I Can Play Piano - Press Releases
| Press Release | Source: Fisher-Price, Inc. |
Fisher-Price Tickles the Ivories with New Platform That Encourages Music Appreciation
Thursday February 2, 7:15 am ETMusic Teachers National Association-Supported I Can Play Piano(TM) Set to Debut at Toy Fair
Fisher-Price has had significant success in the learning aisle with toys that teach young children the "traditional" educational fundamentals with products that include Kasey the Kinderbot(TM), the PowerTouch(TM) Learning System, Learn Through Music, PowerTouch(TM) Baby, the Laugh & Learn(TM) Collection, InteracTV(TM) and Read With Me DVD! This year, Fisher-Price tunes in to the musical arts, continuing its dedication to the development of innovative products that help young children learn through play.
"Given our expertise in the creation of unique learning platforms and our understanding of the value of musical play, I Can Play Piano is a natural evolution in our product development," says David Allmark, general manager and senior vice president, Fisher-Price. "The integration of fun and games into the practice of piano playing will help to begin to instill a lifelong love of music."
Research shows that nearly every parent wants their child to play a musical instrument and the number one instrument they choose is the piano, the foundation for learning other instruments. Playing the piano makes kids think, which helps them develop a basic learning skill that extends into the classroom. And the consistent practice required to achieve success, encourages commitment and discipline. The trick is how to make it all fun!
Don Beattie, director of piano pedagogy at Southern Illinois University, uses the same method found in I Can Play Piano - the Piano Wizard method - to teach piano to children at the Piano Wizard Academy which he and his wife Delayna Beattie, founded and direct. He says the method helps children develop an ear, eye, mind and appreciation for music. He also notes that it offers young children the opportunity to fully appreciate their own power to make music, laying a strong foundation necessary for continuing study and lessons.
"It's so simple. All of a sudden, as children are playing the game, you realize they've advanced to the grand staff and they're actually reading music," says Mr. Beattie. "They are becoming better musicians because of the game. We find that we're looking to the game to realize the goals we've always had -- for kids to play piano and enjoy it."
The innovative I Can Play Piano system is designed to help children, ages 4 to 8, learn how to play piano and read music in a fun, easy way. Now kids will be able to play a game that allows them to play their favorite songs themselves. Kids simply plug the three-octave piano keyboard, with color-coded keys, into the TV to create a plug and play piano system. The "learning magic" lies within the proprietary Piano Wizard method used in the song and game cartridges. Standard sheet music becomes a colorful game with fun, moving images that tell kids what note to play and when to play it. I Can Play Piano is easy because kids set the tempo and learn at their own pace. Another great bonus is that kids of different ages (even Mom!) can collaborate and play together, and the simple game becomes a fun family experience. Each time kids play, they'll get a score and visual feedback on how well they played, just like playing a videogame. The better they play, the higher their score, with positive feedback and unconditional applause to encourage them every step of the way.
I Can Play Piano also teaches kids to read music through four simple modes of play:
- In Mode One, kids simply hit the right note at the right time! Images move toward the top of the screen, and when the color image hits the keyboard on the TV screen, kids press the same color key on the keyboard to hear that note. It's easy for players to follow a whole series of images to play a song.
- Mode Two is an intermediate step that helps kids understand how music is organized and read. The keyboard on the video screen rotates from the top of the TV screen to the left side, so kids get used to seeing how pitch is organized on a musical staff.
- In Mode Three, the images become color-coded notes on real musical staffs, seamlessly introducing kids to musical notation. Sharps, flats and beginning theory become simple child's play.
- Mode Four completes the transition to traditional music notation. The color-coded notes become black and white notes on musical staffs, enabling kids to play the same song with real notes.
In addition to the plug and play keyboard, the I Can Play Piano system includes an AC adaptor and one song and game cartridge featuring eight piano favorites, The Entertainer, Row, Row Your Boat, I've Been Workin' on the Railroad, Beethoven's Fur Elise and more. Additional I Can Play Piano song and games cartridges featuring music appropriate for preschoolers, older kids, and families, will be sold separately for use with the system.
