the holidays.
-Rebecca
Read MoreChord Detector
This review is for: Chord Detector
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: *** 3/5
Educational Value: Excellent
Price: $2.99
Age Recommended: All Ages of Guitar Players
Skills Developed: A quick guide to the chords in selected tunes
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this app: My guitar playing/teaching son gave this one a test for a few days a couple of weeks ago. This is what he said when he first opened the app: ”My life has just been changed forever. This technology is incredible!”
And, incredible it is. This app takes any selected tune (from your iTunes) and detects the chords that go along with the melody. It then shows them to you in an “almost timely” manner with the fingerings and everything. Really? Yah.
Although musicians should understand that there are multiple chord ideas/shapes found within certain melodies, this app gives you a guide to go on.
If you are a musician/guitar player who has ever spent hours working out the chords to a favorite song, then your life will have changed a bit as well after using this app. It’s like having your own personal guide to chord ideas within any melody.
Our Wish List: Well as amazing as the technology is within this app, it’s just not really that accurate. I’m not going to complain too much though because the you can avoid many brain cramps while working out the chords of certain tunes.
We tested it on tune after tune. It was wrong on many of the chords used in complicated classical music, but pretty darn accurate for more simple bluegrass and blues. It seems to be following the melody. (even if a guitar is being played in the recording)
We will be watching the updates to see what improves because this idea is just really nifty.
My Love: This app has a capo function on it! Yeah!! It has to be the very best feature here. You can capo your guitar while using this function which helps you be able to use more familiar chord shapes. Cool!
Summary: All-in-all we really think the technology used in the making of this app is just the beginning of a bridge to new music education. How much more simple life is becoming. Good job developers!
Purchase Chord Detector in iTunes for iPad/iPhone/iPod for: $2.99
Have you already downloaded and used this app? If so, please leave us a comment and let us know what you thought. Thanks -Rebecca
Read MoreJazzy Day Swinging With The Big Band
This review is for Jazzy Day – Swinging With The Big Band. Melody Book.
Kid/Student Ratings: **** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: **** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price: $4.99
Age Recommended: 2 – 10 years
Skills Developed: Jazz music characteristics and typical jazz instruments
App Tested on iPad
Good Stuff about this app: I am thrilled to be able to introduce this app to you all. Jazzy Day – Swinging With The Big Band is a fun and interactive story that will teach your child about jazz music and the instruments typically used to play jazz. The book features sounds from REAL acoustic instruments and really great jazz music.
Two kittens and their father take you on an outing to see the Big Band play. How cool is that!?
There are several different activities in this book, but my very favorite is
Read MoreCleartune Tuner
App Name: Cleartune (Tuner)
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price: $2.99
Age Recommended: All Musicians
Skills Developed: Intonation
App Tested on iPad/iPhone
Good Stuff about this app: Cleartune is my absolute favorite tuner! I have 3 different ones on my iPad. The dial on it doesn’t go wiggling out of control like some of the other ones I have. It apparently has a really strong input for sound because it can hear you even if there is some other noise in the room. Funny thing I noticed at my last studio recital- my accompanist was using her iPhone on the piano as the students lined up to tune. COOL.
I really like that there are options on this app for changing
Read MoreRecorder
App Name: Recorder
Kid Tester Ratings: ***** 4/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ***** 5/5
(I couldn’t get the correct icon for this app – it’s blue with an upright mic on it, but my links will take you to the correct one, don’t worry.)
Educational Value: Superior (if used as such)
Price: $2.99
Age Recommended: n/a
Skills Developed: Recording capabilities with clear sound! Ease of e-mailing.
App Tested on iPad/iPhone
Good Stuff about this app: I downloaded this Recorder app after I learned that most audio recordings sound pretty yucky if just used with the default recorder on an iPad or iPhone. I searched and searched and finally found this one. Good thing I did! This is probably THE most used app in my teaching studio.
