Computer’s piano lessons are music to teacher’s ears
By VICTORIA CUMBOW
Times Staff Writer
Creekside pupils learn faster, better by using all senses.
Creekside Elementary School is now teaching piano lessons – on a computer.
During the last school year, music teacher Elaine Rugless implemented a new program called MusIQ Club, which teaches students piano instruction through an interactive on-screen program hooked up to a piano keyboard.
“It’s seeing, hearing and playing,” Rugless said. “They learn quicker, faster and better.”
The program is an after-school, hour-long, 10-week program that teaches kids the fundamentals of piano and music, but does so through games on a computer screen.
Students learn notes, note values, note recognition and other elements through such on-screen characters as Mr. Beethoven and Miss Melody.
“The software is great,” Rugless said. “It’s eyes and ears and double reinforcement, which is vital.
“They’re using all their senses, and that’s what you want for learning.”
Rugless, the music teacher at Creekside has been teaching students piano for years because “piano is the queen and king of music. If you can play piano, you can play any other instrument,” she said.
After using the MusIQ Club software this year, she said the improvement was noticeably better.
“I noticed a difference in retention and what the students learned,” she said. “It’s been night and day to me.”
The 10-week program is offered in the fall and the spring as an after-school option. The program also requires the students to memorize a piece for a recital at the end of the year.
While the program is only offered to students at Creekside, MusIQ makes lessons through 12th grade. This summer, Miriam Battles, who does marketing for MusIQ Club will offer lessons.
“We’ve had a great success with it,” Rugless said. “Other schools should want to do this.”
Merideth Murdock, a fifth grader at Creekside, said the program made learning the piano much easier. Although she had been taking piano lessons for the year prior to the program at Creekside, she said it was much more fun.
“It’s a different way to learn music,” she said. “It makes how to find the notes easier.”
The way the program puts it into the games is easer, and she finally mastered playing sharps and flats, she said.
“I’ve always wanted to play piano,” said fourth grader, Matthew Scarcelli. “I like the sound of music, and it made me want to learn to play myself.”
He plans to take the course again next year and said his favorite part was memorizing his recital piece, the “William Tell Overture.”
“Children love it,” Rugless said. “They’re comprehending more and having fun.”
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