In partnership with MTNA, Fisher-Price will include in I Can Play Piano packaging a brochure featuring tips for parents about what to look for when a child is prepared to move on to piano lessons and how to choose a teacher. In addition, an MTNA link will be posted on the Fisher-Price web site, directing parents to the MTNA for these helpful tips.
About MTNA
Music Teachers National Association is a nonprofit organization of independent and collegiate music teachers committed to furthering the art of music through teaching, performance, composition and scholarly research. Founded in 1876, Music Teachers National Association is the oldest professional music teachers' association in the United States.
About the Piano Wizard Method
Allegro Multimedia, Inc. (dba Allegro Rainbow) is a leading provider of non-violent music gaming software and musical educational tools that teach both young and old alike how to play the piano and read music. Their Piano Wizard method is an exciting video game approach that integrates a piano tutorial with a fun, interactive gaming environment. It has the unique ability to transform tedious and repetitive practice sessions into an exciting and deeply rewarding video game experience for people of all ages and musical abilities.
About Fisher-Price
Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT - News) and located in East Aurora, New York, is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has a 75-year legacy of high-quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company's best-known "classic" brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and View-Master®. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (nursery monitors, infant swings, high chairs) as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children's programming such as Sesame Street®, Dora the Explorer(TM) and Winnie the Pooh. The Company's web site, at www.fisher-price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents.
Contact:
Freeman Public Relations Ellie Bagli/Jen Holzapfel, 973-470-0400 ebagli@freemanpr.com jholzapfel@freemanpr.com or Fisher-Price Brenda Andolina/Dana Marciniak, 716-687-3354 brenda.andolina@fisher-price.com dana.marciniak@fisher-price.com
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Press Release - Feb. 2, 2006 |
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Allegro Multimedia / Fisher-Price
Agreement Opens Doors Allegro Multimedia licenses Piano Wizard™ Method to Toy Industry Giant Tampa, Florida - February 2006 - Allegro
Multimedia and Fisher
Price, owned by Mattel,
recently signed a strategic licensing agreement that
harmonizes Allegro's Piano Wizard method with Fisher
Price's innovative commitment to music education. The
agreement allows Fisher Price to introduce Allegro's
technology into the toy market as the Piano Wizard is a revolutionary teaching platform that is changing the way kids learn piano. "Our strategic partnership and licensing agreement with Fisher Price ensures that future generations of children will use the Piano Wizard method as training wheels in discovering a life-long, love of the piano, ultimately helping to create many more musicians," says Chris Salter, CEO of Allegro Multimedia and inventor of Piano Wizard. The Piano Wizard method is inherently different from other music-teaching approaches because it introduces actual playing of real music with an amazingly simple interactive video game. The groundbreaking technology allows virtually anyone to play songs within minutes and transforms the tedious and traditional methods of piano practice into an exciting video game. Piano Wizard can make the first few years of a child's musical experience fun instead of torture, because children can now actually play to learn piano. "The problem with the way many people learn piano is that they go through all the traditional methods for months and months, and they're still not playing anything they want to play," says Scott Houston, the host of the public television shows, Play Piano in a Flash! and The Piano Guy with Scott Houston. Houston continued, "They aren't inspired to practice, and they stop learning. That's why I think Piano Wizard is really clicking with people. Instead of saying they have to go and practice, they are genuinely getting immersed in this game. It turns practice into simply learning to play quicker. For any of my students who come in the door and say they are nowhere, don't understand how to read music and need a place to start, I will definitely be using Piano Wizard. To be able to see how the progression of this product turns the playing of the game into playing real music, and how easily that transition takes place, is very impressive to me." Salter explained, "Piano Wizard's simple interface allows players to learn by doing, simply by hitting the right key at the right time--as Bach so famously put it hundreds of years ago. Because the game can subconsciously teach music essentials to children at such a critical development stage, they can learn music deeply and intuitively, almost as if it were a native language, which is how we believe Mozart processed and assimilated music at such a young age." Salter added, "By playing the Piano Wizard game, children begin to absorb and deduce basic music theory in the same way children subconsciously learn to organize parts of speech. The foundations of structure and fundamentals are being set without needing to know how to read. In the same manner, we all learn our native languages by speaking, kids can subconsciously absorb the underlying mathematical logic of music, the grid of pitch and time, by playing. Only with Piano Wizard, instead of complex musical notation the music "notes" stream by as simple color coded game characters, not difficult to master hieroglyphics and the music pours forth enjoyably." This year, Fisher Price is focusing on developing high-quality toys in the musical arts category and the use of the Piano Wizard method in the company's upcoming I Can Play Piano™ system will play a major role in accomplishing the goal of helping kids learn naturally and painlessly through musical play. Salter concluded, "We are looking forward to a continuing relationship with Fisher Price to set the stage for a revolution in music education, particularly as it affects early child development and the well-known resultant benefits to math and SAT scores in later life." "Given our expertise in the creation of unique learning platforms and our understanding of the value of musical play, we recognized the Piano Wizard method as the perfect basis for our new generation of musical toys," says David Allmark, general manager and senior vice president, Fisher-Price. "Fisher Price together with the Piano Wizard method will begin to instill a lifelong love of music in children worldwide."