This app is powerful. It records will really great sound. I use it to record myself playing practice “spots” or other important clips and accompaniments (me playing). I then email them to the student who needs it with the touch of one little e-mail button. Seriously, does it get easier than this? It has been incredibly
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
ZZZ FREE – Drift Away To Sleep
App Name: ZZZ FREE – Drift Away To Sleep
Kid Tester Ratings: ***** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price: $FREE ($0.99 upgrade later if desired)
Age Recommended: 0 and up
Skills Developed: Song repetition with Ease
App Tested on my iPad
Good Stuff About This App: I have been a Suzuki Music Mom for 18 years, and let me tell you… this app makes getting all of that listening done easy. Really. I remember spending hours “dubbing” my kids’ song onto cassettes so I wouldn’t have to rewind Cuckoo over and over for my 4 year old. Then came the “automatic rewind tape”. I thought I was in heaven. (giggle) Then I moved into making play lists on my computer media player and burning disc after disc of Bach Minuets. More recently came the iPod dock with auto repeat. The only problem I still had was that every night I still had to go into his room after he fell asleep to turn the machine off. …….enter “ZZZ”.
It’s my happy day! I open this program
Read MoreSeuss Band
App Name: Seuss Band
Kid Tester Ratings: ***** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price $.99
Recommended Ages: 4 and up
Skills Developed: Music Enthusiasm, Timing, Pitch
App tested on: iPad
Good stuff about this app: Oh Ho! It’s RockBand/Guitar Hero for Dr. Seuss Lovers! When I first opened this app I was immediately drawn in by the bright colors and fun shapes. The Dr. Seuss voices are so fun, but honestly my favorite thing are the bouncing
Read MoreGlowTunes
App Name: GlowTunes
Kid Tester Ratings: ***** 5/5
Teacher/Parent Ratings: *** 3/5
Educational Value: Very Good
Price $.99
Recommended Ages: 10 and under
Skills Developed: Music Exploration and Composition
App tested on: iPad/iPhone (available on Android Market also)
Good Stuff About This App: This app is quite a fun novelty. You get to light up little colored squares or circles (each one is assigned a pitch) on a grid. Then push play, and … voila- Music happens! It’s like colorful palette of pitches. I said “good-bye” to my iPad one night when I allowed a 7 year old
Read MoreMetronome 9
App Name: Metronome 9
Tester Ratings: ***** 5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Price $.99
Recommended Ages: ALL
Skills Developed: Steady Beat
App tested on: iPad/iPhone
Good stuff about this app: My very first app I downloaded to my iPad was this metronome. I was super excited to join the new world and have my music gadgets on hand at all times. This metronome delivered just what it promised. I really like the subdivision feature and that it all looks like a regular metronome. No confusion here. Another really nifty feature is that when you touch the “tap” button at a regular interval, the metronome picks up on the tempo. Nice for teachers finding a certain tempo for their students! This metronome does so much more than my old battery-sucking one in the bottom of my music bag. There are endless tones, abilities to save tempos under song names, and the volume is pretty good also.
My Wish List: Um. I can’t think of any. It’s awesome for a metronome. My young female students would love it if there was an option for showing it in pink. :)
To purchase this Metronome 9 on iTunes App store for: $.99
click here for iPad: 
click here for iPhone:
Have you already downloaded and used this app? Leave your comments below and let us know what you think. -Rebecca
Read More
DooDah
App Name: DooDah
Kid Testers Ratings: ***** 4/5
Mom/Teacher/Adult Ratings: *****5/5
Educational Value: Superior
Fun Factor: low MEDIUM high
Price: $FREE
Recommended Ages: 1 and up
Skills Developed: Note Placement and Pitch Recognition Treble and Bass Clef
Reviewed on: iPad (available for iPhone as well)
Good stuff about this app:
This app is a super alternative to those flash cards. It not only is great for visual music staff/notes exploration but can be used for pitch recognition as well. I love it because the kids enjoy watching DooDah as I quiz them on
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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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