About Fisher Price |
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Contacts: Adriana Sol / Brian Metcalf
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| Press Release | Source: Mattel, Inc. |
Mattel(R) And Fisher-Price(R) Brands Launch Tech-Friendly Line at Toy Fair 2006
Thursday February 9, 8:00 am ET
Mattel has incorporated exciting entertainment and breakthrough technology into all of its world-renowned brands, resulting in a hot new line showcasing creativity, innovation and playful fun at the 2006 American International Toy Fair in New York.
"Mattel's new product line for 2006 is quite impressive," says Chris Byrne, the Toy Guy(TM). "It strikes the perfect balance between classic play and technological innovation in a broad-based and appealing collection that children and their parents will find particularly relevant and desirable."
"We're looking at an exciting year ahead for Mattel as we focus on creating great toys that give children a play experience they will love and remember," says Neil Friedman, president, Mattel Brands. "It's all about creating a magical moment for children through content-rich toys that incorporate innovative features and just the right amount of technology to engage children and capture their imaginations over and over again."
Imaginative and content-rich products:
From a child's perspective, a good story allows their play experience to transform into their own imaginative interpretation of their favorite characters. No one is better at finding that perfect balance between bringing great content and innovation into its toys than Mattel.
Let's Dance!(TM) Barbie® doll as Princess Genevieve(TM) from "Barbie(TM) in The 12 Dancing Princesses:" Inspired by Barbie(TM) as Princess Genevieve(TM), the star of Barbie® doll's sixth princess movie "Barbie(TM) in the 12 Dancing Princesses," Let's Dance!(TM) Barbie® doll brings the beautiful choreography from the movie to life, allowing girls to dance with the Barbie® doll in three different ways: Barbie® doll can follow the girl's dance moves, teach the girl a new move by demonstrating and saying phrases, or dance to music while the girl watches. A motion-sensor bracelet and shoe clip for the girl to wear direct Barbie® doll's movements.
CARS Fast-Talkin' Lightning McQueen Vehicle: This large-scale car really knows how to have a good time. With his animated eyes and vinyl-animated mouth, it's the ultimate interactive toy inspired by the upcoming Disney/Pixar movie, CARS. Kids can talk to Lightning McQueen and program him to do up to 15 outrageous stunts and tricks, and "say" more 30 fun phrases - featuring the voice talent from the motion picture.
Sing & Spin Pablo: This plush Pablo comes to life in two modes of play that will be sure to have kids doing the backyard boogie! When kids squeeze Pablo's right hand, he sings the Backyardigans theme song and performs his signature dance moves. When kids press his left hand Pablo encourages them to sing and dance along with interactive phrases and fun dance games.
Air Launch Aang With Appa: Boys can act out their favorite battle scenes from Avatar with this action figure and vehicle set. Air Launch Aang with Appa features the Avatar's favorite animal companion, the giant two-ton flying bison, Appa, combined with one of Aang's neat Air-bending skills. Boys can put Aang into Appa's saddle, launch him up to eight feet in the air, and watch him helicopter down on his opponents. A gravity switch activates sound effects from Appa and phrases from Aang when they are lifted or tilted during play or when the speech button is pressed.
Favorite Classic Brands:
With the world's largest portfolio of classic brands spanning many generations, Mattel is unsurpassed in re-invigorating children's favorite toys with new energy; and always in tune with the latest trends.
Polly Pocket(TM) POLLYWORLD(TM) DVD and Rockin' Theme Park(TM) playset: In fall 2006 Polly Pocket!(TM) is launching her first ever, full-length 70-minute direct-to-DVD - "Pollyworld(TM)"! Girls will be able to bring Polly(TM) and her friends' adventures in "Pollyworld(TM)" to life with the PollyWorld(TM) Rockin' Theme Park(TM) playset. It's the coolest amusement park-meets-ultimate shopping promenade filled with thrilling rides, music to the max and shopping galore - everything girls love, including fun and friends.
Hot Wheels® Terrordactyl(TM) Track Set: Kids race to blast a flying pterodactyl out of the sky and avoid erupting volcanoes in this new high-speed Hot Wheels® track set. Kid-powered super boosters send cars racing around the track, avoiding the pterodactyl that captures wayward Hot Wheels® cars in his teeth. Win the race, and launch the pterodactyl high into the air.
Superman Returns(TM) Inflato-Suit(TM): This summer, the Man of Steel(TM) is back in the Warner Bros. motion picture, Superman Returns(TM). Mattel's toy line features role-playing toys that enable kids to demonstrate Superman's epic powers. The Superman Returns(TM) Inflato-Suit(TM) lets kids imagine that they have the strength, the power ... and the physique of the Man of Steel(TM). A dedicated battery-operated fan inflates the Superman(TM) suit, transforming kids into their favorite superhero, all muscle-bound and awe-inspiring.
UNO®'s 35th Anniversary, featuring UNO Spin(TM): This year, America's No. 1 card game, UNO®, celebrates 35 years of fast, family fun. And the all-new UNO Spin(TM) adds a new element to the game: In a single turn, everything can change. When a spin card is played, someone must spin the wheel. Will luck be on their side? Will players get to discard cards, be forced to pick up more cards, or even exchange hands? It's fast-paced fun that'll make your head spin!
T.M.X.: Since 1996, the big question of the holiday shopping season has been "What's the next Tickle Me Elmo?" Over the years, Elmo has tickled America's funny bone, rocked out on his guitar, and even sang and danced to his own renditions of the Chicken Dance, Hokey Pokey, Y-M-C-A and Shout! What's the next Tickle Me Elmo? It's T.M.X.! On the 10th Anniversary of Tickle Me Elmo, the furry, red phenomenon returns like never before ... Look for the top-secret exciting reveal in September!
Power Wheels® Jeep® Hurricane: When the Jeep® Hurricane Concept Car blew onto the 2005 North American International Auto Show stage, it raised the bar for the Jeep brand - representing the most capable and most powerful 4x4 ever built. In Fisher-Price style, this extreme Jeep has been pint-sized for preschoolers into a two-seat Power Wheels Jeep Hurricane featuring Ultimate Terrain Traction(TM), taking it places no other battery powered ride-on can go.
Innovative use of technology:
Mattel has become a master at utilizing today's technology to enhance a child's play experience through innovative, exciting and fun new products that seem to come to life in a child's hands.
Pixel Chix(TM) "Love" 2 Shop(TM) Mall: Pixel Chix(TM) - the V.F.F. (virtual friend forever) that launched last year and quickly became a huge success - returns in 2006 with brand new digs. This fall, the sassy "2-D girl living in a 3-D world!(TM)" can shop and hang out at the Pixel Chix(TM) "Love" 2 Shop(TM) Mall. The mall comes with a flip screen allowing your Pixel Chix(TM) gal to move between the shops for double the fun. There are two malls, each with two shops - a boutique/foodcourt and a salon/petshop. Seven different input buttons allow for interactive play including new work, money, and shop buttons. The more your Pixel Chix(TM) gal works, the more money she has to spend on all the cool things in the mall.
My Scene(TM) Fab Faces(TM) Dolls: The My Scene Fab Faces(TM) dolls are the ultimate teen drama queens... Kennedy(TM), Madison®, Chelsea® and Nolee® dolls each have an innovative, movable face feature that allows girls to create fun expressions on the dolls' faces like frowns, pouts, smirks and smiles. Each doll wears a super glam, ultra-stylish lace and glitter dress and includes accessories no drama teen can live without - a furry boa, a sparkling tiara, a trendy second fashion and glittering jewelry.
Tyco R/C® N.S.E.C.T.(TM): The follow-up to 2005's hit, Shell Shocker(TM), the remote-controlled N.S.E.C.T.(TM) (Neuro-Science of Experimental Combat Technology) is a "biomechanical" bug that transforms from a "bio-bug" to "bio-blaster" in seconds. The N.S.E.C.T.(TM) has realistic animatronic motion, dual-tone LED eyes to let you know when it's angry, and powerful mandibles that can grab and "capture" smaller toys. It also includes a multi-mode cannon that goes from single shot to rapid fire with an effective range of up to 25 feet - all with the press of a button.
SparkArt Creativity System(TM): The SparkArt Creativity System unlocks a child's creativity and provides them with unlimited inspiration. The full-sized SparkArt Easel with its giant dry-erase canvas is especially designed for interactive play to take creativity to a new level. Its magical technology gets kids' creative juices flowing and keeps them going with audio prompts that inspire them using colors, sounds, objects and the alphabet. The unique SparkArt Pod and Pen includes a patented optical reader that reads invisible codes around the easel and on all included accessories. Simply touch the pen to the icons for the creative prompts and inspiration!
Fairy Wishes(TM) Dora: Dora has become a magical fairy to make her friends' wishes come true! Fairy Wishes(TM) Dora magically comes alive with a lifelike face that realistically changes expressions throughout playtime. Her facial expressions are so real it's almost magical! Girls can help bring Dora to life by touching their own magic wand to Dora's necklace. When she is ready to make a wish, this innovative doll actually raises her wand, and then she closes her eyes and moves her lips, just like a real fairy granting a wish! When the wish is complete, Dora opens her eyes wide and moves her mouth into an expression of surprise that the wish really did come true!
ESPN® Fast Action Football(TM): Fisher-Price and ESPN have done it again! First there was the GameStation(TM), then Shot Block(TM) Basketball, now Fast Action Football! This indoor electronic game table combines a digital display with physical head to head football action. Physical game controls, a footpad and a joystick, mean that kids need to bust a move in order to play this game!
I Can Play Piano(TM): Now kids will have fun learning how to play piano and read music with this simple, innovative piano system. It's like playing a game that allows kids to play their favorite songs themselves! The three-octave piano keyboard plugs into the TV to create a plug and play piano system. Color-coded keys are the perfect size for small hands. The "learning magic" lies within the patented Piano Wizard technology in the song and game cartridges, turning standard sheet music into a colorful game with fun, moving images that tell kids what note to play and when to play it.
Digital Song & Story Player: The Digital Song & Story Player is the first digital media player that provides preschoolers with a durable and easy way to play their favorite downloadable songs and stories. The player comes preloaded with preschool appropriate songs and stories, but Moms and Dads can also add more content by uploading any music they already own to the player, or by using the safe, user-friendly Fisher-Price® Online Content Store to download songs and stories from today's popular children's artists and authors. The Kidtronics line also includes the Kid-Tough(TM) Digital Camera, the first preschool appropriate digital camera that is tough enough and easy enough for a preschooler to use.
ABOUT MATTEL
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company and the leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys. The company's best-selling brands include Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price® and American Girl®. With headquarters in El Segundo, California, Mattel has offices and facilities in 36 countries and sells its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The company's corporate Web site can be found at www.mattel.com.
Contact:
Mattel Brands Sara Rosales, 310-252-5397 or Fisher-Price Brands Brenda Andolina, 716-687-3101